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Preparing your system for Chicago’s winter

Summer isn’t over yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start planning for winter. Pre-heating season inspections are an essential part of any contractor’s business model. They generate income for your business, keep your customers safe and comfortable, and ensure that your company stays at the top of your clients’ minds. Heating system preparation in Chicagoland covers a broad spectrum of equipment. In the city, many older buildings still utilize hydronic or steam heating in conjunction with radiators. In the suburbs, forced air systems are more prevalent. Below is a rundown of best practices for getting both of these types of systems in tiptop shape for the coming winter.

When it comes to prepping hydronic and steam heating systems, it makes sense to start by servicing the boiler. Cleaning the inside of the tank and the burners goes a long way towards maintaining the system’s safety and efficiency. Once you are satisfied with the state of the burners, you can move on to checking the controls. Ensuring that low-fuel and low-water cutoffs, safety relief valves, and pressure checking devices are in working order is an essential step. Bleeding the air out of radiators is technically something that homeowners can do themselves, but whether or not they actually do it is another matter. Offering this simple service with your maintenance package is a good way to make sure that the whole system is ready for winter.

Prepping forced air systems begins the same way as hydronic ones, with an inspection and cleaning of the burners. Blowers can typically accumulate dust and debris during the offseason as well, so checking those is another crucial step. From there, you can move on to ensuring that the venting system is not obstructed. Offering a full duct cleaning and sealing service is a great way to add value for your clients and maximize their system’s efficiency. Cleaning and changing filters before winter is also a good idea.

The winter season also provides an opportunity to suggest a thermostat upgrade to your customers. Programmable and Wi-Fi thermostats can help homeowners save money throughout the year, consider offering them at a slight discount to anyone who takes advantage of your maintenance package.

Of course, if you need any tools to get your boiler or furnace servicing kits up to snuff, Able Distributors offers a wide array to suit nearly any application. Just contact your local Able branch, and we’ll help you find what you need to offer your customers the best value and best comfort possible.