Living in Glenview, Illinois, means dealing with every type of weather extreme.
- The summers are hot and muggy and the winters are freezing cold, snowy and windy.
It is partly cloudy all year round. The most brutal conditions are during the months from December until March. The high temperature rarely gets above freezing and the low is typically in the teens. It’s not unusual for the temperature to drop into the negative digits. The average annual snowfall for the country is just over two feet. In Glenview, we get over three feet every year. The rest of the country sees some type of precipitation 106 days per year. We get rain, sleet, snow and freezing rain for more than 125 days per year. Because of the conditions, we switch between running the furnace and operating the air conditioner, with very little break in between. The cost of heating and cooling is responsible for more than 50% of our household energy usage. I have invested into a top-of-the-line, Energy Star rated furnace and air conditioner to keep costs as low as possible. I’ve added a smart thermostat to optimize energy conservation. I make sure to change the air filters every month, and I’ve enrolled into a maintenance agreement with a local HVAC contractor. They give me a call in the fall, and again in the spring, to remind me that it’s time to schedule upkeep. A licensed technician inspects the entire system, cleans the inner workings, tightens electrical connections, lubricates motors, tests refrigerant levels, verifies the performance of the burner assembly and helps to prevent malfunction. This service fulfills the warranty requirements and keeps the heating and cooling equipment operating at its best.