DuAll Heating & Cooling Blog : Posts Tagged ‘Naperville’

Problems Caused by a Poor Furnace Installation

Wednesday, February 5th, 2014

When it comes to saving money on home heating, you have many options: thermostat upgrades, window caulking, improved insulation, replacing an aging heater. One option you shouldn’t choose to save money: hiring amateurs to install your furnace. (Or install any heating system, but we’ll stay with furnaces for this post since they are the most common in homes.)

We can’t emphasize enough how important it is that you only hire licensed professionals to handle furnace installation in Naperville, IL. If you have a gas furnace, local codes may even prohibit anyone but a licensed contractor from installing it. But beyond legality, the reason you want experts on the job is that poor furnace installation can lead to numerous problems, some of them dangerous.

Our staff at DuAll Heating & Cooling wants you to have the best furnace installation possible, and we strive to deliver top quality with each job. Call us today to schedule a service appointment.

Here’s What Could Go Wrong Because of a Bad Furnace Installation

  • Gas leak hazards: This is the #1 reason you don’t want amateurs putting in a gas furnace. If they make poor connections between the furnace and the gas main, it can lead to leaking of carbon monoxide. CO is colorless, odorless, toxic, and combustible… you want it kept inside the pipes where it belongs. Professionals take special precautions and run tests to make sure your furnace doesn’t have CO leaks.
  • Electrical wiring problems: If you have an electrical furnace, you won’t have the worries about carbon monoxide—but you can run into serious issues with faulty wiring unless you have professionals on the job. A poor wiring job can lead to a furnace that constantly trips circuit breakers, drains power, and may even become a fire hazard.
  • Faulty ductwork connections: A furnace needs to be hooked up to ducts so there is a complete seal between the furnace at the ventilation shafts. If this job is done poorly, it will cause a loss of air pressure throughout the ductwork, and a subsequent loss of heating power.
  • General inefficiency: Even if the amateur installers avoided creating major problems, the furnace will likely have numerous smaller issues that will lead to it running inefficiently and draining power. This is why amateur installation won’t save you money: you’ll end up paying more in energy bills (and probably repair bills).

Start out right with your new furnace: have professionals with years of experience as well as the proper licensing and insurance do the job. Already too late? Make sure to give us a call to learn mroe about your furnace repair options. Our technicians can remedy an issue before it becomes a long-term problem. For furnace installations and other heating services in Naperville, IL, call the experts at DuAll Heating & Cooling, where we take pride in our professional service.

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How to Choose the Perfect Furnace for Your Home

Friday, December 20th, 2013

Furnace installation’s in Naperville are no laughing matter. Our winters are uniformly cold, and without reliable heating, your home is apt to turn into an icebox very quickly. A good furnace starts with the initial installation, which needs to be performed by professional technicians with a track record of reliable service. Beyond that, it’s a question of picking the furnace that is best suited to your conditions. Here’s how to choose the perfect furnace for your home.

It starts with size, and by that we mean the furnace’s power capacity rather than its physical size. Generally speaking, a furnace needs to generate about 50 BTUs (British Thermal Units) of energy for every square foot of your home. That number can be modified depending on how much insulation you have as well as factors such as a lot of sunlight exposure. Sizing is vital to an effective furnace. If it’s too small, it won’t heat your home, and if it’s too large, it will cycle on and off too quickly throughout the day, costing you energy in the process.

Once you have the size nailed down, it’s time to look at efficiency. Furnaces measure their efficiency as a percentage, known as the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating. The higher the rating, the greater percentage of the furnace’s generated energy actually goes into heating, instead of being lost to waste and inefficiency. The higher the rating, the more the furnace will save you money. (You can cheat by looking for furnaces with the EnergyStar label, denoting a furnace with an AFUE of 95% or higher.)

Finally, you should examine your furnace’s capacity for upgrades and extra features. For example, some systems allow for the use of zone control systems, which divide your home into individual sections which you can warm separately.

