Archive for August, 2013

I Have Flexbile Ducts: Is Duct Cleaning Still An Option?

Friday, August 30th, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

If you own a forced-air distribution system, such as a furnace or heat pump, then you depend heavily on the integrity of your ductwork to remove indoor air from your home and to recirculate conditioned air throughout the various sections of the home. But in order to get the most out of your heater or air conditioner, you need to ensure that your ductwork is kept clean at all times. There is simply no other way to ensure that they will be both effective and efficient. Homeowners with flexible ductwork in their homes may be wondering about whether such material can be cleaned. Is duct cleaning an option for flexible ducts? In short, yes. But it ultimately depends on whether you hire a professional heat duct cleaning professional in Duluth, MN to get the job done right.

Cleaning flexible ducts requires a gentler touch and a different set of tools than with normal, sheet metal ductwork. The latter is sturdy and stable, but flexible duct is relatively thin and comprised of corrugated plastic whose rings can begun to accumulate dust and other debris. It can be difficult to get into such areas effectively and thoroughly, which is why attempting to clean your own ducts is inadvisable. Attempting to vacuum them on your own may risk the integrity of the insulation lining the duct as well as the connections.

In order to have your ducts cleaned professionally, you need to ensure that you hire a qualified contractor who knows how to address the unique needs of flexible ductwork, and who can give you an honest appraisal of whether your ducts needs to be cleaned. Because of the low cost of flexible ductwork, there may be cause to replace the ductwork instead of cleaning should the debris accumulation be particularly severe. Look for an HVAC technician who can help advise you on such matters.

At Alpha Air Corporation, we can ensure that your heat duct cleaning service in Duluth, MN is completed thoroughly and properly so that your heating and cooling are restored.

Call us today to schedule a consultation about your ductwork.

Common Air Duct Contaminants Found During Duct Cleaning

Wednesday, August 14th, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

Modern homes are built very air tight in an effort to increase their efficiency. While this is great to maximize efficiency, it can hurt your home’s air quality by allowing many different types of contaminants to build up in your home’s air and ducts. Here at Alpha Air Corporation, we offer complete air duct cleaning in Minneapolis, and so we wanted to share some of the most common contaminants that we come across during our duct cleaning visits.

Air Duct Cleaning in Minneapolis: Common Contaminants

As your air conditioning system operates, it will blow cool air throughout your whole duct system. As it does this, it will also pick up and carry a number of common contaminants with that air. Here are a few of the most common that we see.

  • Dust – Probably the most common contaminant in ducts is dust, which is primarily comprised of dead skin cells. During the winter when the air gets dry, you may see elevated dust levels because of dry skin.
  • Pet dander – If you have pets in your home then you should expect to see lots of pet dander in your ducts.
  • Pollen – During allergy seasons, pollen is a big problem. It can often get trapped in your ducts as well and continue to cause problems as your AC blows it around.
  • Construction debris – Surprisingly, many homes can have a lot of construction debris in them from when the ducts were installed. While this doesn’t have as much impact on air quality, it can certainly affect your home’s efficiency.
  • Insect droppings – During the summer when the weather is hot and humid, insect populations can start to grow—especially dust mites. Their droppings, which are huge allergy triggers, can  get caught in your ductwork and cause problems for your respiratory health.

If you’ve never had air duct cleaning in Minneapolis, make sure that you call the experts at Alpha Air Corporation right away.