Archive for February, 2015

3 Benefits of Professional Commercial Duct Cleaning

Friday, February 27th, 2015 by Lisa Pixley

Most commercial HVAC systems use air ducts in order to distribute both heated and cooled air throughout the property. This is all well and good, and ductwork is a great way of doing so, provided that the ductwork in question is in fine working condition. The sad fact of the matter is that this is not always the case. Ductwork can be compromised in a number of different ways. One of the most prevalent problems with ductwork is the buildup of pollutants, including dust, dirt, and dander, therein. Professional commercial duct cleaning in St. Cloud, MN is the best way in which to address any such problems. If you are concerned about the performance of your commercial HVAC, or if you have reason to believe that your ductwork is excessively dirty within, call Alpha Air Corporation today. We can right the situation effectively.

One of the main benefits of scheduling professional commercial duct cleaning is the fact that it can help your commercial HVAC system to function in a more effective manner. It is unlikely that enough pollutants will build up block off a section of ductwork, increasing airflow resistance. However, those pollutants can certainly clog up air filters considerably, which can make it harder for your commercial HVAC system to do its job. The harder the your system works, the more energy it will consume.

Additionally, the buildup of pollutants in your ductwork can lead to those pollutants building up on sensitive components within your HVAC system itself. This too can cause efficiency to drop, as well as forcing your system to work harder. Even worse, though, it can lead to operational problems and even damages to your equipment. By eliminating the problem, professional commercial duct cleaning can help to protect the condition of your HVAC equipment itself.

Of course, there is also the fact that air ducts, when dirty within, can help to distribute airborne pollutants throughout your commercial property. This can seriously and adversely impact your commercial indoor air quality. If you hope to maintain indoor air quality of the highest level in your commercial property, then routine commercial air duct cleaning in St. Cloud, MN is an absolute necessity.

Contact Alpha Air Corporation today for more details. Call Us Today! 952.476.4144 or 1-866-PIXLEYS

 

Valentine’s Day: Pagan Revelry, Clandestine Marriage, and 14th Century Poetry

Saturday, February 14th, 2015 by Lisa Pixley

What do you think of when you think of Valentine’s Day? Perhaps rushing off to the stationary store after work to choose the perfect card with which to express your feelings towards a loved one? Dinner reservations at a fancy restaurant? Roses, dark chocolates, and other gifts and confections? Whatever Valentine’s Day may look like to you, chances are that it is a far cry from the history surrounding this holiday – or at least we hope so. Here are a few interesting facts about this most romantic of holidays, from your friends here at Alpha Air Corporation.

The fact of the matter is that there is no definitive history as to how Valentine’s Day came to be. There are a few different saints with variations of the name Valentine, for example. One of the most prevalent legends, and one certainly in keeping with the romantic nature of the holiday as we know it today, pertains to a priest serving during the 3rd century in Rome. Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II, who believed that young men made for better soldiers if unfettered by marriage, it was illegal for young men to marry. A true believer in love, Valentine would marry young couples in secret. Until, at least, he was found out, and met a very unpleasant end for his crimes.

Like many of our modern holidays, Valentine’s Day can also be traced back to pagan ritual. Lupercalia, as the pagan festival is known, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, a god of agriculture. As is often the case with Roman celebrations, the details of this celebration are unfit to detail here. Suffice to say that, while there is certainly a touch of the amorous in the proceedings, the festival was a far cry from what we associate with Valentine’s Day today.

How, then, did our modern version of Valentine’s Day come to be? The answer may lie in, of all places, 14th century poetry; particularly, in the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer. Famed for his Canterbury Tales, Chaucer may well be the very first writer to associate Valentine’s Day with romantic love, in the manner of which we are familiar with it today. His The Parliament of Fowls details the dream-vision of a narrator consumed with the idea of romantic love and the natural order of finding a mate. Valentine’s Day is mentioned by name a number of times, as the narrator witnesses a parliament of eagles vying for the hand – or, perhaps more aptly, the wing – of a mate.

Whatever you may think of the holiday’s sordid and convoluted history, we here at Alpha Air Corporation hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day with the special someone in your life.