HVAC, Plumbing, & Electrical Blog Hillside, IL

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.

Signs Your Commercial Exhaust System Is Malfunctioning

January 10th, 2022

Any commercial facility requires some level of exhaust for proper air circulation. For some businesses, a powerful exhaust system is one of the biggest necessities for regular operation. Restaurants and commercial kitchens require exhaust systems that must meet code requirements.

Handling exhaust system repair in Chicago, IL is one of the many jobs we do for local businesses. We encourage you to sign up for regular maintenance service with our team so we can help you pinpoint major issues such as exhaust malfunctions before they pose a threat to regular operations. Maintenance also goes a long way toward preventing problems in the first place. However, sometimes exhaust system problems will catch you by surprise. In these cases, the best tool available to you is noticing early something is wrong so you can call us—we offer 24-hour emergency service to keep businesses working!

What are some of the ways to tell the vital exhaust system in your commercial kitchen, restaurant, or other facility needs repairs? We’ve listed some common signs below.

Warnings of Failing Commercial Heating Equipment

December 27th, 2021

Losing any amount of heating capacity in your commercial facility during a Chicago winter can have an enormously negative impact on operations and your bottom line. Whether you have a retail store or a manufacturing plant, losing heat can bring work and business to a standstill.

Fortunately, most commercial heating equipment is modular, and unless there’s a power outage, you’re unlikely to experience a full heating loss for your facility when one of the heaters fails. If you have a building automation system (which we install and service), you’ll receive warnings about equipment losing efficiency so you can identify a need to call for service or even a new commercial heating installation in Chicago, IL.

Can Your Rooftop Units Manage Winter Snow?

December 13th, 2021

For many decades, the most common type of commercial heating system in Chicagoland has been the packaged rooftop unit. These HVAC systems provide both cooling and heating and have many advantages, such as freeing up space inside the building, easy access for technicians without disrupting the workspace, and keeping noisy equipment far away from employees, customers, etc.

But because Chicago receives snow during the winter, you might wonder if this is a serious problem for your business’ rooftop units. Althoff has a long history of working with commercial heating solutions for all types of commercial facilities, and we want to address concerns business owners like you may have about their rooftop units vs. the snow.

Ways to Tell Your Business Needs Lighting Upgrades

November 15th, 2021

Lighting is essential for any type of industrial or commercial facility, but it is also a part of these facilities that owners and managers can easily overlook when they are considering important upgrades and expansions. Quality lighting increases productivity, helps appeal to customers in retail spaces, lowers energy costs, and allows for more flexibility for business growth.

If you’re wondering whether your business needs to have new interior or exterior lighting, we’ve listed several ways to tell. When in doubt, you can consult with us about what changes you may need.

Risers: What They Are, How to Know They Need Replacement

November 1st, 2021

At Althoff, we offer extensive commercial plumbing services to all types of buildings and facilities. You’ll find we offer plumbing services many other local contractors don’t—it’s why our motto is “Challenges accepted!”

One major challenge in commercial plumbing is handling multi-story buildings. Moving freshwater against gravity from one floor to another requires specialized plumbing devices and structures. One of the essential parts of the plumbing of multi-story structures is the risers. Plumbing in buildings simply can’t work without them. We offer riser replacement services for customers who need the best in office building plumbing in Chicago, IL.

The Benefits of Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization for Your Commercial Air Quality

October 18th, 2021

At Althoff Industries, Inc., we’re up to the challenge of helping commercial and industrial facilities with their indoor air quality troubles. And this is definitely a challenging job: many harmful particulates can find their way into a commercial space and create an environment that can range from unpleasant to unhealthy.

When it comes to commercial indoor air quality in Hillside, IL, we offer many different solutions, such as air filtration systems, humidifiers and dehumidifiers, and ventilation and exhaust upgrades and repairs. Today, we want to talk about one of the most powerful commercial indoor air quality devices—an air purifier that uses needlepoint bipolar ionization.

Don’t Gamble With an Obsolete System: Ask Us About Niagara 4

October 4th, 2021

One of the most important services we offer to our Chicagoland commercial customers is the installation and maintenance of building automation systems (BAS). These controls give businesses an unprecedented amount of manipulation over multiple systems and devices—HVAC, lighting, security—providing a level of efficiency that was previously impossible.

Like any advanced technology, BAS has a life cycle. As technology advances, older building automation systems will become legacy platforms: outmoded and obsolete. A current point of concern for commercial facilities that use building automation is that the widespread AX versions of Niagara software, which is used in a variety of BAS including those from Lynxspring, Honeywell, and Johnson Controls, was listed as “End of Life” as of July 1, 2021. The last update was made back in Q1 2020, and now parts, licenses, and additional devices will no longer be available. We have a solution for customers who are using this legacy platform, which is a migration to the Niagara 4 platform from Tridium.

Top Reasons to Consider EV Charging Stations for Your Business

September 20th, 2021

The number of people who drive electric vehicles (EVs) is increasing with each year, with 39% of people surveyed in a recent Pew Research Poll saying they are very or somewhat likely to seriously consider buying an electric vehicle for their next purchase. Along with that increase comes a rising need for greater infrastructure at businesses to support the vehicles and their drivers. Just using an extension cord to hook up to a car won’t do the job if you have many employees, customers, and clients looking for an easy option to charge their EVs.

If you’re considering adding EV charging stations to your establishment, we encourage you to look further into the many benefits of this upgrade. We offer EV charging station installation throughout Chicagoland and can help your business with this new technology. Below we’ll look at the best incentive for installing EV charging stations.