A Message From The President

These past few weeks, Nortek Environmental, Inc. decided to do something a little extra to give back to the community. An organization that Nortek Environmental, Inc. holds near and dear to our heart is A.D.O.P.T. Pet Shelter in Naperville, a no-kill animal shelter focused on providing each and every sheltered pet their forever home. We structured a Social Media Campaign through Facebook that lasted for 1 week. For every new like we received to our Facebook page, we pledged to donate 2 pounds of pet food to A.D.O.P.T. For every share our designated statuses received, we pledged to donate 1 pound. After our week long campaign, we are proud to announce that we were able to pledge 761 pounds of pet food to A.D.O.P.T., which we will be dropping off in the next week!

To all of you that helped support our cause by liking our Facebook Page and sharing our statuses, all of us here at Nortek Environmental, Inc. would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Dear Justin,

It's hard to believe that we're already past the first of August. With June and July behind us, this year's cooling season is beginning to come to a close. That being said, it's time to look forward to heating season and making special preparations to your home while it's still warm outside. We've provided a list of special Nortek Environmental, Inc. tips on preparing your furnace and the rest of your home in this article for your convenience.

What Do I Need to Know to Prepare My Home for the Upcoming Heating Season?

While it's still warm out, there are a variety of actions you can take to make sure that your home is as ready as possible for Fall and Winter. We've provided a list of some routine checks and precautions you should be doing before starting up your furnace for the season to ensure maximum efficiency and proper functioning:

• Have Your Furnace Maintained by a Licensed HVAC Heating and Cooling Professional- In fact, this tip is so important that we've dedicated the entire next section on HVAC maintenance.
• Seal Any Air Leaks- Air leaks are one of the top leading causes to unnecessary energy consumption and improper heating in your home. Due to these air leaks, the air that you are paying to heat or cool your home, depending on the season, is escaping your home and adjusting your home to your desired temperature at a much slower rate. We recommend sealing door leaks with weather stripping or a door sweep. We also recommend inspecting windows for leaks as well as your attic, as that is where most heat loss occurs.
• Remember that Lower Temperatures Mean Bigger Savings- During heating season, one of the best ways to be energy efficient and save some extra cash is by setting your thermostat to the lowest possible comfortable temperature. This means that your furnace will not be running as long to heat your home, saving you money on your next utility bill.
• Check and Replace Your Furnace Filter- Realistically, you should be replacing your furnace filter monthly, and this goes for the entire year, not just heating season. Nortek Environmental, Inc. recommends buying 12 filters at a time, so you only have to go once a year to purchase them. You can find all common sizes at local hardware stores such as Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and Menards. Additionally, even some grocery stores carry the most basic of sizes. If you're having difficulty locating your furnace filter size, please call us at (630) 548-1500 and we can try to help you locate your filters.
• Make Sure Your Home is Properly Insulated- Another major cause of heat loss during the heating season is due to improper insulation. Improper Insulation Heat Loss most commonly occurs in the attic, as well as heating ducts and hot water heater pipes.
• Install a Programmable Thermostat- While some people may be hesitant to replace their current thermostat with a higher tech one, the truth is that a programmable thermostat will probably pay for itself within its first heating season. A programmable thermostat allows you to put your home on a "temperature schedule", so you can control your home's comfort level even when you aren't home yourself. For more information regarding programmable thermostats, never hesitate to contact us at (630) 548-1500.
• Consider Replacing Your Furnace- Many people don't want to hear it, but the truth is the best time to replace your furnace is before heating season begins. If you know your furnace is on it's last leg after the many years you've gotten out of it, start doing some research on what type of system you'd like in your home. If your unit is an older one, you should seriously consider the installation of a high efficiency unit. High efficiency furnaces pay for themselves in the long run, as they convert more of the fuel needed to power the unit into heat. Always remember that Nortek Environmental, Inc. offers estimates to those who are interested in replacing their furnace (as well as any HVAC product).

How Important is Furnace Maintenance?

Maintaining your furnace and air conditioner on an annual basis is the first and most important tip that we give any Nortek Environmental, Inc. customer. We typically use the analogy that your furnace and air conditioner are like a car and a maintenance check is like an oil change. When you have a car and you don't have the oil changed on a regular basis, you're going to encounter multiple related problems with your automobile. The same goes for your furnace and your air conditioner. Without annual maintenance to both units, you run the risk of a unit break down due to improper maintenance.

For your furnace, Nortek Environmental, Inc. offers a 22-Point Certified Cleaning, Tune-Up and Inspection that we recommend performing every Fall. Whenever a certified Nortek Environmental, Inc. technician comes out to perform a Cleaning, Tune-Up and Inspection on your furnace, they are not only maintaining your unit and making sure that it is running as efficient as possible, but they also inform you of any advised repairs to your furnace. If a Nortek Environmental, Inc. technician fails to inform you of an advised repair and your furnace breaks down within 30 days of the Cleaning, Tune-Up and Inspection, Nortek Environmental, Inc. will return to your home and waive our service call fee.

Additionally, Nortek Environmental, Inc. also offers our Preventative Maintenance Agreement Program to all Nortek Environmental, Inc. Customers. Our Preventative Maintenance Agreement Program is an annual bundled package that includes both a 22-Point Certified Furnace Cleaning, Tune-Up and Inspection, as well as a 22-Point Certified Air Conditioner Cleaning, Tune-Up and Inspection. Program members receive additional benefits such as a 10% discount on parts and labor for repairs, courtesy reminders to schedule your maintenance appointments, and a Preventative Maintenance Agreement Program discount should you renew your agreement after 1 year.

For more information regarding our 22-Point Certified Furnace Cleaning, Tune-Up and Inspection or our Preventative Maintenance Agreement Program, please call us at (630) 548-1500 and we will be more than happy to assist you!