For help on how to choose the perfect furnace for your home, the experts at DuAll Heating & Cooling are ready to help. We work throughout south Chicago suburbs like Naperville, furnace installation is a snap for us, and we won’t rest until you are completely satisfied with our work. Call us to make an appointment today!

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What Could Possibly Go Wrong with My Furnace?

Friday, November 22nd, 2013

Today’s manufacturers of furnaces design them to meet stringent performance and safety standards. Compared to the furnaces of only 20 years ago, contemporary models have increased service lifespans and excellent energy efficiency.

However, no machine can work perfectly, so the electric or gas furnace in your home can still suffer from malfunctions and breakdowns that will require you call up a skilled technician. For excellent furnace repair in Naperville, IL, you’ll need the assistance of NATE-certified technicians like those on staff at DuAll Heating & Cooling.

Here are a few problems you may encounter with your furnace.

With proper maintenance and prompt repairs, you should have no difficulty overcoming these.

  • Broken blower motor fan belt: All furnaces use forced air sent through ducts to provide warmth. This requires powerful motors attached to fans. If the fan belt develops cracks and starts to loosen, it not only threatens the performance of the fan, it will damage other components in the cabinet. A loud clacking sound from the inside of the cabinet can indicate the need to replace the fan belt.
  • Failed heating elements: Electric-powered furnaces contain an array of heating elements that contain electric coils that heat up when current passes through them. The more heat the thermostat requests, the more elements turn off. An individual heating element can fail (losing its connection, burning out), which will mean a reduction in heating power. The element will need replacement.
  • Pilot light won’t come on: For gas-powered furnaces, a pilot light is the common way to light the burners in the combustion chamber. The pilot light can go out because of a strong draft, in which case it’s usually a simple task to re-light it. However, it may also go out because of loss of pressure in the gas line or from a dirt build-up along the burner, in which case you’ll need the assistance of HVAC specialists to fix the problem. Electric furnaces and some gas furnaces use an electric igniter instead of a pilot light, and these can also malfunction.
  • Cracks in the heat exchangers: The heat exchangers in a gas furnace transfer the high temperature combustion gas into the air. If cracks develop along the exchanger because of long use without maintenance, it can lead to a lead of toxic exhaust gasses—a serious health concern. If you notice black build-up on the furnaces internal components, rust, or an abnormal pilot light flame, shut off the gas to the furnace and contact a technician immediately.

Keep in mind that with regular maintenance—a yearly visit from an HVAC specialists to tune-up and clean your furnace—you should rarely run into any of the issues above. If you sign up for the Maintenance Savings Plan with DuAll Heating & Cooling, you’ll receive regular care, plus discounts on parts and any furnace repair work in Naperville, IL you need.

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Common Heat Pump Repairs You May Encounter

Friday, November 1st, 2013

The climate in Illinois is ideal for a heat pump: warm summers and spring weather, which the cooling function can easily overcome, and cold winters and fall weather that rarely plunges far enough to give the heating function many difficulties. If you have a heat pump installed in your home, you’ve made a wise investment in your year-round comfort.

But, like any machine, heat pumps will need repairs—especially if they don’t receive routine maintenance. Here are some of the common repairs we perform on malfunctioning heat pumps, which should help guide you when you start to experience issues with the one installed in your home.

Whatever the trouble with your heat pump, trust DuAll Heating & Cooling to bring you the heating repair service that will restore it to its prime working condition.

Heat pump repairs we often do:

Replacing faulty reversing valves. One way a heat pump differs from a stand-alone air conditioner is that it has a reversing valve to change the direction of the flow of refrigerant. This permits it to swap the functions of the evaporator and condenser coils. Should this valve malfunction or break, your heat pump will only be able to perform one of its jobs—and possibly lose the ability to do both.

Recharging refrigerant. The chemical known as refrigerant that runs through your heat pump to allow for heat exchange remains at a fixed level—known as its “charge”—during normal operation. Evaporation and condensation will not use it up. However, if the lines develop leaks, you could lose refrigerant. This will lead to icing on either the indoor or outdoor coil that will interfere with the heat exchange. Professionals will have to patch the leaks and recharge the refrigerant to its original level.

