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First, you should make sure that the gas valve is turned to the on position. If the valve is at a 90 degree angle to the pipe, this generally indicates that it has been turned off. If your heating system has a pilot light, check it. Finally, check the maintenance switch to ensure that it has not been turned to the off position.

For outstanding heating and cooling maintenance, contact Besco Air, Inc., serving the Chicago community for 14 years and counting. Visit our website for more information about our services or call (773) 295-4694 to speak with one of our experts. 

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Winter is the time when homeowners throughout Chicago become more concerned with the efficiency of their home heating systems. Doors are shut tightly, windows kept closed, and caulking and spray foam insulation is used throughout the home to limit the warm air escaping. But while sealing up your home is great for ensuring energy efficiency and comfort, it can dramatically lower your home’s indoor air quality. Here’s a quick look at why indoor air quality typically worsens during the winter, and what you can do about it.

Contrary to popular belief, indoor air quality in your Chicago home or business is typically worse than air quality outside. Poor indoor air quality can be caused by a number of different factors, including the presence of chemicals, smoke and fumes, carbon monoxide gas, concentrated dust and dirt, and other common indoor air contaminants. Homes that are well ventilated tend to have better indoor air quality than homes that do not.

Ventilation, however, is not something most homeowners want lot of during a chilly Chicago winter. Homeowners keep their homes sealed up tight to retain warmth and decrease heating costs and furnace wear. This lack of ventilation means increased accumulation of all the indoor air pollutants that may normally get carried away through an open window or door. This means that your home becomes a haven for indoor air contaminants through the entire winter season.

There are many things that you can do to improve winter indoor air quality. Consider installing air treatment and humidifier systems for the most commonly used rooms or to integrate with your home’s heating system. Air duct cleaning is also a simple and effective way to remove built-up dust and dirt within your heating system. Germicidal lamps within your air ducts can help to decrease the spread of mold and microbes that may grow during the winter.

For help improving your indoor air quality this winter, contact Besco Air, Inc. Chicago’s leading heating, AC, and indoor air quality service. Call (773) 295-4694 to learn more.

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Furnaces are without a doubt the most popular way to heat homes in the Chicago area. But alternative home heating methods are quickly becoming more popular as homeowners search for more efficient and effective ways to stay warm this winter. One popular method is the use of radiant floor heating, which heats the flooring throughout your home to keep you nice and toasty on chilly winter days. Here are three factors to consider when deciding whether radiant floor heating is right for your home.

Energy Savings

Although high-end furnaces tend to be more energy efficient, older or mid-range models can cost a small fortune to use throughout the heating season. Additionally, warm air can be easily lost through air leaks in the home, which wastes energy and money. Radiant floor heating eliminates these efficiency issues because it does not rely on warm air keep you comfortable. Instead, it uses conductive heat transferred from radiant heating lines to the floor, then to your body. No heat is lost to leaks or gaps, so you can save money without sacrificing comfort.

Improved Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality is another concern, especially during the winter when homes are sealed up tight to keep out the cold. Because radiant floor heating

doesn’t move air throughout the home, airborne contaminants like dust, mold spores, pet dander, VOCs, and other pollutants are not constantly re-circulated. This can help your home stay cleaner and healthier during the colder months.

Environmental Benefits

Finally, radiant floor heating is a great option for homeowners interested in “going green.” Radiant floor heating is less energy intensive than heating with a furnace, so it can help to minimize your home’s carbon footprint. Water and radiant heating refrigerants are also more efficient heat conductors than air, which means that less heat is lost than through furnace use.

To learn more about radiant floor heating, contact the heating and air condition professionals at Besco Air, Inc. Visit us online or call (773) 295-4694 to speak to a Chicago area HVAC expert.

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If you’d like to learn more about HVAC maintenance, radiant floor heating, and indoor air quality, click on the helpful links below. Then call Besco Air, Inc. at (773) 295-4694 for the very best heating and air conditioning maintenance services in the Chicago area.

• This page from the Florida Bureau of Community Environmental Health has some great information on mold and indoor air quality.

