TDH Mechanical, Inc. Informational Blogs

Indoor Air Quality We spend an average of 90% of our lives indoors. Yes, that’s almost 90% of our days spent watching TV, laying on couches and most importantly, breathing indoor air. Although it may seem like your home is your safe haven, every indoor space is prone to dust, dirt, pet dander, mold and other particles which can worsen air quality and obstruct healthy breathing. Maintenance of air quality is essential because it ensures

Do your A/C filters need some love? Filters are the secret weapon to collecting all the dust and dirt particles you do not want floating through your home. When your air system doesn’t work at its optimum level, you’ll notice the difference and probably suffer. A clean filter does far more than collect pesky particles; it keeps your HVAC system functioning well and prevents HVAC failure or costly repairs. If you have pollen, dust or

Are you getting regular HVAC maintenance for your home equipment? HVAC maintenance is a must. Your air conditioning and heating units maybe be out of sight in the basement, on the roof, in the backyard or side of your house, or even tucked away in a utility closet but these units an essential part of your home helping to keep you warm in the Winter, Cool in the Summer, and ensure you’re breathing clean healthy

Is The Burning Smell Something To Worry About? Those who have a furnace should definitely be worried if they get a burning smell coming from it. There’s no telling what the smell could be, so it’s necessary to go to the furnace, or check around the furnace to determine what’s causing the problem. Although it’s not always something hazardous, if there is a burning smell coming from the furnace, it won’t be known if it’s

3 Benefits Of Generators For My Home A generator is something that every home should have. While Chicago homeowners are often reluctant to invest in a generator, as there are certain costs involved with getting one, the benefits of having access to a generator cannot be overstated. Listed below are three of the top benefits of having a generator installed at your home. Generators For Emergencies Emergency situations happen, and there is not much you

Keep Airborne Viruses Under Control Many people feel that they have no choice but to deal with the flu season ailments as they come along. There are a lot of things that can help prevent the airborne viruses that can make this particular season of the year so miserable. Follow these tips to keep the allergy sufferer in your Chicago home happy and healthy. Pay Attention To Humidity Levels The level of humidity in the

Prevent a Furnace Disaster This Winter Season When winter arrives, people in many parts of the country rely on their furnaces to keep them warm in their Chicago homes. However, when the furnace stops working correctly, things can change in a hurry. Not only will the house get cold, but a service call to a technician will also be in order. This can result in a costly repair bill, and often it could have been

Inventive Outdoor Lighting Ideas Your outdoor lighting says a lot about you and how you spend your time outdoors. If you need to update your outdoor lighting, you should be thinking outside the box. Getting inventive with your Chicago outdoor lighting will not only bring you hours of entertainment, but it will make a great focal point and give your guests something to talk about. Consider the following ideas for some inventive outdoor lighting for

3 Home Insulation Tips A home with high R value insulation decreases energy bills during the winter and summer. The value of insulation materials is crucial to avoid hazardous fires and expensive electricity prices. When there are cracks in windows and doors or insufficient insulation, warm and cool air will seepage. Property owners are able to protect their investments by inspecting homes for air seepage and proper insulation. The areas of older and newer model houses

Reasons to Install UV Air Sanitizers One: Avoid Allergic Reactions from Pollen, Smoke and Pet Dander Many of our customers have chronic allergy symptoms caused by air contamination in their homes. One of the best ways to remove allergens from a Chicago home’s environment is with an ultraviolet air sanitizer. This device is a part of a home’s climate control equipment to clean the air before it is heated or cooled. An ultraviolet light can

Geothermal Heating Benefits Geothermal heat uses the earth as a natural energy source for indoor heating and cooling systems. Geothermal and heating as well as cooling systems save energy by relying on the natural properties of the earth. The renewable nature of geothermal energy appeals to everyone who wants to simultaneously save money and the environment. Geothermal Operation During the summer, the compressed refrigerant in geothermal heat pumps absorbs heat from your Chicago home and dissipates

5 Home Winterization Tips The cold winter months are on their way, creating the need to evaluate the HVAC system using some easy to follow winterization tips. Keeping warm and saving money makes winter the best time of the year. Furnace Maintenance A semi-annual HVAC maintenance visit in the fall ensures that the heating system is working properly before the cold weather hits. This proactive approach keeps the furnace and duct systems in tip top

