DuAll Heating & Cooling Blog : Archive for May, 2014

3 Unique Qualities of Commercial Air Conditioning Systems

Friday, May 30th, 2014

The commercial world has different requirements for air conditioning (and heating) than the residential world. Businesses must remain appropriately cooled down to keep customers/clients happy and employees content and productive. These different needs for businesses mean that their HVAC systems are unlike those found in homes. And that means they need installation, repair, and maintenance work from technicians specifically trained on commercial systems.

For light commercial air conditioning in Romeoville, IL that will keep your workspace comfortable through this summer and many summers in the future, call DuAll Heating & Cooling. With the amount of stress that your AC may experience this season, you need to have technicians on which you can count… any time of the day or night.

3 qualities that make commercial ACs different

  1. Packaged unit design: The majority of commercial HVAC systems are packaged systems, unlike the split systems that most homes use. A split system has an outdoor condenser cabinet and an indoor evaporator unit. Commercial systems have both the condenser and the evaporator—along with the compressor and fans—placed in a single cabinet, which is usually located on the roof. This design and placement saves space for a business, makes the HVAC cabinet easier for a technician to repair without intruding onto the workspace, and helps reduce the noise level from the system. Some package units are also heat pumps, so they can provide heating as well as cooling.
  2. Size: There is simply no comparison between the size of a commercial system and a residential one. Even a large mansion won’t require the amount of cooling power that a small business space needs. This isn’t only an issue of space, but of the amount of people who need cooling. More cooling is required to accommodate more people, but also to overcome the amount of heat that additional people generate. Commercial air conditioners are vast compared to home systems, and have special requirements with which technicians must be familiar.
  3. Modular design: Commercial air conditioners are designed as separate modules, usually in 10-ton, 12-ton, 15-ton, and 25-ton units. This makes it easier to construct and move a large and powerful AC system. The main advantage of modular design, however, is that it allows a company to expand without needing to replace the entire air conditioning system. Technicians can increase the cooling load with the addition of a new module of the appropriate size. For businesses that intend to expand, this is a significant benefit.

Never trust your company’s comfort to amateurs or technicians without experience on commercial air conditioning in Romeoville, IL.

Let the experienced team at DuAll Heating & Cooling take on the job. We handle light commercial repairs and maintenance that will make sure your business remains a great place to work or visit.

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Do I Need a Dehumidifier in My Romeoville Home?

Friday, May 23rd, 2014

Summer brings not only heat, but also humidity. Because of the excess moisture in the air, the human body cannot sweat as effectively, and then means the body can’t release as much heat. The result is an increased sensation of heat that goes beyond what the thermometer shows.

Although there isn’t much you can do about humidity when you’re outside (a hand fan can waft away the heat envelope around you, but that’s about it), you do have ways to control it in your home. An air conditioner naturally removes water moisture from the air during the evaporation stage. Since ACs are not specifically designed as dehumidifiers, they have only limited use for this job. A much better option to beat heavy humidity is with a whole-house dehumidifier installed professionally in your AC.

If you think you’ll benefit from a dehumidifier in Romeoville, IL, contact the indoor air quality specialists at DuAll Heating & Cooling today.

Here are some signs that will tell you it’s time to get a dehumidifier:

You have to run the AC constantly to stay comfortable

Are you encountering higher electrical bills during the summer because the air conditioner needs to run all the time to keep you comfortable? Humidity may be responsible for much of this, making you hot an uncomfortable. An air conditioner can only do so much at removing humidity, so installing a dedicated dehumidifier will go a long way toward reducing your need to run the AC. You can often decrease air conditioning use by 50% with the right dehumidifier working for you (and it uses much less power than an AC, so it won’t skew your utility bills).

You are having problems with mold and mildew

The increase in humidity invites other problems. Thin layers of water moisture on surfaces and entering into cracks and fissures are breeding grounds for mold and mildew. Aside from looking unattractive and creating sour musty odors, these growths also release toxic spores into the air that can create flu- and cold-like symptoms. If you find mold and mildew growth in your home, it’s time to have a humidifier remove their source of growth.

Water damage is affecting your home

Moisture ruins most surfaces in home: wallpaper peels, pain blisters, wood warps, stains appear on walls and ceilings. Valuable precision objects, like musical instruments, can suffer irreparable damage. When water damage signs begin to show up, and it isn’t from a leaking pipe somewhere, you may need to combat the humidity with dehumidifier installation.

Make certain that when you opt for a dehumidifier that you have experts take care of the installation. They will decide the right size and type of unit to tackle your home’s space and specific problems. For fine work installing a dehumidifier in Romeoville, IL, call on DuAll Heating & Cooling. Our NATE-certified technicians will take good care of you.

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Repair or Replace: What’s the Best Step for My Air Conditioner?

Friday, May 16th, 2014

In the world of home heating and cooling, one of the perennial questions that customers ask is, “Repair or replace?” When an air conditioning system appears to be approaching the end of its service life, you must decide whether you should continue repairs or schedule a replacement installation. Which one is the best choice, both for your comfort and your budget?

There’s no simple answer we can provide you here, because we don’t yet know about the situation with your air conditioner. Perhaps a targeted repair from a skilled technician will give you a few more years of energy-efficient performance. Perhaps your AC is only a few weeks away from a complete breakdown and you need to act now before the hot weather arrives.

