Archive for May, 2009

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Dryer Vent Cleaning Quiz “You Need To Take This Quiz”

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

How often should you clean your dryer venting? Well that depends on a few things, such as how often you use your dryer, how far the venting is and how many elbows your dryer system has.

We have created this quick test you can fill out online or using the point system that we have laid out for you to determine how often you should have the venting cleaned out.

For the online version go to: http://furnacecleaning.info/dryer-vent-cleaning.php and take the DryMax Quiz.

For the point version just read on:

How often do you use your dryer?

Less than 5 time’s a week, 1 point

6-12 times per week, 3 Points

More than 12 times per week, 5 Points

How long is your dryer vent pipe?

1-10 Feet, 1 Point

11-20 Feet, 3 points

More than 20 feet, 5 points

How many 90 degree elbows in the vent pipe?

1 elbow, 1 point

2 elbows, 3 points

More than 3 elbows, 5 points

How big is your dryer?

Full size, 1 point

Medium capacity, 3 points

Combo stacking unit, 5 points

If you scored from 4-9 points you are in the Low Risk Zone and only require having your dryer venting cleaned about every two years.

If you scored from 10-13 points your are in the Moderate Risk Zone and should have your dryer venting cleaned every 10-14 months.

If you scored 14 points or higher you are in the High Risk Zone and should have your dryer venting cleaned every six months.

Dryer vent cleaning is a very important aspect of your home maintenance program. A clean dryer vent system will allow your clothes to dry faster and keep your electrical bills in check. A partially clogged dryer vent can cost you as much as $30.00 dollars per month more to dry your clothes than a clean dryer vent system.

Dryer vents are one of the top causes of home fires every year. It’s a good idea to check the dryer vent every time you check your smoke detector. Use our unique dryer vent safety strips to be sure that your venting is performing the way it should.

To view our vent safety strips go here: http://www.furnacecleaning.info/dryer-vent-check.php

I hope that this helps you understand your dryer venting a little better, if you have any questions about dryer venting please call us at 780-598-5966

A-1 Ductworks is a Fort McMurray Alberta Furnace Duct Cleaning company.

Posted in Dryer Vent Cleaning | 1 Comment »

Dryer Vent Close to Igniting!

Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Dryer Vent Cleaning

Dryer Vent Cleaning

Dryer vents are a overlooked dangerous portion of the home that I again seen first hand this week. I was called out to clean a fireplace chimney that is one of the main sources of heat for this home during the winter months, and has not been cleaned in two years. Luckily this is a completely sealed firebox and the client burns only a nice hard wood. The chimney was very dirty and done just in time to possibly prevent a serious fire hazard to this home.

I was only called to clean the fireplace but I must have been feeling generous and told the customer that I would clean the dryer vent at no charge to them. I proceeded outside after asking the customer to turn on their dryer so that I could check current air flow before cleaning. When I leaned down to check the air flow I found none at all and at first thought I had the wrong vent, but I didn’t and had the proof when I inserted the Viper Cleaning system just inside the venting and got a lot of lint from the first portion of the venting pipe.

I decided to go downstairs and have a look at the venting that was concealed above a drop ceiling and I am so glad that I did. This home was ready the ignite. The venting was separated about ten feet from the outside wall and all the lint was building up in the space between the ceiling and the drop ceiling and the electrical panel was filled with lint including covering low voltage transformers.

I had the customer start cleaning the lint from around the ceiling and the electrical panel area and I re-connected the dryer venting and proceeded to clean the dryer system. This system was over twenty feet long with four elbows and had never been cleaned as long as the customer can remember. A dryer vent setup like this should be cleaned every six months to a year and the savings in electrical costs will pay for the service fee within a few months, not to mention the piece of mind.

If you can’t remember when the last time you had your dryer vent cleaned then it is time!

Take our quick quiz here to see how often you should have your dryer venting cleaned. For all your dryer vent and chimney cleaning services in Fort McMurray Alberta call A-1 Ductworks at 780-598-5966.

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Posted in Dryer Vent Cleaning | 1 Comment »

The Facts about Dust Mites

Sunday, May 17th, 2009
House Dust Mite

House Dust Mite

Dust Mites are a reality, they live with and feed off the human species. Are dust mites dangerous? well the short answer is yes. Dust mites themselves are not dangerous and do not drink blood like the bed bug but they can cause breathing problems and bring on allergy attacks through there fecal matter. Dust mites do not have stomachs, but the enzymes left behind after feeding are a common cause of asthma and allergic symptoms worldwide.

