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Be Energy-Wise with Commercial Duct Cleaning and Maintenance Process

by | Sep 27, 2019 | air conditioner, Air Duct Cleaning, Duct Cleaning

From purchasing the right commercial HVAC system for your building to keeping up with a smart air duct cleaning process, there are many steps you can take to make sure that your system is as energy-efficient as possible. Here are a few cleaning and maintenance tips you should keep in mind to keep your system operating in peak form:

  • A set of dirty and dusty air filters Rid yourself of the “set it and forget it mentality”: On the one hand, if you’ve done your homework and selected the right HVAC equipment for your building, you won’t need to worry about that equipment on an ongoing basis. For instance, putting in the time upfront and make sure you have an appropriately sized air conditioning system that can handle the load of your building will save you from a lot of headaches down the road. On the other hand, a truly “energy-wise” system is one that is cared for and maintained with regularity. Instead of getting into a “set it and forget it” funk, opt to put together a maintenance plan for your system as part of the installation and setup process.
  • Stay up to date on maintenance: Ideally, you should have your HVAC system inspected twice each year—once in the fall and once in the spring. That way, you can know that your heating and cooling systems are working correctly ahead of their respective peak seasons. The last thing you want is to have your air conditioning system break down in the peak of summer, or to have the same thing happen with your heating system in the winter. A qualified HVAC contractor will conduct a thorough inspection of all the parts and components of your system. If anything is affecting the efficiency or performance of your system, they will be able to tell you and fix it before it becomes a bigger problem. Some maintenance tasks are even things you can do in-house, such as changing out the filters.
  • Don’t forget the air duct cleaning process: Regular air duct cleaning is an integral part of the HVAC maintenance process that often goes overlooked. When it comes to air ducts, an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality often takes root. It’s easy to assume your ducts are fine when you aren’t actually looking at them. In truth, though, air ducts tend to accumulate a lot of debris over just a few months. Dust, dirt, pollen, pet hair, dead skin cells, mold, mildew, other allergens: all this stuff can find its way into your ducts, where it recirculates with the air repeatedly. These contaminants can affect the quality of the air in your building, exacerbating allergies or causing respiratory issues for the people who live or work on the premises. Also, having all this junk in your air ducts impedes airflow and gets in the way of your air conditioner or heating system doing its job. Your HVAC system will need to work that much harder to push air through clogged vents and ducts, elevating energy usage and increasing your utility bills. For these reasons, a regular air duct cleaning process is essential for maintaining an energy-efficient HVAC system. HVAC experts recommend an air duct cleaning every year or two to keep your system running in peak form.
  • Watch (and listen) for warning signs: Regular maintenance of your HVAC system should prevent breakdowns or any other major, unforeseen issues. With that point made, though, it’s still important to be vigilant about watching (and listening) for signs that there might be something wrong with your system. Is the air coming out of your vents not as warm or as cold as you think it should be? Has the system been turning on and off more regularly than usual? Does the system seem oddly loud? Keep an eye and an ear out for these and other HVAC concerns that might indicate a problem with your system.

Dust Mites in your HVAC Ducts

Remember that regular system maintenance and air duct cleaning are smart investments to keep your system running better for longer. While it may sound expensive to schedule annual duct cleanings and twice-annual system inspections, the fact is that staying up to date on your maintenance will always cost less than repairing a breakdown or replacement an essential piece of HVAC equipment. Service visits won’t cost much in the grand scheme of things but will save you a lot of money and headache in the long run.

Even if your system is old and has gone past the point where regular maintenance is a worthwhile use of money and time, you should work with your preferred HVAC contractor to pick out and install the right heating and cooling equipment for your building. An improperly sized system will struggle to keep your building at the optimal temperature, will work harder and less efficiently to do so, and will ultimately have a shorter life. Different systems will also have different Energy Star ratings, which indicate efficiency. Picking out the right system—and then establishing a smart maintenance and air duct cleaning process—will enable you to get the most value possible out of your purchase.

Prevent The Spread Of Bacteria With Commercial Duct Cleaning

by | Jun 24, 2019 | Air Conditioning, Air Duct Cleaning, Duct Cleaning

Every business wants to provide a welcoming atmosphere for its clients, customers, and staff. Obvious ways to do this include creating a warm space that’s visually appealing and offering snacks or beverages in a waiting area. While business owners often recognize that air temperature control is an integral part of comfort, the thought rarely extends past keeping the building cool in the summer and warm in the winter. What business owners tend to forget is that clean air ducts play a role in keeping your visitors and employees healthy.

