Duct Cleaning | Furnace Cleaning

By Dave Trosdahl on April 16th, 2008

If you are a homeowner you are most likely in the “spring clean-up mode”, if not, I bet you will be soon. As the temperatures start getting back to normal and the old furnace gets a break, most people start thinking about spring cleaning and how they can get some fresh air back into the house.

Spring Cleaning Includes the Air Ducts too!

In addition to cleaning up the yard, washing windows and shampooing carpets, don’t forget about your home’s heating and air conditioning system. As one of the most important…and most expensive… appliances in your home, the ductwork is just begging to be cleaned! If you think about it, the furnace has been forcing musty, stale air through the cold air return, past the furnace filter and back into your home through your air vents all winter long. And for $1.50 at the local home depot, don’t expect that furnace filter to stop too much in the way of dust and dirt. Your furnace is designed to be cleaned frequently (yearly according to manufacturer recommendations), and not to be dependent soley upon a cheap little furnace filter.

Want Fresh Air - Clean the Air Vents

If it’s fresh air you want, consider duct cleaning as one of the top items on your list. Most companies offer a $99 Philly Duct Cleaning Special and as long as they are a reputable firm, it’s well worth the money. Chances are, you will save that back in the first few months running your a/c since your furnace won’t need to work so hard to blow cool air through the air ducts. For more duct cleaning facts read; “Twin Cities Duct Cleaning Facts” and you might want to read; “Is routine Duct Cleaning a Good Choice?“

Good luck with the spring clean-up!

Time to Change Your Furnace Filter?

By Dave Trosdahl on January 6th, 2008

Here’s a question we are asked all the time; “How often do I need to change my furnace filter?”. While there are many factors involved, a good rule of thumb is to change your furnace filter every month. here are some of the factors to consider when deciding how often you should change the furnace filter in your home:

• Is your house dusty? - A house with dirty air ducts will blow dust and dirt around the house and will ultimately assist in plugging up the filter faster. If it’s been a while since you had your air ducts cleaned, play it safe and get them cleaned.
• Do you have pets? Cats and dogs are notorious for shedding hair which will eventually find it’s way into your heating and cooling system.
• How often does your furnace run? If you live in Minneapolis or New York City, chances are your furnace will run a lot more than if you live in Atlanta.  On the other hand, the people that live in Atlanta will run their A/C a lot more than the folks who live in the northern climates.
• Are you bothered by allergies? You might be tempted to go out and purchase a HEPA filter, but be prepared to pay for it twice! Not only will you pay more for it and still have to replace it every 6 months or so, your furnace will be required to work much harder to draw air through the filter.
• If you have an electrostatic furnace filter you will need to wash it as recommended by the manufacturer.

No matter what you decide, remember that if there is a forced air system in the home or office the filter must be changed regularly and duct cleaning should be considered as a part of routine home maintenance. Doing so will help insure that your family is breathing cleaner air and your heating/cooling system is not overworking.

Home Energy Saving Tips From Washington

By Dave Trosdahl on September 19th, 2007

Here are 5 energy saving tips from Energy Ideas Clearing House based in Washington. They have many tips from using the right light bulbs to refrigeration savings. We have published the ones directly related to Heating and cooling.

Home Energy Saving Tips.

To read all of the home energy savings tips (even those unrelated to your heating and cooling system) visit energyideas.org. Additionally, you might want to search the entire Duct-911.com website for many heating and cooling, dryer vent cleaning tips and air duct cleaning tips.

A Few Tips to Keep Your Furnace & A/C Running Efficiently

By Dave Trosdahl on September 8th, 2007

With winter quickly approaching, here are a few tips to help you keep your heating and cooling system running at its most efficient level:

• Keep your thermostat at a constant temperature, even when no one is home.
• Change the pleated filters inside your furnace every month or as required.
• If you have an electronic filter, keep it clean. When dirty, it can create ozone and irritate allergies.
• Check the outside condensing system regularly for any grass clippings or leaves stuck to the coil.
• Have the system serviced every spring & fall by a reputable HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) service company.

Following these simple steps should help keep your home more comfortable and your utility bills lower.

Is Your HVAC System Wasting Money? - Steps to Save Energy

By Dave Trosdahl on April 21st, 2007

Whether you are concerned about rising energy costs, or simply wanting to do your part in conserving energy, here are some tips that will help you conserve energy:

• Switch from incandescent bulbs to high efficiency and florescent bulb
• Clean your HVAC system - clean air ducts, a-coils, furnace filters, air conditioners and the furnace
• Adjust room temperature according to season
• Evaluate energy usage when no one is home
• Make sure all equipment is functioning as designed
• Install weather stripping around doors and windows

These are just a few pointers, some of which are discussed in the San Diego Source’s article ‘30 Easy Ways to Save Energy’:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the real estate management industry can reduce energy usage by up to 30 percent simply by improving building operating standards. If a 1 million-square-foot portfolio can reduce its energy consumption by just 10 percent, it would be the environmental equivalent of removing almost 5,000 cars off the road for one year.

Energy efficiency is easy — and doesn’t require significant capital expenditures to make a big difference in your operating expenses. Use this checklist to reduce the need for unscheduled maintenance and to make sure that you’re saving all you can. Start with the lowest cost efforts and use cumulative dollars saved to invest in larger improvements…

Elinimate Odors and Contaminents by Cleaning Your Air Ducts

By Dave Trosdahl on April 21st, 2007

It seems that nowadays everyone is concerned with indoor air quality. What many people do not realize is that the air they breathe has had to travel through dirty and oftentimes, contaminated air ducts.

James Dulley, a writer for The Arizona Republic of Cincinnati, OH, writes; ‘A clean HVAC system does operate more efficiently and uses less energy. Although it is commonly referred to as “duct cleaning,” it is important to have the entire system cleaned. This includes the furnace and air-conditioner blower, heat exchanger/coils and drain pans in addition to the ductwork.’…

We couldn’t agree more. All too often consumers think that simply changing their furnace filter and buying an air purifier will solve their air quality concerns. this is seldom the case. Generally, the best solution is a thorough air duct cleaning, sanitizing and furnace maintenance.

For more information on air duct cleaning visit our site at www.Duct-911.com or call us directly at 651-653-4704.

Spring Home Maintenance Tips

By Dave Trosdahl on April 20th, 2007

Here are some home maintenance tips we thought you might find helpful. While the author doesn’t adress air duct cleaning, they have some very good general cleaning tips.

These tips were posted by Burnaby NewsLeader, 4/19/07:

Here’s a list of things that homeowners need to complete and then check off.

Start by replacing or cleaning your furnace filter. Ideally it should be checked once a month and replaced or cleaned when necessary. Don’t forget some filters do not need to be replaced, but only cleaned with a vacuum or washed. If the filter gets dirty it lowers the efficiency of your heating and cooling system, increases heating costs and can cause a fire…