Boiler
Definition to come.
Where it comes up
- Gas furnaces
How a gas furnace heats, what AFUE means and the signs worth a closer look
- Older furnaces
Gravity and coal-era furnaces, gas conversions and how to judge a furnace's age
- Steam heat
How steam boilers and radiators work, air vents, banging and boiler rules
- Hot-water heat
How hot-water boilers and radiators work, bleeding, pressure and efficiency
- Your home's system as a whole
How heating, cooling, air and controls fit together in one home
- How gas appliances burn and vent
Combustion air, flues, vent categories and condensing furnaces
- Efficiency ratings
What AFUE, SEER2, EER2 and HSPF2 mean and how to read them
- Before the heating season
The fall check-up, the filter and humidifier, alarms, vents, boilers and heat pumps
- What you notice and what it can mean
No heat, short cycling, noises, smells, water, ice and high bills, and what they can mean
- Chicago's older homes
Bungalows and older homes, and the heat they were built with
- Permits and licenses
When work needs a permit and which licenses Chicago contractors hold
- Natural gas safety
The added smell, gas detectors, your gas pipes and yearly appliance checks
- Carbon monoxide
What CO is, its symptoms, the alarm law, placement and testing
- Venting and chimneys
How exhaust leaves the house, backdrafting, tests and signs to notice
- Asbestos and lead
Old insulation, lead paint, and the rules for who may disturb them
- Repair or replace
Age, repairs and bills, R-22 systems, efficiency, sizing and what to ask
- Hiring a contractor
Estimates, contracts, licenses and your rights when you hire someone for HVAC work