Improve Home Ventilation As the Fall season rapidly approaches, it’s easy to get stuck in one of a thousand home-improvement endeavors. While some things take precedence over others, one thing you don’t want to have end up on the back burner is your home’s ventilation. Luckily, there are a few things that can drastically improve your Chicago home ventilation. Here’s 3 ways to improve home ventilation for the Fall season: 1. Open Windows While Cooking

Prepare For The Fall With A Humidifier As the end of the year approaches, the seasons change. During the fall, the outside air tends to cool down and become dry. When compared with summer, fall has significantly less moisture. Some people like the fact that humidity levels drop during fall, but a lot of people have issues with less moisture in the air. For optimal living, it’s important to maintain an adequate humidity level inside

Top 3 Fall Home Maintenance Disasters Fall is an important time to do your Chicago home maintenance, because summer and winter are usually the two most-active weather seasons. You have to take care of any problems that might have developed during the summer while also preparing your home for winter. If you don’t do things correctly, you could wind up with one of these three fall maintenance disasters on your hands. Failing to Properly Clean

3 Features of Smart Thermostat When it comes to a Chicago home automation, smart thermostats have changed the way people view their HVAC systems. Rather than having an old-fashioned system that could not be accessed unless the person was standing in front of the thermostat, today’s thermostats allow homeowners to access their heating and cooling systems from anywhere in the world. As a result, the thermostats contain many features and benefits that have made them

Energy Efficient Features of a Heat Pump Heat pumps are devices that provide hot or cold air to your Chicago home. They run on electricity and in many cases can replace the need for your air conditioning unit or furnace. Here are 3 energy efficient features of a heat pump. Heat Pumps Use Electricity Because heat pumps use electricity, they can heat your Chicago home in a more efficient way than gas furnaces can. Think

Preparing Your Furnace or Boiler for the Winter Season The boiler in your Chicago residential building is designed to heat your whole facility at once, but boilers cannot be left to their own devices. This article explains how you can prepare your boiler for the winter season, and you must take each piece of advice to heart. A proper boiler is a large unit that houses hundreds of gallons of water, and the heat will flow through

Major Causes Of Broken HVAC Units Your air conditioner has a lot of small parts and works hard to keep your Chicago home cool and comfortable. While the best way to determine what is going on with your A/C is to have a skilled technician take a look, learning more about the most common causes of trouble will help you understand what’s going on. Top 5 Causes of a Broken HVAC Unit Old Age You

The Benefits of Choosing an Energy Star Cooling System in Your Home When you start thinking about upgrading your air conditioner, it’s a good idea to consider one that has the Energy Star rating. The Energy Star program was started several decades ago by the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA to make it easier for consumers to identify products that use less energy than similar models. Of all the appliances in your home,

Ways to Clean and Sanitize Your Indoor Air One: Add Decorative Beeswax or Soy Candles to a Home Many of our customers complain about the dirty and smelly air in their Chicago homes, but there are unique ways to improve air quality without spending a fortune. Natural beeswax or soy candles are perfect for cleaning the air inside a home. It is best to buy candles made without artificial dyes or perfumes to avoid allergic

3 Things You Didn’t Know About Your A/C Unit Your air conditioning unit has the most important job in the summer – to keep you and your family cool and comfortable on hot days. In order to perform this task well, it is important to take good care of your unit. When it comes to providing proper care for your unit, knowledge is power. In fact, learning about your air conditioning unit can save you

5 Unexpected Ways to Save on Cooling Costs There are some pretty well-known ways to save on your summer cooling costs, such as making sure cracks and gaps around doors and windows are sealed or keeping your thermostat set higher, but there are also some unexpected ways to save on cooling costs you may not have thought of. Add Insulation Insulation is not just good for improving the heating of your home. Added insulation in

3 Tips for Normalizing Humidity in Your Home Many homeowners may not pay too much attention to indoor humidity levels within their homes, but it is important to do so. Mold, dust mites and other microorganisms tend to thrive much better in the presence of warm temperatures and moisture which can exacerbate allergy and asthma symptoms. Indoor air that has high moisture content can also cause damage to paint and other building materials. Additionally, relying