Fixing compressor motors. At the heart of the operation of a heat pump are two devices known as compressors, which compress refrigerant into a hot gas to begin the heat exchange cycle. A heat pump needs two compressors to run (an AC has only one), and if the motors that power them break, it will interfere with the heat exchange cycle. Dirty bearings and burnt wiring can cause motor failures, and the motors will either need to be repaired or replaced.

The moment you sense something is wrong with your heat pump—whether it’s a loss of cooling or heating power, or a strange grinding noise from the cabinet you’ve never heard before—call in HVAC professionals to diagnose the problem and fix it. The longer you wait to get repairs, the more likely the problems will escalate into more expensive repair.

For premium quality heating repair in Naperville, IL, contact DuAll Heating & Cooling. Our slogan is “quality with affordability”—just what you’re looking for.

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Types of Available Water Heaters

Friday, October 4th, 2013

There are few greater annoyances on an early morning than discovering that you don’t have any hot water available in your house. A broken water heater isn’t something you want to occur in any month, but it’s especially uncomfortable during a sharp Illinois winter.

However, if you’re looking to get a new water heater to replace an old one that’s aged beyond repair, you don’t have the simple choice that you once did. New water heaters are now on the market that may offer you better options than your older system. Don’t go without hot water again. For Naperville, IL, water heater installation and advice, contact DuAll Heating & Cooling.

Although there is a large variety of water heater models and types that rely on differing energy sources, there a two broad categories that you will have to decide between: tank or tankless.

Tank water heaters: This is the most familiar kind of water heater, with a large tank where water is kept and heated continually until it is needed in the home. Their big advantage is their relatively inexpensive initial cost and installation. If you don’t frequently have problems with hot water running out in your home, then the standard storage heater is a viable option. But these systems have high energy use because they constantly maintain the water temperature, whether you’re using the hot water or not. And in a household with a large number of people, the hot water supply can get depleted quickly.

Tankless water heaters: These heaters are becoming increasingly popular as replacements for standard tank systems. They are sometimes called “demand” heaters, since they only supply heated water when it is needed. Water from the household supply runs through a heat exchanger that raises the temperature of the water whenever someone in the house turns on a hot water faucet, starts the washing machine, or anything else that requires hot water. The big advantage is the household will not run out of hot water since it isn’t coming from an established supply. Because they don’t constantly expend energy to heat a large water tank, tankless systems also offer energy savings. However, they cost more to install, take longer to heat up water, and depending on how many water outlets are operating at one time, they may not be as efficient for your needs.

It can be tricky to determine which kind of water heater is best for your home: it depends on the amount of hot water you use, the available energy supply, the number of people in your household, and your long-term energy saving plans. You can read more about tank vs. tankless water heaters, or you can consult with the experts at DuAll Heating & Cooling when getting a water heater in Naperville, IL becomes a serious possibility. We can help you decide if tank or tankless is the way to go, and then help you install the system you choose.

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Why Is My Air Conditioner Making a Weird Noise?

Monday, September 30th, 2013

The sound that an air conditioner makes during regular operation can provide soothing white noise: it’s a sound we are very accustomed to hearing during the summer and on into fall. But if a strange or unpleasant sound starts to interrupt your AC’s relaxing hum, it’s more than noise pollution. It might be a red flag that your system needs repairs. If an air conditioner making weird sounds is left without attention, it could lead to worse problems, causing a loss of cooling ability, increased energy bills, or even a complete breakdown.

Contact DuAll Heating & Cooling when you have concerns about your air conditioning in Naperville, IL. We’ll find out what is causing the strange sounds and get your AC the repairs it needs.

Here are some possible culprits for unexpected AC noises:

Compressor problems

If the sound you hear is a grinding noise, then the compressor that sends refrigerant through the air conditioner might be struggling. This can happen because of overwork or damaged wiring. You won’t get any cooling from your AC if the compressor fails; it will need to be fixed or replaced. The grinding noise may point to other problems—such as a refrigerant leak—so get professional help analyzing the problem.

