Archive for October, 2013

What Are the Benefits of Cleaning Your Furnace Ducts?

Thursday, October 10th, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

When it comes to furnace duct cleaning, Minneapolis residents aren’t usually in a rush to spend a lot of money. Few things are less interesting to purchase than a duct cleaning service, and since your furnace ducts are usually out of sight, it can be very easy to simply write them off in favor of more prominent problems. This can be a mistake; dirty ducts not only cost you money in increased heating bills, but can decrease the quality of your air in the bargain. Dirt is created through a lack of maintenance, though it can sometimes appear when a leak or fissure develops in your ducts.

What are the benefits of cleaning your furnace ducts?

Two of the most important answers can be found below:

  • Better indoor air quality. Dust in the ducts is primarily a concern because it can spread all over your home. When the furnace blows hot air through the ducts to warm your home, it takes that dust along with it. The quality of your air goes down, and your house becomes less comfortable as a result. The air can be drier and harder to breathe. Family members with allergies may find themselves experiencing more frequent attacks. Sensitive people might experience increased irritation in the nose or throat. Cleaning the ducts will eliminate these problems and raise the level of indoor air quality for your whole house.
  • Better heating. Dust and dirt can cause problems when they get caked on heater components. In extreme circumstances, they can also block the flow of air through the ducts, forcing your furnace to work harder and raising your heating bills as a result. None of that is conducive to your heater’s long-term capacity. Duct cleaning can help prevent that, lowering your bills and helping your heater last longer in the bargain.

In the realm of furnace duct cleaning, Minneapolis has an answer: the experts at Alpha Air Corporation. We can explain the benefits of cleaning your ducts, then set up an appointment with courtesy and professionalism. We are dedicated to your complete satisfaction, so don’t hesitate to give us a call today.

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How Do My Ducts Get Dirty?

Tuesday, October 1st, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

In Minnesota, going without a heater is not an option—our winters are legendary. Going without a clean and efficient heater shouldn’t be an option either, but many people settle for this. We don’t want you to be one of those homeowners who have a furnace that strains just to blow around low quality air filled with dust and other pollutants. We’ll explain why ductwork gets dirty in the first place to help you better understand why they need cleaning.

Alpha Air Corporation has NADCA certified technicians on staff—that’s the National Air Duct Cleaners Association—so when it comes to St. Paul heater duct cleaning, we should be on the top of your list of contractors to hire.

So how why are my ducts getting dirty?

The most likely culprit for duct contamination is a clogged air filter. Furnaces and heat pumps use filters to trap debris that might damage the internal mechanisms. But filters also prevent those foreign particles from spreading through your ducts. If a filter is not changed regularly, it will get congested with dust and other debris, and dirt will start to build-up in the ducts. Make sure you change the filter once a month during the height of the heating season. If you don’t know how to, you can always hire us to change your filter.

If you’ve recently had construction projects done in your home, pieces of wood and plaster will probably get inside the ducts. It’s a good idea to have a check done on the ductwork after any major construction work to make sure this kind of debris hasn’t infiltrated your heater.

Now to a slightly unpleasant topic: mold and other bacterial contaminants. This is the sort of “dirty” you really don’t want to affect your ducts. Unfortunately, the warm and dark spaces of your ductwork make for a prime breeding growing for this kind of pollution if the ducts aren’t regularly maintained. The good news is that professional duct cleaners have methods that not only get rid of these pests, but keep them from returning.

If you have concerns about dust and dirt and anything else unwanted contaminating your ducts, you should schedule a cleaning before the winter starts. Alpha Air Corporation can do it for you: we not only clean ducts, we also sanitize and deodorize them. If you need mold remediation, we can get that done as well. Contact us now—we’re available 24/7—for your St. Paul heater duct cleaning.

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