The most significant cause of problems related to air quality is bacteria. It often develops as a result of an already-existing issue within your ducts, but given enough time, every HVAC system will face this challenge. The only solution is to be proactive. Don’t wait for bacterial spread to reveal itself through its effect on your guests and personnel. Instead, invest in commercial duct cleaning to stop the problem before it starts. Continue reading below to learn about some of the common causes of bacterial spread, the ways it manifests, and how duct cleaning prevents the problem from coming back.

How Bacteria Accumulates in Your Ductwork

commercial duct cleaningThere are several potential causes of bacteria in your ductwork. These include:

  • Biological Matter – As much as people generally think this is an issue for animals only, even people shed skin cells and hair over time. Months or years of customers passing through, people scratching their heads, and the air currents bringing the residue through your registers accumulate. It doesn’t seem like much, but this is food for bacteria and can be the start of an undesired culture blooming in your ducts. 
  • Pests – Even the cleanest businesses occasionally have unwanted visitors, especially true in urban centers where unclean neighbors can make the problem significantly worse. Much like the biological matter mentioned above, pests drop feces and eventually die, so they become breeding grounds for mold and bacteria. 
  • Mold – The risk of mold is closely tied to bacterial issues. While they sometimes conflict with each other, the presence of either one is a significant problem for your HVAC system. Your ductwork’s dark environment is often undisturbed by cleaning solutions and even casual disruption, so mold can build up over time. Once it establishes itself, the problem becomes worse. 
  • Stagnant Systems – Unfortunately, dirty ducts compound the bacterial issue. When dust and debris interrupt a smooth airflow, the air stagnates, and bacteria has an easier time growing. Bacteria growth will first happen in the shadow of the debris, but once the colony has a starting point, it will explode from there.

Regardless of how the bacteria builds up in your system, the solution is the same: you need commercial duct cleaning air-conditioning-services-in-santa-rosa to help you.

Dust Mites in your HVAC Ducts

Common Issues Related to Bacteria in Your Ducts

The signs that you have a bad bacterial issue are unfortunately severe. For healthy individuals, they may only notice an odd scent at first. Depending on the type of mold or bacteria growth, the scents range from being sickly-sweet to something similar to garbage or rotting food. Over time, healthy adults will gradually develop immune reactions to it, experiencing more sneezing, runny noses, and sore throats.

Those with weaker immune systems are in more trouble. They’ll experience what the healthy folks are going through, but they’ll also have worse problems. If someone’s immune system has been compromised by illness, age, or medical treatments, they can even develop pneumonia and serious infections. Due to the possible risks for your patrons and staff, it’s essential that you contract commercial duct cleaning air-conditioning-services-in-santa-rosa well before the issue reaches this point.

How Commercial Duct Cleaning Addresses the Problem

There are three significant ways that professional cleaning can resolve your issues with bacterial growth:

  1. The first step is physically removing your existing mold and bacteria buildup. This initial cleaning is the most important step. Further, bacteria grows faster on top of itself, so by removing the existing colonies, your contractor removes the bacteria’s home base. 
  2. The second way is by removing the various dust and debris that can seed bacterial growth. After the initial infestation has been removed, the periodic removal of dust and biological matter ensures that there’s no new location where the bacteria can thrive. 
  3. The final way is by using antibacterial cleaners in areas that are prone to infestation. The residue from these cleaners is rated to be safe for humans to breathe, but in the physical proximity of the vents themselves, the cleaners create an unwelcoming environment for bacteria.

When you have your ducts professionally cleaned every year or two, you can eliminate any existing bacteria issues and prevent any new ones from arising.

Locating a Quality Contractor to Help Your Business

Once you’ve committed to eliminating and preventing bacterial issues, the next question is who to contact for this. Many companies offer commercial duct cleaning air-conditioning-services-in-santa-rosa, but no two companies are the same. The question of how to determine the best supplier is a serious one and should be given due consideration. We strongly recommend investigating reviews, recommendations, and ratings. When you consider a company, see if any nearby businesses have worked with them, and ask for references. Otherwise, you can use sites such as Yelp to view honest reviews from actual customers. Ultimately, you want a reliable contractor who will work with you to keep your ducts clean for years to come.