Failing capacitor

The start capacitor sends the voltage to the motors that gets them running when the air conditioner turns on, and the run capacitor keeps them working. If you hear clicking or odd humming noises from your AC, one of the capacitors may be failing. Because of the risk of a high voltage shock, do not attempt to tamper with capacitors yourself.

Trouble with the blower motor

If something goes awry with the blower motor, you’ll hear a noise similar to what you would hear from a bad car engine. The fan belt may have developed cracks or come loose and started rubbing against other components. If left unrepaired, this will cause further damage to the AC’s interior. Even if you have experience fixing car fan belts, blower motors in air conditioners are another matter and will require assistance.

It’s crucial to act on troublesome noises from your air conditioner as soon as possible. Because of the many different causes that might lie behind the weird sounds, it will take HVAC experts to correctly diagnose and repair the problem. Don’t hesitate to call DuAll Heating & Cooling when strange noises—or anything else unusual—starts to affect your air conditioning in Naperville, IL.

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Why Is My Air Conditioning System Iced Up?

Monday, September 9th, 2013

You expect cold air to blow from the vents of your air conditioning system, so if the coils on the indoor unit of your AC start to ice up, you may imagine it’s something as simple as having the temperature turned down so low that it is freezing up your system. But a working air conditioner should be able to handle its lowest temperature setting without difficulty. Icing on the indoor unit is a sign of serious malfunction with your AC that needs immediate attention. For reliable Naperville air conditioning repair, contact DuAll Heating & Cooling to get your repairs started.

A common cause for icing on your AC unit is a problem in the thermostat. It may not be telling the air conditioning to stop cooling when it should. Modern thermostats are complex electronic devices, and need professional service to get them working correctly.

Another reason that the evaporator coils might ice over is one you probably haven’t thought of: a low refrigerant charge. The refrigerant running through your AC is fixed and does not get used up during evaporation and condensing. Losing refrigerant from a leak will likely cause the evaporator coils to freeze because they can no longer absorb enough heat. Not only will the leak need to be sealed, but an HVAC professional will have to recharge the refrigerant.

If the air inside your home is not properly reaching the coils to warm up the cold refrigerant moving through it, icing could also occur. The most common reasons for reduced air flow is a dirty or clogged filter, but the problem may be more complex, such as issues with your ductwork.

You need to stop your evaporator coils from freezing as soon as possible. If you let the problem continue, you could have a large block of ice preventing the coils from working effectively and making it difficult for your AC to do its job. You’ll need HVAC experts to diagnose the problem and find a solution, whether fixing a coolant leak, replacing the thermostat, or repairing problems with ducts and filters.

When you need to get your iced up air conditioner fixed—or any other problems you may have with your AC — DuAll Heating & Cooling is ready to give you the high quality service you deserve. With 12 years of experience in Naperville air conditioning repair, we can make sure that ice stays out of your AC system.

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Why Is My Air Conditioning System So Loud?

Thursday, August 22nd, 2013

Few things are as irritating as a loud noise emitting from one of your home appliances. You should expect a reasonable amount of noise during your air conditioner’s operation, but a particularly loud or unusual sound is often an indication that something has gone wrong with your system itself. We have seen a wide variety of issues in our time, but a loud noise is one of the most frequent signs that a problem with your AC should be fixed. If you find that your air conditioning system has become noisy, then you should call for professional air conditioning services in Naperville, IL from DuAll Heating & Cooling.

Let’s take a look at  few different loud noises that may frustrate your cooling experience as well as their possible causes:

  • Banging. If you find that your AC emits a banging noise, it could be a strong indication that there is some kind of loose part within your system. This is probably responsible for the metal-on-metal sound. But another possible cause is a bent or damage part whose deformed shape is now hitting an adjacent component. For example, your AC may have a bent fan blade that now hits the interior surface of the unit as it spins.
  • Buzzing. If you hear a loud buzzing noise emitting from your AC, then it could be an indication that your system has an electrical problem. This is potentially hazardous so it’s best not to tamper with any parts on your own. It’s far better to ensure that your AC is serviced by a professional. Electrical “arcing” can be hazardous to your home and your health.
  • Grinding. If you hear a grinding noise, you should shut off your AC and call for professional assistance. This is likely an indication of dried-out bearings, whether at the blower motor or somewhere else. It’s an indication that there is something seriously wrong with system, and continuing to operate it could potentially lead to serious damage and major component replacement.

