HVAC, Plumbing, & Electrical Blog Hillside, IL

Ventilation and Negative Air Pressure

June 13th, 2022

Proper ventilation is an essential part of commercial and industrial facilities. It’s often easy for facility managers and business owners to overlook high-quality ventilation installation in Chicago, IL for their businesses: often they’re focused on the heating and air conditioning parts of “HVAC.” But proper ventilation systems not only ensure circulation of air to effectively distribute heating and cooling and the removal of harmful contaminants to the outside, they also help prevent a major air quality problem many buildings face: negative air pressure.

Benefits of Commercial VRF Air Conditioning

May 16th, 2022

If you aren’t familiar with commercial air conditioning or commercial HVAC in general, it’s easy to think of air conditioning systems as basically all the same. The difference is in power, and as long as you have a commercial AC installation in Chicago, IL that matches the load requirements of your facility, you’ll have the AC equipment you need.

But AC technology constantly changes and improves, and what you need for basic day-to-day operations may not be the best you can have. This is why we want to talk about commercial VRF systems, which we install and service in Chicagoland.

Top Benefits of Solar Installations

May 2nd, 2022

At Althoff, we take pride in offering an enormous range of commercial and industrial services to our customers. We take on all challenges and offer genuine solutions, not simple fixes. One of our specialties is handling solar installation in Chicago, IL for commercial businesses interested in the enormous benefits of using renewable energy sources.

If you’re looking into a solar energy installation for your business in Chicagoland, we’d love to speak to you and examine your options. If you have some hesitancy about going with solar power, we understand—it can be a big leap. The potential benefits, however, are enormous. Below are the top benefits you may enjoy from a high-quality solar energy installation from our professionals.

Maintain Your Commercial Solar Energy System

April 18th, 2022

Solar energy systems are growing more popular now with businesses than ever before. Illinois has pursued an aggressive solar program with tax credits, leading many businesses to arrange to outfit their buildings with solar.

This rush to install solar energy has caused several difficulties, however, as many businesses owners who are new to using solar power are running into problems due to poor installation and lack of maintenance. We encourage you to look into solar as an option for your business, but we want you to understand the importance of professional service and regular maintenance—it’s the best way to see that you receive the full benefits of solar energy while keeping your facility safe.

Plan Ahead for Your Rooftop Unit Installations and Replacements

April 4th, 2022

Packaged rooftop HVAC units are the basis of most heating and cooling systems in commercial buildings, from small businesses to major high-rises. Handling the installation and replacement of rooftop units in Chicago, IL is a big part of what we do, and we want to make sure that our customers receive the best service possible.

However, there are ongoing disruptions in the global supply chain that have created difficulties for contractors to maintain current supplies of important equipment such as commercial/industrial rooftop units. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has waned in the US, it’s still prevalent in many other countries that are part of the supply chain. The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine and the continuing war in Eastern Europe has further worsened the supply chain issue.

The upshot of all this is that we’re currently experiencing a delay with installations for rooftop units. The delay for installing these units can be from 12 to 30 weeks. We’ll do all we can to accommodate our customers, but we recommend that businesses plan ahead and assess their needs on a longer timeline.

Why Trust Us With Your Commercial Pipelining

March 21st, 2022

Pipelining—the plumbing term, not the computing term—is a way to repair or replace broken and aging pipes. Rather than removing damaged sections of a pipe, pipelining does the repairs from the inside of the pipe, creating a new pipe (the “lining”) within the older part and sealing along it to close off leaks and create a new, stronger pipe. Pipelining can repair small sections, or it can line the entire length of a pipe to effectively replace it with a new one.

When it comes to pipelining in Chicago, IL, you can find various commercial contractors who will do the job of fixing your commercial pipes. But at Althoff Industries, we have several advantages that make us a top-notch choice. For starters, we have more than 60 years of history serving businesses of all sizes and types in Chicagoland. We understand what businesses need when it comes to plumbing. We’re family-owned and operated and provide true 24-hour service. We aren’t here just to fix problems—we are here to offer solutions.

But it goes farther than that. We use the best available technology for all jobs. When it comes to pipelining, we use NuFlow technology.

How Long Will Your Commercial Heating Systems Last?

March 7th, 2022

The heating equipment for a business facility accounts for a significant amount of the annual budget, especially in a place like Chicago with its severe winters. If you own or operate a business in Chicagoland, you’ll want to get the longest possible service life from all the heating systems: replacement systems are costly.

So how many years can you expect from your commercial heating systems? We’ll look into this more below, as well as how you can help your company’s heating systems last as long as possible.

How Long Will Your Commercial Heating System Last?

February 21st, 2022

When you invest in heating systems for your commercial space, whether rooftop HVAC units, a commercial furnace, or a commercial boiler, you’ll want to get as many years as possible from them. But how many years can you realistically expect?

Although we can’t give you single definite answer about the service lives of your equipment in a blog post, we can offer guidelines and advice to ensure you get the best service from your vital HVAC equipment.

Does Your Facility Require a Sewage Ejector Pump?

February 7th, 2022

The proper removal of wastewater from a facility to the municipal sewer system is essential for a commercial company to remain operational. Building and health codes have stringent requirements to ensure a safe, hygienic environment. If you own or operate a commercial facility in Chicagoland, you won’t have to think too much about the sewer system for the building as long as you have reliable commercial plumbing experts to provide routine maintenance, repairs, and replacements as necessary

If you are building a new facility or making major retrofits to an older one, you’ll have to make several key decisions about the sewage system as well as other wastewater-related devices, such as a sump pump. One of those decisions is finding out whether your facility needs the help of a sewage ejector pump.

The Importance of Proper Sizing for Your Commercial Heating Equipment

January 24th, 2022

When handling the commercial heating needs of a facility, our technicians have to take many factors into consideration. These factors are more extensive than for residential homes, although many are the same on a more extensive scope. One of the most important challenges for proper commercial heating installation and replacement is properly sizing the equipment to match the space.

Unfortunately, poor sizing for commercial HVAC equipment is a common problem our technicians encounter when doing repairs or maintenance. Not all commercial HVAC contractors make the same level of effort in sizing equipment, sometimes taking shortcuts and using “guesstimates” when it comes to judging how powerful a heating system a facility needs. This is why we encourage you to always work with the best people offering commercial HVAC in Naperville, IL—the difference in proper sizing alone is tremendous.