Posts Tagged ‘Furnace duct Cleaning’

Heating Fort McMurray

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

Here in Fort McMurray, which is located in Northern Alberta Canada heating your home is a major concern as temperatures can drip below -50 in the dead of winter.

Fort McMurray is lucky to have many heating and air conditioning companies that service the local residents as well as our booming oil industry. Here are a few of the local companies and contact numbers:

Fort mcmurray Plumbing & Heating Ltd
www.fmplumbing.ca (780) 743-2181

Adams Heating
(780) 714-5110

Professional Mechanical Ltd
(780) 743-4877

H & H Plumbing & Heating Ltd
(780) 743-8817

AAA Plumbing Heating Gas Fitting Air Conditioning Refrigeration Ltd
(780) 714-9001

B & K Refrigeration Air Conditioning & Heating Ltd
(780) 790-1474

Alberta Industrial Sheet Metal
(780) 743-2819

Action Imperial Plumbing & Heating
(780) 799-7201

JCS Plumbing & Heating Ltd (FMY)
(780) 598-7261

Alcor Management Inc
www.alcorfacilities.com (780) 743-1343

Here at A-1 Ductworks we are cleaning professionals that have proper knowledge for maintaining your heating and air conditioning systems but if you need repairs or replacements please contact one of the reputable companies from above. If you have excessive dust contact us we are a Fort Mcmurray local company and would be very happy to serve you.

I get asked very often, When is it time to replace my heating system?

My answer comes in the form of questions such as:

1. Is your furnace system more than 10 years old?

If your furnace is more than 10 years old you might want to consider a newer unit for the energy savings alone. Installed correctly, high-efficiency units can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs.

2. Some rooms in your home are too hot or too cold.

Improper equipment operation, duct problems or inadequate insulation could be the cause.

3. Your home has humidity problems.

Poor equipment operation, inadequate equipment, and leaky ductwork can cause the air to be too dry in the winter or too humid in the summer.

4. Your home has excessive dust.

Leaky ducts can pull particles and air from attics, crawl spaces and basements and distribute them throughout your house. Sealing your ducts and having the system professionally duct cleaned may be a solution.

5. Your score on the Home Energy Yardstick is below five.

I hope that these tips help you make your decision to replace or just properly maintain your fort mcmurray heating system this year and keep warm during the upcoming heating season.

That means your energy use at home is above average and you’re probably paying more than you need to on energy bills.

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Posted in Furnace duct Cleaning, HVAC, fort mcmurray | Comments Off

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 »

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 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…)

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Posted in Dryer Vent Cleaning | 2 Comments »

Furnace Duct Cleaning Kodiak Fitness Center in Fort McMurray

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Today I was faced with a furnace duct cleaning challenge, Kodiak Fitness in Fort McMurray Alberta had a septic backup and it had flooded the in floor ducting.

I had advised the customer to contact a sump pump company to first draw all the liquid out of the duct system before I start the cleaning process. Duct cleaning a system with in-floor ducting provides challenges that you do not face when cleaning a suspended ducting system, such as access is only available where ever the heat register is located. In a suspended furnace duct system you can make more access holes as required.

The good side of having a in-floor ducting system is there are fewer air leaks in the system which means stronger suction from the vacuum system. Because we have limited access holes we will use a combination of the Duct Brush system and  the Air Viper system to completely clean the duct system. (more…)

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Posted in Furnace duct Cleaning | 1 Comment »