However, if you call us at DuAll Heating & Cooling, we can make the process much easier for you. One of our AC specialists will inspect your air conditioner to see if there are repairs that will help. If it turns out that new installation is the better choice, our experts will help you with excellent air conditioning replacement in Bolingbrook, IL.

What factors will decide between “repair or replace”?

  • System age: Central air conditioners will last, on average, between 10 and 15 years, depending on the model. Your air conditioner will have a manufacturer’s estimated lifespan on its cabinet. An air conditioner that is still a few years away from this estimate—and which has received diligent regular maintenance during its life—will usually respond favorably to quality repair work. On the other hand, an air conditioner that is older than its estimate should be replaced even if it is still outwardly capable of cooling a house down.
  • Energy efficiency: An air conditioner can still seem to work well, with effective cooling power, but if its components are wearing down to the point where the system will not recover, it will start to cost more to run. When determining if an AC should be retired or not, check if your cooling bills have changed over the last two years. Continually rising bills are a major red flag that repairs will not do any good.
  • Repair frequency: Since air conditioners need the majority of their repairs done during the last two years of their service life, an increase in the amount of repair jobs indicates a system is probably ready for replacement. Once it costs more than $500 a year to keep an AC scraping by, you should retire it.

The NATE-certified technicians at DuAll Heating & Cooling will help you find out the right path to take when it comes to your air conditioner.

We can perform skilled repairs and air conditioning replacement in Bolingbrook, IL—whatever you need. Call us today to beat out the summer heat.

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What to Expect with Duct Cleaning

Friday, May 9th, 2014

*DuAll Heating & Cooling no longer offers duct cleaning services. Take a look at our other indoor air quality services to find the best solution for your needs.

With the amount of contamination that can enter a house’s ductwork over the space of only a year, duct cleaning is a necessary step for protecting your home’s indoor air quality and keeping your HVAC system working efficiently. However, people often neglect to schedule regular professional duct cleaning because they imagine that it is a disruptive hassle.

We’d like to show you what you can expect from duct cleaning in Plainfield, IL when you call DuAll Heating & Cooling. As you’ll see, professional duct cleaning isn’t an arduous process thanks to the Roto Brush System that our skilled technicians use. There’s no reason to put off this important task any longer, so call our duct cleaning professionals today.

The duct cleaning process

Duct cleaning with the Roto Brush usually requires only a few hours of work and will not interfere much with your daily routines since the equipment necessary is small and creates only minor lewvels of noise.

After arriving at your house, the duct cleaning technicians will use special video cameras fed into the ducts to examine what areas have the heaviest dust, dirt, and other contamination. After this, the actual cleaning process starts.

The technicians will first remove the registers from your vents and wash them to make sure they do not contribute to lowering indoor air quality. Then they will send the Roto Brush into the ducts through the vents. A soft spinning brush on the long hose moves down into ductwork and agitates the pollutants along the interior of the duct without damaging the lining. The brush can fit into all sizes of ducts while still providing the same level of safe cleaning, and it can reach around corners and down through the ventilation network to reach all areas.

As the spinning brush action loosens dirt, dust, dander, smoke residue, and other pollutants from the duct interiors, a powerful vacuum attached to the Roto Brush suctions up the loose debris and runs it through a HEPA filter to catch even the smallest particles.

Once the Roto Brush stage is finished, the technicians will treat the ducts with an anti-microbial that is environmentally safe and commonly used in hospitals. This will eliminate the last of the contaminants and leave no residue behind in your ducts.

Not all duct cleaning is equal

The above process is not the only way that professionals can clean your ducts; there are more intrusive methods that involve cutting holes into an HVAC system to reach into the ducts and using enormous power vacuums. But at DuAll Heating & Cooling, we’re proud to use the Roto Brush System to provide you with safe, fast, and effective duct cleaning in Plainfield, IL.

Call DuAll Heating & Cooling today for improved air and a more efficient HVAC system through our professional duct cleaning service.

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3 Advantages of Zoning Systems

Friday, May 2nd, 2014

A zoning system is a method of dividing your home into separate sections, each with its own set of controls to adjust the heat and air conditioning systems. With centralized system, zone controls consist of a series of valves and seals in the ducts to direct the air flow. With ductless mini-split systems, zone control is usually a de facto reality, since the system involves numerous smaller units spaced throughout the home. When it comes to air conditioning, Romeoville IL residents should explore all their options, and zoning systems offer some tangible benefits that are often worth the cost of installation.

3 advantages of zoning systems that you should consider

  • Flexibility. Say you’re cooking in the kitchen over a hot stove. Another family member is reading in the living room. Zoning systems allow you to increase the air conditioner in the kitchen to help keep you comfortable, while letting the other family member maintain a warmer temperature in the living room: ensuring that you both feel cozy.
  • Savings. Zone control systems allow you to shut off the heat or air conditioning in parts of the home you aren’t using, which can save you a great deal in monthly energy expenses.
  • Longevity. Because zone control systems reduce the load on your heating and air conditioning system, they help your system last longer and reduce the risk of repairs. Again, the inferred savings might even be enough to offset the cost of installation, depending on the specifics.

Zoning systems are a standard option that many air conditioning companies can install, but as always, you want to choose a company with the skills and experience to do the job right. When it comes to air conditioning, Romeoville IL residents have a tried and true option in DuAll Heating & Cooling. We know the advantages of zoning systems and we can help you find the type of zone controls that are right for your home.

Our trained technicians can go through all of your options with you, then perform the installation with courtesy and pride.  Give us a call today to make an appointment.

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