Air Duct Cleaning

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 Clean air duct helps to solve many health concerns, especially with breathing problems for people who have weakened or lesser developed immune systems, can experience issues from dirty air ducts. Also, It gives a healthy environment for babies and seniors who have difficulty breathing. The major concern is respiratory problems or heightened symptoms from existingconditions. For example, asthma can worsen when the air ducts are full of dust and contaminants that make it into the airways of your family, friends, or other guests. Commercial property owners need to be particularly careful because employees or customers may experience issues that could easily be taken care of with proper air duct cleaning. Besides asthma, other respiratory issues that can develop or worsen with poorly cleaned or uncleanedair ducts include bronchitis, throat irritations, coughing, wheezing, or other problems with breathing.
Other health concerns that should be considered as well. For example, recent onsets of headaches in a specific home or room can be a sign that the air ducts need to be cleaned. If you are experiencing sudden issues that do not seem to affect you in other places, you need to be calling your local air duct cleaning company in Houston.

For many years health authorities and governmental agencies have raised our awareness to the dangers of outdoor air pollution and have concentrated their efforts on finding ways to reduce pollutants generated by automobiles, factories, construction and mining. Over the past two decades scientist have been carefully examining the indoor air environment of our offices, factories and homes and they have found this environment to be even more hazardous to our health than outdoor air.Indoor air contaminants can originate within the building or be drawn in from outdoors. Particulate matter can come from far away places like blowing desert sands & volcanic eruptions or from nearby sources such as pollinating trees, industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, cleaning chemicals & pesticides. If these contaminant sources are not controlled, IAQ problems can arise. Statistics show that 1 out of 5 (50 million) Americans suffer from allergies caused by substances found in the home and office. Deaths related to asthma have risen 40% in the past two decades.

A healthy indoor environment is one in which the surroundings contribute to productivity, comfort and a sense of health and well being. The qualities of good indoor air include:

• Introduction and distribution of adequate ventilation air.
• Control of airborne contaminants.
• Maintenance of acceptable temperature and relative humidity.
• Poor indoor air quality can cause problems and have serious consequences such as:
  • Increasing health problems such as cough, eye irritation, headache, and allergic reactions.
  • Reduced productivity due to discomfort & stress and increased absenteeism.
  • Accelerated deterioration of furnishings and equipment.
  • Strained relations between employees and employers or household inhabitants.

Studies have shown that indoor air can be 2 to 5 times MORE polluted than outside air. Most disposable filters remove about 10% of these pollutants allowing 90% to enter the air system, even during the construction of a new home. The pollutants contain dust, pollen, mold spores, animal dander and much more. These materials collect in the furnace, air conditioner and duct surfaces, just as they do on the furniture and floor surfaces. The furniture and floor are cleaned regularly but the duct surfaces are hidden from view and can only be reached by specialized duct cleaning equipment. These pollutants can migrate out into the room again, or become a food source for mold and bacteria, which can thrive in this dark comfortable environment from high humidity or moisture from the air conditioner or humidifiers. Biological growth can release mold spores or toxins into the air system

How Can mold Grow in a Duct System and What Problems Can It Cause?Mold spores require a stable temperature, a food source and moisture to live and reproduce. Dust and dirt that go through the filter are a good food source. The furnace/air conditioner is designed to maintain a comfortable temperature, and moisture is available from humid conditions in the environment, the humidifier in the furnace or the cooling coils in an air conditioner. Live molds can release spores that will trigger allergic or asthmatic reactions, sometimes severe, in about 10% of the population. Mold both living and dead can produce toxins that may cause short term allergic reactions. Long term exposures to low levels of some mold toxins can result in permanent chemical sensitivity to common compounds in the environment.

What are the Sources of Air Duct Contamination?

All inside air was once outside air, so all of the dust, chemicals, pollen, insects and mold spores in the outside air can be pulled into the air system. People shed millions of tiny dead skin cells every hour. Cooking smoke, household insect sprays, personal care products are also a source of pollutants. Many construction materials, carpets, wood products and plastics give off pollutants as well. During construction or remodeling activities, many types of dust are produced and find their way into the duct work. If the duct components were stored outside prior to construction, they may have collected dust, rain water and even mold before they were installed in a system

How Often Should I have My Air Ducts Cleaned?

Once an air system is thoroughly cleaned, it should remain clean for 3 to 7 years if properly maintained and a high arrestance filter is installed. A standard disposable filter only stops about 10% of the airborne contaminates, allowing 90% of the dust in the room to flow back into the air system. To maintain protection against biological growth, an EPA registered biocide should be applied every 6 to 12 months by a qualified Duct Cleaning Professional.

Will a Dirty Air System Result in Higher Energy Costs?

Depending on the amount of contamination and its location, energy consumption could be increased. If the fan blades, evaporator coil or other control components of the system are heavily contaminated, the system may have to run much longer to cool or heat the occupied space, wasting a lot of energy.
What Does It Cost to Have a Whole Air System Cleaned?

This can depend on a lot of factors, such as the size of the home, the number of supply ducts, how long since the ducts were cleaned, etc. The whole system should be cleaned and a more efficient filter installed to keep the system clean longer.

 The following air duct cleaning steps are for a full service air duct cleaning. The process of air duct cleaning involves four steps:

1-  Clean the furnace/air conditioner.  After testing the system for proper operation, we will disconnect the power before opening the unit for safety. Next, vacuum the interior surfaces of the Furnace/Air Conditioner. Then clean the cooling coils with a HEPA vacuum and a coil cleaner, and clean the blower unit

.2- Clean the supply and return registers and grills.  Remove wall, ceiling and floor registers. Then wash register with Dynamite cleaner and rinse

.3- Clean the supply and return ducts.Clean all air ducts using powerful air duct cleaning equipment. Decontaminate cleaned ducts with Soot Set duct sealant, and Odor Kill Deodorizer.