• Feeling sick and stuffy? Take a look at this article from Grit.com to learn about breathing easy indoor this winter.

• One of the best ways to enhance home comfort is to keep up with furnace maintenance. This article from Mother Earth News discusses some of the ways you can easily keep your furnace in good shape.

• Is your thermostat as accurate as it should be? Visit How Stuff Works to learn how to easily calibrate your home’s thermostat.

• For information on how radiant floor heating can help you go green, visit EnergySavers.gov.

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As with any appliance within the home, proper care and maintenance is essential to ensuring the longevity and operation of your furnace. But many homeowners lose track of fairly simple furnace maintenance steps and pay the price further down the road. Here are some maintenance tips to help keep your furnace in good shape so you can avoid huge breakdowns, inefficiencies, and all around discomfort this season.

Keep It Clean

Furnaces produce lots of heat and rely on the easy movement of air. Because of this, it’s crucial that your furnace stays as clean as dust free as possible. Excessive dust buildup can hurt furnace efficiency and even pose a fire hazard.

Change Your Furnace Filters

Your furnace filter helps to block dust and dirt from getting into your HVAC system, which helps to keep it energy efficient and clean. However, as your filter gets clogged, your furnace has to work harder to draw in air. Changing your furnace filters as they get dirty will help to extend the life of your furnace and improve energy efficiency, potentially lowering heating costs.

Keep an Eye on Your Vents

If you have a gas or oil powered furnace, examining your vents regularly is very important. Vents allow naturally produced gasses like carbon monoxide to escape safely without lingering in your home or business. Blocked vents force these gasses to buildup around the furnace, which can cause serious illnesses and other health and safety risks.

Listen for Worn Fan Belts

Another easy furnace maintenance task is to listen for strange noises coming from your furnace. High pitched squealing could be a sign of a worn-out fan belt that needs to be replaced. If you hear this or other strange noises, call a furnace repair technician right away.

Hire a Professional

Finally, make sure to have your furnace regularly inspected and repaired by a furnace and air conditioner repair expert. Besco Air Inc. provides comprehensive furnace repair services throughout the Chicago area. Call (773) 295-4694 to make an appointment today.

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The problem with maintaining a furnace is that the methods of servicing vary according to your furnace models. For instance, some furnaces run on natural gas whereas others may require liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), fuel, wood, coal or electricity. The efficiency of your furnace also depends on its condensation abilities. Most households either run on gas, fuel or electricity and regardless of your furnace type, your goal is to ensure that your heating unit is performing at its peak efficiency range.

Am I Qualified?

Furnaces are permanent fixtures at home, so nobody really wants to end up breaking their furnace as that will then lead to more costs in terms of replacing the irreparable unit with a new furnace. The good news is that you don’t to be a trained technician to learn how to perform the simple repairs and servicing of your furnace, which will not only help you save money in terms of maintenance fee, but will also deter expensive future repair costs.

Pre-Maintenance: Clean Your Furnace Regularly

Like every other household appliance, your furnace should also be cleaned out periodically as the waste fuel collected in the furnace can dramatically affect the performance of your furnace. If you are short on cleaning time, we suggest that you concentrate solely on cleaning the filter system, motor and blower compartment of your furnace.

The filter is best cleaned even before you begin using your furnace heater, followed by a monthly cleaning during days of continuous use. If your filter is cleaned and your furnace is still working ineffectively, you might have to change your filter instead. To determine if your filter is still in working condition or not, simply hold it up towards the light and observe its surface area. In the event that the facade of the filter looks clogged, it is time to replace your filter. Do note that a congested filter should always be changed, regardless of whether it is a temporary or permanent filter or if it is newly bought from the store.

Type One: The Gas Furnace

The Gas Furnace usually either runs on natural gas or propane. This furnace is less problematic relative to fuel or oil furnaces also. If you’re having some problems with your gas furnace, it is more than likely to stem from either the thermocouple, pilot light or electrical system. While it is possible to troubleshoot the thermocouple and pilot light unit, you should seek professional help if you suspect that the electrical system of your furnace is faulty.