Call DuAll Heating & Cooling today for all of your air conditioning repair needs in Naperville, IL., or learn more about our company.

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Why Does My AC Keep Making a Rattling Sound?

Thursday, August 15th, 2013

Your AC system has a lot of moving parts that can break down and cause problems for your home’s comfort. Often, your air conditioning system will start to make a new noise when it needs service. Rattling is a common issue that we get called to fix and we wanted to share some of the likely causes for this problem.

Give us a call here at DuAll Heating and Cooling if you need any Naperville, IL AC services.

Naperville, IL AC Services: AC Making Rattling Noises

If your AC is rattling, call us here at DuAll Heating and Cooling for Naperville, IL AC services. Here are a few of the possible causes:

  • Fan cage – Your air conditioning system has two fans: one inside and one outside. The cages around them protect you and also protect the fan from any injury or damage. But if the cage becomes damaged, it can rub against the fan and cause a rattling noise. If this is the case, make sure that you turn off your AC right away in order to avoid bending your fan’s blades.
  • Motor – The actual fan motor can become damaged and start to make a grinding or rattling noise. Sometimes it’s just that the motor needs to be lubricated or the bearings replaced.
  • Debris – If any branches or twigs get into your air conditioning fan it can cause it to rattle against the blades. This can also cause damage to your fan blades which could require that you replace them.
  • Loose parts – Your air conditioning system has a lot of moving parts it in that can come loose and start rattling. The only problem is that to find the loose part you will have to take off the panel for your air conditioning system and poke around inside. Doing that is usually unadvisable and should only be done by a professional air conditioning contractor.

We know that when your air conditioning system starts to make any new noises that it can be extremely frustrating, and even uncomfortable when guests are around. That’s why we work so hard to respond quickly and provide you with the quality of service that you deserve.

If you need any Naperville, IL AC services just call the specialists at DuAll Heating & Cooling.

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Air Conditioning Repair Tip: Common AC Noises and What They Mean

Monday, February 18th, 2013

DuAll Heating & Cooling provides air conditioning repairs in Naperville, IL and the surrounding towns. We offer comprehensive air conditioning repairs and maintenance services for all types of AC systems. Is your air conditioner or heat pump making a loud noise? While all AC systems make some noise, they shouldn’t make excessively loud or unusual noises. For this week’s blog post, we’ve put together a list of some common AC noises and whether or not they are cause for concern. Call us if you need an air conditioning repair.

Noises Made by Heat Pump Reversing Valve

Your heat pump has a reversing valve that reverses the flow of refrigerant when the system switches from heating to cooling, or vice versa. You may hear a type of whooshing sound immediately after it does this, but it should only last for a few seconds. If it lasts longer than that, or if your heat pump is not switching tasks properly, then call a repair technician.

Compressor Noises

Some compressors make loud noises when they turn on, especially on older units. This noise can be described as a buzzing sound, which is created by the reversing valve coil. Noise from the vibration of the compressor is another common noise, but this is nothing to be concerned about.

Fan Blade Noises

If you hear loud noises that sound like metal knocking against metal, this can be created when the fan blades hit against each other, ice, or even refrigerant tubing. Turn off your heat pump if you hear this clanking noise. If you don’t, the cause of the issue can damage the fan, compressor, and eventually the motor. If the blades are hitting the refrigerant tube, it can cause a refrigerant leak, which can cause a number of serious problems. Grinding or squealing noises may also be caused by something wrong with the fan blade.

If you hear any unusual or loud noises while running your AC system, call the Naperville IL air conditioning technicians at DuAll Heating & Cooling after you shut off your system. Contact DuAll Heating & Cooling today!

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