If all else fails…

Let’s begin with this caution—any furnace… that’s any furnace is a place where something burns. How much it burns depends on many things—the temperature outside, the temperature inside, the air movement and leakage of your home. Any furnace may have combustion or gas safety hazards. A malfunctioning furnace is not the place for you to tinker. You need a professional.

You’ve lived in the home for years. The furnace has always worked. All you had to do was to switch on the power and turn up the thermostat. You’ve been aware that some days have been colder than others, but you have attributed that to the wind off the lake and the excessive drops in temperature.

So what’s the problem? Those in the know will tell you that there are these possibilities:

·         The filters are filthy. They told you, when you had the furnace installed, that you had to replace the filters regularly. It’s right there in the manufacturer’s operations manual: replace the filters once a month. Get you down to Lemoi Ace Hardware on Davis Street and buy some filters. You don’t need Mahoney for that, unless you need some instruction as to how to change the filter.

·         The thermostat isn’t “kicking on.” If the furnace doesn’t produce any heat, there is the possibility that the power to the thermostat isn’t functioning. If the thermostat is powered by house power and you don’t have any house power, the problem is bigger than either of us can handle. However, chances are that the thermostat has a battery that needs replacement.

·         The blower fan doesn’t turn on—or off—or there are too many cycles. It’s amazing how many people want to shift the switch away from “Auto.” In the other settings, it just doesn’t turn off.

·         You wouldn’t be the first to move the thermostat switch away from “heat” to “cool.” Or you simply haven’t set the thermostat above room temperature.

We all have those problems—those we can fix ourselves. What about the ones you cannot fix? That’s when you need the skill and experience of a qualified furnace repair Evanston professional. Here’s why:

A routine inspection catches or prevents unexpected problems and breakdowns. It’s the only way your appliances will be set to run efficiently and reliably.

You may have changed the filters; the air now circulates better. Nevertheless, if the filter had become clogged, it’s possible that the fan controls have been “gummed up.”

Furnaces, like people, get old. Normal wear and tear will degrade the heat controls, plug the piping within the furnace unit, and seriously affect the airflow. When something is “stuck,” overheating may occur.

Whether it’s gas or electric, there are ignition considerations. Today’s electronic ignitions are not foolproof. A malfunctioning pilot will mean that the furnace will not light, and that may help to discover problems with thermocouples, drafting airflows, or clogs.

Apart from the problems of the thermostat, mentioned above, there may be fan or comfort difficulties that need adjustment. You should also consider these:

·         Some furnaces simply don’t operate—or don’t operate well. Some reasons have already been mentioned, but what happens if the furnace is the wrong size for the space it must heat? Might it be that the original installation was at the request of the owner who simply couldn’t afford the proper equipment?

·         If the furnace kicks on and off, there are problems of filters, airflow, or settings. If the blower never shuts off, there may be problems with limit switches.

·         Finally, noisy furnaces went out with coal-fired and oil-gun ignitions. If the heating system is banging, wheezing, or sneezing, that’s not normal. It should be checked by a professional.

Furnace repair in Evanston is available from the Mahoney Plumbing Company. We have more than a half century in the business. If you need cold, we can give you cold—in the summertime. However, if it’s already cold outside, our HVAC specialists will make your home warm and toasty in short order.

You can try to do some of it yourself, but if all else fails… we are here for you.

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The Firebox Flues…er, Blues

Every safety “expert,” HVAC contractor, and even your grandmother advise you to have your furnace checked every year by “somebody who knows what he’s doing.” Is that really necessary? Why would anybody want to spend the money to have a professional do that? There’s at least one good reason: do it wrong and it could kill you.

There is one task that you can do: change the filter. A fiberglass filter is a few bucks at the hardware store. Some filters can simply be removed and washed. This is something you should do at least monthly during the heating season.

Beyond that, you are dealing with carbon monoxide (CO). A furnace that is “out of tune” can be sending CO to your living space at a time when windows and doors are seldom opened.