A typical house dust mite measures only 420 micrometers in length and 250 to 320 micrometers in width. Well not large in size they are large in numbers, a typical mattress can have as many as two million dust mites occupying it’s warm and well nourished frame. The human body losses as much as 1.5 grams of skin per day which enough to feed over a million dust mites. (more…)

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Posted in Air Purifiers, Allergies, Furnace duct Cleaning, Indoor Air Quality, Mold | 1 Comment »

What is Sick Building Syndrome?

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

Sick Building Syndrome or (SBS) is a combination of aliments usually associated with the Heating Ventalation And Air Conditioning Systems (HVAC), including molds, volatile organic compounds, improper exhaust ventilation, outgassing of building materials and the by products of chemicals located near the HVAC system.

Usually the systems of SBS are sensory irritation of the eyes, nose, throat; neurotoxic or general health problems; skin irritation; nonspecific hypersensitivity reactions; and odor and taste sensations.

SBS is one of the leading casues of employee’s missing work in North America and costs businesses hundereds of millions per year. Great lengths have been taken to prevent and correct the causes of SBS. What can you do to identify and correct the problems associated with SBS?

1. Pollutant source removal or proper storage of chemicals in your building. Storage of harsh chemicals in the mechical rooms can lead to unwanted fumes and vapors finding their way into the HVAC system.

2. Remove carpeting that has been damaged with water. Carpet that has been through a flood can be filled with molds and should be replaced as soon as possiable.

3. Use paints, adhesives, solvents, and pesticides in well-ventilated areas, and use of these pollutant sources during periods of non-occupancy.

4. Increase the amount of air exchanges in the building. A minimum of 8.4 complete air exchanges per 24 hour period is the reccommended amount by the engineers of The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning.

5. Proper and regular maintence of the HVAC system.

6. Proper cleaning and disenfecting of the air handling system and the attached ducting.

With building getting tighter and not allowing leaks to naturally occur we have to be sure to follow the proper installation of HVAC systems and consider installing air exchangers. Be sure to maintain your HVAC system and periodically clean the entire system.

Contact A-1 Ductworks of Alberta Canada at 780-598-5966 to recieve a free estimate on your Furnace Duct Cleaning http://www.furnacecleaning.info

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Posted in Air Purifiers, Allergies, Furnace duct Cleaning, HVAC, Indoor Air Quality, Mold, Sick Building Syndrome | 1 Comment »

What is a SEER Rating?

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

Air conditioning is a great home feature to have during the hot Summer months, sleeping through the night is made much easier and it seems every friend that you have shows up when the mercury hit 28 degrees or more.

Well how do you keep the cool air flowing well not spending a fortune? Well it all starts with SEER. The efficiency of a air conditioning system is measured by it’s SEER rating “Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio”. This rating is set by Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute.The higher the SEER rating the more efficient the air conditioning system.

A SEER rating is the Btu rating cooling output during a typical cooling season divided by the total electric energy input in watt hours during the same period.

For example, consider a 5000 BTU/h air-conditioning unit, with a SEER of 10, operating for a total of 1000 hours during an annual cooling season (e.g., 8 hours per day for 125 days).

The annual total cooling output would be:

5000 BTU/h * 8 h/day * 125 days = 5,000,000 BTU

With a SEER of 10, the annual electrical energy usage would be about:

5,000,000 BTU / 10 BTU/W·h = 500,000 W·h

The average power usage may also be calculated more simply by:

Average power = (BTU/h) / (SEER, BTU/W·h) = 5000 / 10 = 500 W

If your electricity cost is 20¢/kW·h, then your operating cost is:

0.5 kW * 20¢/kW·h = 10¢/h

Hope this helps clear up SEER ratings for everyone interested. So now that you know you can stay cool for less money with some informed shopping before installing your air conditioning system.

A-1 Ductworks is a Furnace and Duct Cleaning Company that specializes in Indoor Air Quality for the Fort McMurray Alberta Area. Contact us at 780-598-5966 for free estimates on Indoor Air Quality products and services


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Posted in Air Conditioning, Energy Saving Tips | 1 Comment »

Furnace Filter Types and MERV Ratings

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
Can You Find The Furnace Filter?

Can You Find The Furnace Filter?

Your furnace system is the lungs of your home; the air that you breathe is first passed through the furnace system where it can be cleaned, humidified, heated or cooled.

Having a good furnace filter should be a high priority for your furnace system and your health. Furnace filters were originally designed to protect your furnace fans and other components. With increased knowledge of Indoor Air Quality filters were developed to both protect the furnace system and the residents of the home.

Your home is full of airborne contaminants such as:

· Dust on the floors and surfaces that are disturbed by activity in the home.

· Smoking, burning candles lint from laundry and cooking are just a few duct sources

· Hair and skin flakes from humans or pets. Did you know that humans shed an estimated 1.5 pounds per year.

· Pollens and dust that leak into the home through open windows or air intakes.

