DIY Tools: What You Need In Cleaning Your Ducts

Cleaner air ducts means you and your family can breath easier and live healthier.

However, not everyone owns a high-powered vacuum system to eliminate dust buildup lurking around the ducts. Here are some of the things you need to clear your air ducts up from various dirt accumulation:

Heavy-duty gloves

Remember to use heavy-duty gloves to protect your hands from potential contaminants that may irritate your skin.

Screwdriver

A screwdriver can help you remove screws that bond and hold the air duct covers in place.

Vacuum cleaner

Use a vacuum cleaner with an attached hose to reach down to sweep up the dust that accumulated in the blower compartment and the return-air boot

Cleaning brush

The sucking force of the vacuum cleaner may be too strong and may damage the walls, so go for a stiff bristle brush to wipe out any dirt or debris on the sides.

Rags or paper towels

These will be used to cover up the supply air registers or the return-air grille plates to keep the dust down while you do your work. These can also help you brush off the remainder of dust particles which fall off from the ducts.

If you want your complete duct system spic-and-span, it's better to consult a professional duct cleaning company which uses appropriate equipment to effectively extract heaps of dirt and debris.

Furnace Cleaning in Calgary Homes Can Prevent Winter Allergy Attacks

For allergy sufferers, winter is commonly perceived as a break from allergy attacks. Just because there aren’t any flowers to spread around pollen, however, doesn’t mean you won’t be sniffling or tearing up. As NewsCanada.com reports, winter could also be a season for allergies:

    “Colder temperatures often mean tuques, cozy winter boots and plenty of hot cocoa. But, they also mean more time inside and the potential for increased exposure to indoor allergens. This is especially worrying for those with asthma.

    It’s not just pollen and spring allergens that can cause asthma attacks. The air quality in your home during winter can have a significant impact on your lung health. In particular, household dust and animal dander are known to easily irritate or aggravate current and pre-existing asthma symptoms.”

http://www.westcan4u.com/furnace-cleaning-calgary-homes-can-prevent-winter-allergy-attacks/

Don’t Get Your Dander Up! The Importance of Duct Cleaning

Through normal occupation in a home, residents generate a great deal of contaminants and air pollutants such as dander, dust, and chemicals. These contaminants are pulled into the HVAC system. Although dirty ducts don’t necessarily mean unhealthy air, they may be contributing to larger health issues or may be harboring contaminants that could cause serious problems for people with respiratory health conditions.

Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems, but never has there been conclusive studies that demonstrate particle levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. This is because much of the dirt in the air adheres to duct surfaces and doesn’t really enter the home. Although there is no evidence that a light amount of household dust or other particulate matter in air ducts poses and risk to your health, the duct system can serve as a means to distribute these contaminants at home.

You should consider having your air ducts cleaned if there is visible mold growth inside metal sheet ducts or on other components of your HVAC system. Also if ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris that are actually released to the home. And if ducts are infested with rodents, insects, or other vermin.

HVAC service providers like Western Canadian Furnace Company LTD in Calgary, provides the most effective methods in duct cleaning.

Some Things You Don't Want in Your Ducts

Even though Alberta has one of the best climates in Canada, the combination of heat from summers and moisture from rain and snow still make the province a hotbed for harmful microbes and bacteria indoors. These things usually accumulate in the ducts and vents of HVAC systems, which is why various cleaning companies regard duct cleaning as one of their primary services. These microbes and bacteria vary in terms of the damage they can cause and the means by which they disperse throughout the household.

For example, airborne fungi like Cladosporium and Micromonospora faeni rely on the inflows of air ducts so that they can spread, causing a variety of respiratory ailments and allergic reactions to people. On the other hand, pollutants like tobacco smoke don’t need to use the duct network to disperse, although this makes their travel a lot easier. Pollutants can cause respiratory ailments and allergies as well, although they can cause other diseases like dyspnea.

Meanwhile, some household items leave behind particulates in the vents which are not necessarily harmful, although they can still cause complications in some people. Scents, hair sprays, dry-cleaning formulas, glues, liquid adhesives, and the like are known to cause nausea and vomiting in people with weak immune systems. Since they tend to linger just like biological and chemical pollutants, household particulates can only be removed with a thorough duct cleaning work.

Cleaner, Warmer: Boosting Heating with Furnace Cleaning in Calgary

In many cases, insufficient heating is caused by something as simple as a dirty furnace filter, or dirty furnace parts. Homeowners are encouraged to regularly clean furnace filters as part of the system’s maintenance, but are also highly advised to have a Calgary furnace cleaning company perform a thorough service before winter comes. Professionals can not only do a more complete job, but also get to other parts that may be difficult for amateurs to access, such as the blower and the motor. Aside from performance issues, another good reason to keep furnaces clean is to safeguard the health of residents. Particulates that collect in the air ducts can cause respiratory complications if inhaled, and it takes a professional to perform thorough duct cleaning in Calgary. Contractors such as the Western Canadian Furnace Company can scour even the smallest ducts and nooks using their specialized equipment.

http://www.westcan4u.com/cleaner-warmer-boosting-heating-furnace-cleaning-calgary/

Clean Ducts Improve System Efficiency

Dust and other particles that build up inside air ducts can affect the performance of the heating system. Newly constructed homes, recent renovations or remodelling projects, and poorly installed ducts are among the major causes of dust and debris buildup inside air ducts. This is because there are more particles floating around that gets sucked through the return duct and stays within the system.

Another good reason to clean the ducts is when leaks or flood and water has penetrated the duct system. Moisture promote moulds, and mould growth inside homes pose health risks, especially to those who are allergic to the fungi.

While there have been no conclusive evidence to support that health problems can be eliminated by having clean ducts, it is still recommended to have duct cleaning from time to time. Having the system cleaned of dust and other particles can improve the system's performance, allowing homeowners to save on energy costs.

Excessive buildup of dust and debris can clog the duct system and blocking air flow into an area in the house. If the air ducts are also blowing out particles, then it's a sign that the system has to be cleaned. Reputable companies should also be hired to clean the ducts to ensure a thorough job.