You need a professional examination of your furnace by Glenview Furnace Repair. That’s true. Your equipment manufacturer may “suggest” that you do so to protect your warranty. That’s probably not true. We do many things for preventive maintenance. We have our oil changed. We see our dentists and doctors periodically. There may be nothing wrong—it’s just good business. With a furnace, however, it is a guarantee of personal safety. When they’re new, a two-year cycle is OK. Eventually, you should have it done annually. Taking a contract to have your equipment surveyed annually is a wise investment in safety and efficiency.

Just what happens with a furnace “tune up?” To begin with, there is no industry standard to tell you what you should check, and if you compare company to company, you’re certain to detect differences. We can tell you for sure that Mahoney Plumbing and Glenview Furnace Repair do (at the minimum) these things during an inspection:

We check the venting system. Is it blocked? Does it leak? We have instruments that can measure the amount of carbon monoxide and tell whether it’s all being evacuated or whether some can end up in the house.

We check every fitting—every connection to and within the furnace itself. We also ensure that what must be vented outside is, indeed, vented outside.

When a furnace manufacturer develops a heating system, it does so with specifications for combustion gasses—essentially, the mixture with air. Over time, and given piping deterioration, those combustion gasses change. We will ensure that the combustion gasses conform to the mixture specifications of the equipment manufacturer.

Dust is your enemy. Did you know it is combustible? We’re going to clean the dust out. Could you do that with a vacuum cleaner? Yes. Will you? Our experience indicates that people don’t. Constricted fresh air intakes and louvers become plugged with dust. That changes the air/gas mixture. See the paragraph above.

We’ll check to see if the blower “whistles.” It’s an annoying little noise, and eventually you don’t hear it—it moves into the background as “white noise.” That’s because a blower access door doesn’t have a tight seal. We’re going to fix that.

We’ll do a couple other things for the blower, while we’re at it. The blower wheel must be removed to clear any debris and be cleaned. We’re going to check the power draw with what the manufacturer specified.

The fire is in the furnace box. It interacts with a heat exchanger. That heat exchanger rusts and corrodes. We’ll check that, and, if necessary, we’ll replace it.

Buried in the firebox is a device called a flame sensor. It is electrical. All burners need to be checked for ignition, adequate flame, and a working flame sensor.

There are many kinds of furnace—hot water, gas, electric. Moisture condenses inside a furnace just as it does on your iced tea during the summertime. Some furnaces, then, need to be developed with drain mechanisms. That means hoses, leakage, and blockage. We’ll check all that.

Furnaces are wired for electricity. Sometimes there is corrosion (it happens when copper meets moisture). We’ll fix it.

If necessary, we’ll do static air pressure checks, gas pressure tests, and measurements of temperature rise.

Finally, we’ll change your filters. You should do that more frequently. We’ll show you how.

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Getting The Most Out Of Your Furnace Repair

Every year, you need to be calling Glenview furnace repair to come and take care of various things in and around your furnace so that it’s in the best condition that it can be in when winter comes around. But, how can you make sure that you get the most for what you put into it? And how can you feel more comfortable when it comes time for you to take care of everything that is related to your furnace? Here are just a few of the things that you’re going to want to consider. 

Make sure that you ask questions so that you know what’s going on.

Asking questions is one of the most important things that you can do in order to ensure that you know everything that you need to know about your furnace. If you know what “normal” is supposed to be, then you will have a much easier time when it comes to trying to figure out exactly what is going on if and when you hear or smell things that you’re not supposed to be hearing or smelling. Talking to people about such things can make a big difference when it comes to getting problems fixed as early as possible. 

If you have any concerns or there were problems during the previous year, then make sure that you bring them up during inspection.

You know better than anyone else exactly what was going on with your furnace during the previous year that you were using it. Did you notice anything that seemed out of the ordinary, or did you feel like you weren’t getting what you paid for? Did you notice any noises that weren’t normal, or did you see that it just didn’t seem to be working like it used to? Make sure that you take notes of such things before someone comes in so that they can take a look at things and make sure that the problems are dealt with before the end of winter. 

