Your New Air Conditioner: In Addition To The SEER Rating, Weigh These Features

Your New Air Conditioner: In Addition To The SEER Rating, Weigh These FeaturesSpring is the perfect time of year to make upgrades to your HVAC system. You’ll beat the summer heat and cut back on the high energy bills that accompany it. You just have to make sure you choose the best A/C unit for your needs. Read More »

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Freon Prices Are Going Up, Along With The Temperature — Do You Really Want To Hang Onto That Old Air Conditioner?

R-22 refrigerant (often called Freon) prices are going through the roof, and you’re the one footing the bill. If you need to recharge your home air conditioning unit, it’s going to cost you at least three times as much as it did last year and the prices are only going up from there. This is a consequence of an international environmental agreement calling for the eventual phase-out of ozone-depleting R-22 (also known as HCFS-22). So how long can you afford to pay increasingly cost-prohibitive prices for R-22 Freon before realizing that upgrading to a new air conditioner is the right financial choice? This big decision hinges mainly on two things, the size of your air conditioner and its efficiency. Read More »

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Taking Charge Of Your Warm-Weather Energy Costs

Taking Charge Of Your Warm-Weather Energy CostsSummer is rapidly approaching in the Chicago area, and for many homeowners that means increased energy costs. If you’re worried about the cost of keeping cool this summer, consider these strategies to keep your energy bills from going up with the temperature: Read More »

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Duct Sealing: For Comfort, Savings And Safety

Ductwork plays a key role in your cooling and heating system. Leaky ducts can result in more than 20 percent of conditioned air being lost before it can be delivered through vents and registers. Read More »

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Maximize Savings With Your Programmable Thermostat

Maximize Savings With Your Programmable Thermostat  Programmable thermostats can be an integral part of a smart energy-saving strategy in your home. Instead of functioning as a simple on/off switch for heating and cooling your home, programmable thermostats provide a more comfortable and consistent climate, and can help reduce utility bills significantly. Read More »

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Hiring A Contractor: 11 Tips To Ensure That You Make The Right Choice

When you hear horror stories about bad contractor experiences, you know it’s critical that when hiring a contractor, you get the right one for your job. Here are some tips to make sure your experience is a pleasant and productive one: Read More »

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The Energy Factor: How It Figures Into Your Water-Heater Purchase

The Energy Factor: How It Figures Into Your Water-Heater Purchase  Time for a new water heater? Size and price are the most common factors people use to judge water heaters. But here’s one you might not normally think about – the energy factor. What is it, and how can it help you purchase a new water heater? Simply put, the energy factor (EF) measures how much hot water is produced by each unit of fuel used on an average day by your water heater. Read More »

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A Heat Pump, The Tax-Refund Investment With A Long-Term Payoff

Any home improvement project is an investment. When you put your money into your home, you want to get the best return for your dollars that you can. If your tax refund is going toward a new HVAC system this year, the type of system that’s likely to maximize your investment is a heat pump.

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If You’ve Nursed Your Furnace Through The Heating Season, Now’s The Time To Make That Purchase

If You've Nursed Your Furnace Through The Heating Season, Now's The Time To Make That PurchaseThe heating season is about over and if you limped through the winter with a failing furnace, spring is a good time to start looking around for a replacement. Like many other seasonal products, you might find better pricing and installation costs by waiting until demand for HVAC services slows because the milder weather means fewer equipment breakdowns. Spring and fall are typically slow seasons in the HVAC industry. Manufacturers may want to lower their inventory of unsold furnaces, while pricing new furnaces attractively for dealers. Read More »

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Ductwork Banging And Clatter? Something’s The Matter

As conditioned air flows through ductwork, the ducts expand and contract due to temperature changes, and as you probably know, this can be noisy. Ductwork banging and clattering is not only bothersome, but it can be accompanied by substantially higher utility costs. Here are the primary causes for duct noise: Read More »

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