Prolong the Life of Your HVAC Unit with Duct Cleaning Services

The air inside your home might be more polluted than the air outside, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. When air circulates throughout your home, it travels through a series of ducts. This air contains dust, allergens and other microscopic particulates that accumulate in your home’s ductwork. HVAC filters do a good job at trapping the debris if you change them as often as the manufacturer recommends. However, air leaks, maintenance neglect or dusty projects (i.e., home remodeling) can cause dust, mold, pollen, dander, allergens and other pollutants to build up in ductwork over time. With the help of professional duct cleaning, Portland residents can breathe easier and save on energy costs.

Why Duct Cleaning is Beneficial

• Improve the efficiency of your HVAC system: When dust and debris build up in a home’s ductwork, air doesn’t flow as freely throughout the heating and cooling system. When this occurs, the system has to work harder tomaintain a consistent airflow throughout the home. Dust that accumulates on components such as the blower’s motor fan blades, coils and ducts, can block airflow by up to 40 percent. When an HVAC unit works harder, it uses more energy. As little as 0.042 inches of dust can reduce a furnace’s efficiency by up to 21 percent.
• Extend the life of your heating and cooling system: When an HVAC system works in optimal conditions, it doesn’t exert any extra effort to perform. Conversely, when machinery has to work harder to perform a task, the parts wear prematurely, resulting in frequent repairs.
• Leak detection: When ducts have air leaks, the warm or cool air that’s supposed to go into your home may escape into places that don’t need it, like between the walls. Therefore, to maintain the comfort levels in your home, your HVAC unit has to work harder to compensate for the lost air. While performing duct cleaning, Portland contractors may also inspect the ductwork for energy wasting air leaks or splits.
• Improve the quality of indoor air: Ducts are a treasure trove of allergens. Even if you don’t suffer from allergies, the dust that accumulates may become the perfect environment for bacteria and dust mites. Other items that may lurk in ductwork include dead insects, rodent droppings, cobwebs, dead skin cells, particulates from building materials and mold spores. Learn more on how to improve your indoor air quality here. 

How the Pros Clean Ducts

When you hire a duct-cleaning service, make sure the company holds a certification from the National Air Duct Cleaners Association. Reputable contractors use large trucks with a mounted vacuum system that blasts compressed air at 180 pounds per square inch and sucks at a rate of 15,000 cubic feet per minute.

To complete the job, technicians prepare your home, connect a vacuum hose to your home’s air handler and the air compressor hose the ductwork. The air blasts the debris off the insides of the ducts and the vacuum sucks it into the truck. The process generally takes less than a day to complete. For more duct cleaning resources, click here. 

Duct Cleaning, Portland Residents May Need it When…

• Purchasing a new home
• Musty or unpleasant odors come out of the registers
• There are dead insects, rodent droppings or mold in the ductwork
• Debris, dust bunnies or other particles blow out the registers
• Recently completed a remodeling project or some type of construction in the home
• It’s been more than five years since the last ductwork cleaning
• The HVAC unit receives regular maintenance and is in good shape, but the home seems overly dusty
• The HVAC needs frequent repairs because of dust buildup within the system

Duct cleaning is a vital maintenance service that your home and HVAC system occasionally need. While there are no studies that link a lack of duct cleaning with health problems, there is significant proof that the task can increase the efficiency and longevity of a heating and cooling system. The cost of the professional service more than makes up for itself in the energy saving that you experience and the reduced frequency of repairs. For any further questions or assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Choosing the right furnace for your home or office can be a challenging task . It’s important to understand the basics like different furnace fuel types, different levels of efficiency, and different unit sizes. From there, factors like comfort, aesthetics, and environmental impact are all important to keep in mind when making a decision. Once you know the essentials to make an informed choice, a professional can guide you through the entire installation process. Read our infographic to help you choose the right furnace for your next home or office installation.

 

To view the full size infographic, click on the image, then the magnifying glass.

Regular furnace maintenance is key to keeping it in tip top shape and keeping you warm! Learn the signs that your furnace may need a check up, whether your should repair or replace and how to tell if your furnace is energy efficient. All of this and more is explained in our latest infographic.

Click to view in full size

 

 

How efficient is your furnace?

The winter chill has swept across Portland, and many customers are unaware their furnace is not operating at an optimal level of efficiency.  Our HVAC service pros in Portland share several variables that can affect the efficiency of your furnace:

• Dirty filters and blowers
• Thermostat calibration
• Climate and weather
• Dust and dirt on moving parts
• Water damage
• Old or incorrectly sized units
• Poor insulation

Winter doesn’t mean your electric bill has to be through the roof when you’re just trying to stay warm — Routine maintenance can prevent some of these issues, while others may require minor repairs or replacements. AAA Heating and Cooling can determine what issues are present, and what the best course of action is to solve them.

When dust builds up in a unit it can reduce the efficiency of a furnace. If the fan is dirty, it may not be running properly. If there is a build up of dust in the vents, the heat won’t circulate and properly warm the desired space. People within the space may compensate for the lack of ventilation by turning up the heat. Because of this, the furnace may turn on more frequently and stay on for longer periods of time at a higher temperature. Increasing the heat uses more energy, which increases your monthly bill.

Moisture and humidity, especially in Portland are important factors to consider when improving furnace efficiency. Water can get into small spaces where it can corrode or freeze, and damage components. Since humidity can make the air feel warmer to people, it requires more energy to make the indoor air feel cooler and more comfortable to offset the temperature difference. It also reduces the effectiveness and efficiency of units by interfering with the transition of heat during the cooling cycle. Air-conditioners work harder as outside temperatures increase because the air-conditioning cycle requires the outside temperatures to be lower than the heat being released from the unit.

What should you know about HVAC thermostats?

A thermostat that is not properly calibrated may be satisfied before a system reaches the desired temperature, which can prevent the system from adequately removing sufficient moisture from the air during the cooling mode. The humidity can make air feel hot, sticky, and heavy, and can lead to moisture and mold problems. The inadequate heating and cooling mean the unit may turn on and off more frequently (short-cycling), or run continuously. The stress of short-cycling and continuous use will shorten the life of equipment, and increase your heating and cooling bills.

Turning the temperature down at night, and when no one is home, saves energy by preventing unnecessary heating and cooling. Thermostats may also have an adjustable cycle, which prevents furnaces from frequently turning on and off to try to stabilize the temperature. Programmable thermostats can switch between modes on a set schedule, and adjust to the temperature that is most appropriate for the time of day, so you don’t have to worry about constantly managing the temperature.

There are many ways to improve furnace efficiency. AAA Heating and Cooling can help you keep you warm and save you money by determining how your furnace can be more efficient.