Did you notice that there was too much fuel being used? If so, you may need some help to make sure that everything is taken care of. 

In some cases, the furnace will just end up using way too much fuel in order to keep your home warm. In those cases, you want to make sure that you are getting what you pay for. Fuel for your furnace can end up being quite expensive, so you don’t want to waste it. Ask your furnace repair person to take a good look to make sure that there aren’t any leaks or other problems that could make it difficult for you to keep your home warm for an affordable price during the winter. 

Ask about the lifespan of your specific model and if it is actually going to last awhile, or if it may almost be time for you to go ahead and replace it. 

Furnaces are meant to last a long time, and if you don’t use them often and take care of them, they can last even longer. Many furnaces will last at least 2 decades and with some repairs, they can go even longer. Your furnace repair person can take a look at it and let you know whether or not the repair(s) that you’re looking to do are worth the cost that you would put into them, or if it would be better for you to just go ahead and invest your money into getting a brand new furnace that wouldn’t have the same problems. 

So, as you can see, there are a lot of different things that you need to take care of and, on top of that, you also want to make sure that you’ve got it all in order before winter hits. The repairs and the inspection need to be done ahead of time so that you don’t end up in a situation where you aren’t going to be able to fix it, and then have it happen during the coldest time of the year. Want to learn more about our Glenview furnace repair? Give us a call today and we’ll help you to set up an appointment and get started. 

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Questions To Ask Your Plumber

You’ve been looking around at your new home and/or trying to figure out what to do when it comes to putting on an addition. Because of that, you have been taking a lot of time to learn more about all of the different things in plumbing that you’re dealing with. You have to make changes and adjustments, especially if you’re upgrading the things that you’re using in your bathroom, kitchen, and other areas, but it’s a good idea for you to get a plumber to come in and take care of those things for you. 

That being said, what sorts of questions should you ask your Northbrook plumbers when you are in need of things to be taken care of? How do you need to approach such things with your Northbrook plumbers so that you don’t have to worry about the issues that may come up? Here are some questions that you need answers to. 

What sorts of upgrades do you need to make in order to make this work?  

There are a lot of different upgrades that you may have to do to your plumbing, especially if you have bought a new tub or toilet that would end up making the current plumbing that you have all together obsolete. Some plumbing just doesn’t upgrade well, and because of that, it’s important that you take a look at what you have and whether or not it’s going to work for the task at hand. Your plumber has the knowledge and information to figure out whether or not you’re going to be able to use your current setup, or if you’re going to have to make some changes. 

 

Are there any concerns that may come up while you’ll be making these changes? 

There are a lot of homes that have old pipes that can make it difficult for you to make the necessary upgrades so that you’re able to do what you need to do. On top of that, there are risks that could occur as a result of the things that you’re doing in your home, including structural issues and other problems that may come up while you are trying to deal with the plumbing challenges that need to be addressed for your update, upgrade, or whatever else that you may be trying to take care of. 

I’ve been looking at (insert product here), how do you feel about this product?  

One of the best things for you to do is to look to your plumber for advice about toilets, bathtubs, sinks, and other plumbing products that you may be considering. They will likely have opinions about them and, on top of that, they can give you an idea as to whether or not you’d be able to get them for less from them or the provider(s) that they work with for all of their products. Just ask for honest opinions and you will get them with no problem at all, all you have to do is ask! 

What else should I know about the process?  

There may be things that we don’t have listed here and, because of that, it’s important for you to figure out what the process is. On top of that, you may also find out about all of the different options that you have when it comes to dealing with your plumbing in the future. In short, you want to make sure that you know what is going to happen before it happens; that way, you don’t get caught by surprise and you end up with extra costs that are associated with the  plumbing that were going to happen either way. 

So, as you can see, there are a lot of things that you can ask about when it comes to your plumbing. By working with a plumber that cares about you and your needs, you know that you’re going to get the best care and that all of your plumbing is going to work the way that you want it to. Call your Northbrook plumbers today to get more information about our services and to see exactly how we can help you to get your home plumbing together in the best way possible. 

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