The Top 5 Heating and Air Conditioning Trends Homeowners can find that taking advantage of the latest HVAC industry trends can provide them with a range of important benefits. Changing regulations, the falling cost of more sophisticated climate control devices and equipment and the development of new technology has resulted in features such as: Systems Designed for Optimum Energy-Efficiency Sound Reduction for Quieter Operation Smarter Temperature Control Settings and Interface Options System Access Through Smartphones

Why is an HVAC Tune-Up Vital for Optimal Performance? If you are like many homeowners, you hate to spend money on something that you really are not going to see. The truth is that we all like tangible benefits, which is why so many people skip their annual HVAC inspection and cleaning. You cannot actually see the benefits in hand, so it almost seems like a waste of money. However, your HVAC tune-up is vital

Ideal Thermostat Settings For Every Season The home’s thermostat is how the homeowner is able to control the temperature throughout the home. Homeowners have to concentrate not only on ensuring that the temperature throughout the home is constantly at a comfortable level, but also that the comfortable temperature will not make the energy bill skyrocket. Why Do Ideal Thermostat Settings Change With The Seasons? The ideal thermostat setting for a home will change with the

The History of the HVAC Unit The HVAC unit is an essential part of the household. It not only helps cool the area and establish a comfortable environment, but it is also responsible for filtering indoor air, improving its quality. The earliest patents for air conditioning units were not at all like the systems that so many people use today. After many mechanical adjustments and innovations over the years, the first experiments with electromechanical cooling

Signs Your Air Duct Needs Cleaning or Repair Your home’s air ducts are the main artilleries in your HVAC system. Without them, you wouldn’t be able to pump cool or hot air into all the rooms in your home. Like anything else, your air ducts need cleaning and/or repair from time to time. If you ignore your air ducts, your home’s air quality will decrease and it’ll lead to more expensive problems in the future

How Often Should You Change Your HVAC Filter Changing the HVAC filters is the least expensive thing you can do to maintain your cooling system in a proper working condition. Dirt, mold and air pollutants can tag along health complications to the inhabitants and also reduce the equipment’s durability and workability requiring one to carry out expensive repairs or if need be, replacement of the entire system. Additionally, with the rise in economic hardships, many

10 Ways to Prepare your Home for Summer There are 10 simple ways for a professional to prepare your home for the summer weather. You can request an inspection from an HVAC technician who can check the furnace, air conditioning unit and air ducts in your home. The technician can verify that there are no problems and quickly perform any necessary repairs, which will prevent any sudden inconveniences for your family. You can use this

What Are the 7 Deadly Signs of an Inefficient HVAC Unit? Your HVAC system is the heart of your home’s environment. Like your own heart, it requires regular care to ensure its continued function. When your system is functioning inefficiently, it takes a toll on your family’s comfort and on your budget, wasting hundreds of dollars in energy costs each year. Here are 7 deadly signs of an inefficient HVAC unit that is causing increased

The 5 Best Ways to Handle and Prevent Indoor Air Pollution Most people understand that smog and pollution in outdoor air is hazardous to health. Pollen, mold, tobacco smoke, cleaners, pesticides and vapors from materials used in furnishings and construction can cause indoor pollution, which can also lead to health problems. You can take active steps to minimize the effects from indoor air pollutants by following these five tips: 1 – Vacuum Frequently Using your

3 Ways To Allergy-Proof Your Home This Spring With all the cold weather we experience, it’s no wonder that spring is welcomed with open arms every year. However, with the spring comes all of the allergens. That’s why it is crucial that you allergy-proof your home this spring. When you do that, you’ll be much better able to handle this time of the year. Check out 3 ways to allergy-proof your home below: 1. Close

Steps to Take When Hiring an HVAC Contractor Homeowners understand how important their heating and cooling system is. As a homeowner yourself, you may be well aware of how uncomfortable your indoor climate can get when the system is not functioning properly. You may also understand how frustrating and even expensive it can be when you use the wrong HVAC contractor to service your system. Whether you are searching for an HVAC contractor today for