Dust particles can be so small that they are inhaled and exhaled from your lungs without getting trapped. Some particles are too large to get be inhaled but the dangerous particles are those that are breathed into your lungs and get trapped there. These particles are the ones that can cause respiratory illnesses. (more…)

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Posted in Air Purifiers, Allergies, Furnace Filters, Furnace duct Cleaning, Indoor Air Quality | 1 Comment »

Dryer Vent Cleaning Methods

Monday, May 11th, 2009

Here at A-1 Ductwork we have two main types of cleaning when it comes to cleaning dryer vent systems.

Dryer Vent Cleaning Technique

Dryer Vent Cleaning Technique

1. Standard Cleaning Procedure: All dryer vents are cleaned from the outside using high pressure compressed air with a reverse skipper ball that sends the skipper ball rocketing down the venting to the base of the dryer. Once the skipper ball has gone as far as it will go we start to retract the skipper ball back towards us pulling all the debris and and lint back to the outside where it is collected into a large truck mounted vacuum system.

2. Challenge Cleaning: This type of cleaning is preformed when the dryer system is completely plugged up of not accessible from the outside due to height or concealed from sight. We disconnect the dryer from the venting and insert the Viper Cleaning System into the venting using the Air Whip fitting. The Viper System is a high pressure compressed air cleaning system that uses different fittings that are attached to the end. 250 pounds on air pressure is forced through the Viper System that forces the air out forward, using the Air Whip fitting which has many small air tubes that whip around in the ducting loosing the debris and lint from the walls of the venting well pushing and the lint to the outside of the home. This method is used when cleaning commercial dryer vent systems. (more…)

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Posted in Air Purifiers, Dryer Vent Cleaning | 1 Comment »

Air Conditioning Spring Start Up

Friday, May 8th, 2009
Air Conditioning System

Air Conditioning System

Your air conditioning system is made up of two parts, first the condenser unit which sits outside the home on a concrete block outside the house and the evaporator coils which sits above your furnace in the plenum of the ductwork. When the air conditioning system is in action warm or hot air is drawn from the return air grills in the home into the furnace through the blower and the heat is absorbed into the refrigerant gases in the A/C system the gases expand and are pumped out in pressured lines to the condenser unit outside where a large fan extracts the heat and compresses the gases to nearly a liquid and very cold state, the manipulated refrigerant gases are then sent back to the evaporator coils above the furnace and cold air is pushed into the supply side of the furnace system. The warm air from the return side of the furnace system is again absorbed by the refrigerant gases and the process starts over again.


Before Starting your air conditioning system up for the season there are a few things that you should do for preventative maintenance. (more…)

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Posted in Air Conditioning | 1 Comment »

Quick Tips to Improve Indoor Air Quality in Your Home

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
Indoor Air Quality

Indoor Air Quality

We spend up to 90% of our time indoors and more than half of the population in North America suffery for at least one allergy. Spring and Summer are the worst time of the year for people who suffer from any allergies, so this year add these tips to your regular spring cleaning regimen to help eliminate the needless suffering.

1. Before you enter your home brush off your clothes and shoes to remove any pollen spores and debris that you may picked up during the day.

2. During hot Summer days where the humidity levels can rise up over 80% in the home the perfect weapon against both the hot air and the poor indoor air quality due to high humidity levels is the Air Conditioning System. A good Air Conditioning system will keep the home in the 30 – 40% humidity range eliminating molds and forcing the air to run through the furnaces air filters. If your home is not equipped with Air Conditioning then a portable Air Conditioner will still decrease the humidity levels in the home. (more…)

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Posted in Air Purifiers, Allergies, Indoor Air Quality, Mold, Sick Building Syndrome | 1 Comment »

Lifebreath TFP Air Cleaner

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
Lifebreath TFP Air Cleaner

Lifebreath TFP Air Cleaner

Indoor Air Quality is a major concern for many people who suffer from allergies or asthma. Last week I installed one of our best Indoor Air Quality warriors in the Lifebreath TFP air cleaner.

My customer was faced with breathing problems that caused her to cough constantly when in the comfort of her own home. She called our company to have the furnace duct cleaning service performed and ask what other steps she could take to improve the indoor air quality in her home.

This is a fairly new home but has never had the furnace system cleaned in its five year existence. First we preformed our Viper cleaning method to insure that all the debris would be removed from the system. Next we removed the the drum humidifier that was never cleaned and full of mold and calcium buildup and not providing much humidity to the home, we replaced this with our Generalaire SL-16 Flow Thru Humidifier. After removing the sources of the poor indoor air quality we installed the best air cleaning system available today in the Lifebreath TFP air cleaner. (more…)

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Posted in Air Purifiers, Allergies, Furnace Filters, Indoor Air Quality, Mold, Sick Building Syndrome | 2 Comments »

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