Do also note that if you happen to smell gas leaking out of the furnace, it is then time to immediately evacuate the building for safety reasons. You might also want to leave the doors and windows ajar to help dissipate the gas and then call either the gas company or fire department to help plug the gas leak. In any event, do not troubleshoot this problem on your own.

The Pilot Light

The role of the pilot light is to work as an ignition source and is usually located at the front of the furnace along with the thermocouple of the furnace. In some cases, the pilot light of your furnace might be encased by a plug-type door design which you will have to remove to access the unit.

If the flame of your pilot light has gone out, it is more than likely caused by a draft in the furnace. Hence, all you really need to do is to attempt re-lighting the pilot light according to the furnace manufacturer’s instructions. If your pilot light refuses to stay lit, the opening might be clogged.
To decongest the opening of the gas valve, you should first shut the gas valve down before cleaning the opening with a piece of fine wire. If this does not work, you might want to take a look at your thermocouple instead.

The Thermocouple

The thermocouple is usually located near the pilot light burner and is in charge of preventing gas leaks in the event that the pilot light or electric lighter fails to create a flame. If your pilot light refuses to continuously burn, it probably means that your thermocouple has loosened from its original position, which is why all you really need to do is to tighten the unit into place with a wrench. If this doesn’t work, consider replacing the thermocouple instead.

Type Two: The Oil Furnace

The oil furnace is unique in the sense that it can not only heat up a room but can also be used as a water heater. Most household oil furnaces are also referred to as pressure burners due to the spraying mechanism used to ignite an electric spark in the oil furnace. The problem with oil furnaces though is that it is pretty complex and is challenging for a newbie to clean, although it is possible to perform regular maintenance and extend the lifespan of your furnace.

If the smoke from your chimney is black, it means that your oil furnace is not completely burning the oil. This means that oil is being wasted during the burning process and that your furnace should be looked at by your furnace technician.

If you would like to maintain the efficiency of your furnace on your own, do clean the blower, stack control, thermostat and oil furnace compartment of your heating unit during pre-heating season. You should also maintain your strainer and oil filter in pristine condition while the furnace is in operation as well.

Type Three: The Electric Furnace

The electric furnace is reportedly easier to use and is also much more efficient relative to the oil and gas furnace. The problem though is that unless you are familiar with electrical circuits and devices, this furnace type is best maintained by professionals. The good news is that while you will have to spend some time and money hiring someone else to do the maintenance work for you, the cost of servicing an electric furnace is still cheaper than maintaining an oil or gas furnace.

And If You Need A Professional

Besco Air is here to help! We service the Chicago, IL market. We offer Furnace Installation, Repair and Service. We’re a full service HVAC company, so we offer air conditioning and heating services as well.

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Follow these links to learn more about recognizing the signs of poor indoor air quality, how to recognize it’s time to replace your furnace, how to get your home ready for winter and lower your heating costs, and how heat pumps work. Contact Besco Air, Inc. at (773) 295-4694 for further information.

• For more details on winterization and pre-season furnace inspections, visit this page on About.com.

• Check out this page on HowStuffWorks.com for the details on the workings of heat pumps.

• Learn more about a specific type of gas heat pump on this page from ServiceMagic.com to explore its advantages.

• Explore the ins and outs of purchasing a new furnace on this page from GALTTech.com.

• Find out how you can save money when replacing your furnace on this page from LifeHacker.com.

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Follow these links to learn more about recognizing the signs of poor indoor air quality, how to recognize it’s time to replace your furnace, how to get your home ready for winter and lower your heating costs, and how heat pumps work. Contact Besco Air, Inc. at (773) 295-4694 for further information.

• Explore the causes of poor indoor air quality in detail with this fact sheet from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

• Visit ScienceDaily.com to see how poor indoor air quality can aggravate asthma symptoms, according to a study.

• See why indoor air quality is a serious issue on this page from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and explore the causes and treatments for IAQ problems at home.

• Read this article from MSN.com for ideas on how to get your home ready for winter before it truly hits.

• Find out just how your furnace should be maintained when you have it inspected in this article from HowStuffWorks.com.

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