Alberta | Fort McMurray Furnace Cleaning Blog

Posts Tagged ‘alberta’

Fort McMurray Alberta

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

“Fort McMurray Alberta”

Fort McMurray is a community within the “Wood Buffalo Region” of Alberta Canada. Located about 450KM North of Edmonton Alberta, Fort McMurray is the largest community in Northern Alberta’s Wood Buffalo district.

If you plan on coming out West to take part in the oil boom you can expect long Summer days and what seems like never ending Winter nights. The job market has dropped in the past few months but is still one of the best markets in North America.

Major oil production surrounds Fort McMurray with large companies such as Suncor, Albian Sands and Syncrude setting up shop in the Athabasca Oil Sands. A good starting point if you are looking for work is www.fortmcmurrayonline.com

If you plan on driving to Fort McMurray you will have to get on Hiway 63 as it is the only hiway between Edmonton and Fort McMurray, be very careful. Highway 63 has been called the highway of death and has one of the largest fatality rates of any highway in Canada.

Fort McMurray has a reputation of being a rough town made for the tough oil sands industry but what you will really find is a fast growing community of family’s with a healthy economy, great school systems and plenty of recreational activities for every interest.

If you do decide to join us in Fort McMurray, welcome. I hope you find more then just a good job here, I hope you find a home.

Tags: alberta, fort mcmurray
Posted in fort mcmurray | 1 Comment »

Dryer Vent Close to Igniting!

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

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.

Tags: alberta, chimney cleaning, Dryer Vent Cleaning, fort mcmurray, viper cleaning
Posted in Dryer Vent Cleaning | 1 Comment »

The Facts about Dust Mites

Sunday, May 17th, 2009

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…)

Tags: alberta, allergens, Allergies, canada, dust mites, fort mcmurray, Furnace duct Cleaning
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

Tags: alberta, canada, Furnace duct Cleaning, HVAC, Sick Building Syndrome
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

Tags: Air Conditioning, alberta, fort mcmurray, Furnace and duct cleaning, SEER
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?

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…)

Tags: 3M filters, alberta, electrostatic filters, fort mcmurray, Furnace duct Cleaning, Furnace Filters, MERV
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

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…)

Tags: alberta, Dryer Vent Cleaning, fort mcmurray, furnace cleaning, viper system
Posted in Air Purifiers, Dryer Vent Cleaning | 1 Comment »

Dryer Vent Plugged

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Over the weekend I had many furnace duct cleaning jobs and during our Spring promotion we are offering a free dryer vent cleaning with the Furnace duct cleaning service. During one call I found a dryer vent that had never been cleaned and the home owner was not aware that cleaning the dryer vent at least one per year is a recommended fire hazard prevention method.

This dryer vent was barely moving any air and was about 75% plugged over, the dryer was very hot and the plastic ribbed dryer venting had signs of melting in places. I showed this to the customer before I went outside and cleaned the venting using a reverse skipper method with high pressure air.

I had the customer come outside to view the large amounts of lint that was being removed from the venting as the customer stood there in shock. “I had no idea” said the customer as I assured him that most customers do not realize how much lint is built up in the dryer venting so I decided to offer a few tips to home owners about dryer venting.

1. Lint traps only remove about 75% of the lint that builds up during the drying cycle, the remainder is dispossed of out the venting. (more…)

Tags: alberta, Dryer Vent Cleaning, fort mcmurray, Furnace duct Cleaning
Posted in Dryer Vent Cleaning | 2 Comments »