Archive for the ‘Duct Cleaning’ Category

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How Robotic Cameras Are Used to Inspect Your HVAC Systems

Tuesday, July 29th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

When you call on a professional company to come to inspect the ductwork for your commercial building, many of them will conduct a simple visual check with a few lights moved around the ventilation shafts. There are far more advanced ways to handle HVAC system inspections today, so when you need to have the ventilation of your building given a thorough examination, call on a company that uses robotic camera technology to take on the job. You will receive a detailed look at your ventilation network that will make sure you know exactly what work needs to be done for the most energy efficiency HVAC system.

Alpha Air Corporation uses the most advanced equipment available for any HVAC system inspection in Minneapolis, MN that we do. Thanks to robotic camera inspection equipment, we can deliver comprehensive views of your ductwork’s integrity. If you feel that you are losing airflow or your building’s heating and cooling power is suffering, call us to take on the inspection work that will give you the answers you need.

Robotic camera inspections

What exactly are these miraculous robot cameras? They are inspection systems that can examine every section of your ductwork while eliminating the possible fallibilities of the human eye. These machines are capable of performing repeated motions the same way every time, and that allows them to scan over the entirety of a duct system without missing any spots. The robot cameras can also reach sections of ductwork that human technicians cannot.

The robots travel through the inside of the ducts, scanning and photographing as they move. The standard robot has two cameras, one forward and one aft. The forward camera records, while the aft camera helps with navigation. Thanks to the cameras, a technician can show a customer a real-time display of the complete ductwork system from the inside.

This robotic equipment reduces the amount of labor involved, since the job no longer requires a technician trying to access all of the outer area of the ductwork (which includes places impossible to reach without building material destruction). The robot simply travels on its way through the ductwork until finishing: a smooth and easy process that results in a complete view of the ventilation system that would otherwise be impossible.

With the robotic HVAC system inspection in Minneapolis, MN available from Alpha Air Corporation, you will have a complete assessment of the building’s ductwork before any job starts. You will have an easier time making the best decisions (with the expert guidance of our staff) about how to care for your HVAC system’s integrity.

Don’t allow your ducts to receive a substandard and fallible inspection: Call Alpha Air Corporation Today! 952.476.4144 or 1-866-PIXLEYS

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Common Tools Used in Duct Sealing

Friday, May 16th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

If you read the title of this posts and the words duct tape immediately came to mind, we’re not surprised. After all, the word “duct” is right in the name. However, duct tape is not designed for ducts. (Actually, it was originally known as duck tape, possibly because duck cloth was used to back it.) Laboratory tests done on duct tape have revealed that it rapidly fails when exposed to the temperature extremes inside a ventilation system and loses its adhesive ability.

Professional duct repair technicians use different tools to close off leaks in ventilation shafts. When you have ductwork with breaks that are affecting your HVAC system’s efficiency and lowering indoor air quality, call for experts with the right equipment to handle the job.

For your duct sealing in Duluth, MN, look to Alpha Air Corporation. We offer many services to protect your indoor air quality and keep your ventilation system in prime shape.

The tools of professional duct sealing

Along with replacement duct material for larger jobs (ductboard, flexible ducts), professionals principally use two tools to close leaks: mastic sealant and metallic tapes.

  • Mastic sealant: This resin-based adhesive can stick to many different surfaces—metal, glass, plastic, ductboard—and dries quickly with a smooth surface to reduce air resistance. Many duct repair technicians favor mastic sealant because it remains flexible even after it dries, and this is helpful for ducts because they expand and contract as the temperature inside them changes. Mastic is also resistant to temperature extremes, making it far superior to brittle duct tape. Duct sealers use a caulking gun to apply mastic onto duct leaks.
  • Metallic tape: There is a type of “duct tape” that professionals use, but it’s nothing like the soft cloth-backed duct tape you find in stores. Tapes made from a variety of metals are a popular choice in duct sealing; some professionals prefer them to mastic sealant. The metallic tapes are effective mechanical fasteners and have high durability, often outlasting mastic sealant. These tapes are usually made from aluminum with an acrylic or butyl adhesive.

For service on your ventilation system, you should rely only on National Air Duct Cleaners of America-certified technicians (NADCA), like those at Alpha Air Corporation. We offer 24-hour emergency service for when you need us, and we will bring the best equipment available to assist us in doing the best job possible for duct sealing in Duluth, MN.

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What are the Stages of Duct Cleaning in the Twin Cities?

Friday, May 2nd, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

Make duct cleaning part of your regular spring cleaning routine. You can attack all the dust and dirt inside your home, and then turn over to professionals the job of attacking all the dust and dirt hidden within your home: inside the ventilation system. After a furnace duct cleaning in the Twin Cities, MN, you will not only have a cleaner home and a more efficient furnace, you will also have cleaner air that reduces allergy symptoms, respiratory problems, skin and eye irritation, and many conditions that will make you sluggish and tired.

We must stress the importance of having professionals handle duct cleaning: the job requires special equipment and knowledge that goes far beyond trying to use a broom and a rag. Duct cleaning technicians must access your entire ventilation network and remove pollutants that resist standard forms of cleaning. To show you the extent of the work involved, we’ll walk through the stages of a typical duct cleaning assignment.

Alpha Air Corporation has more than a decade of experience with quality ductwork cleaning. We use the latest technology to go beyond expectations.

Duct cleaning stages

  • System test: When duct cleaners first arrive at a home, they open the cabinet of the furnace and test the system to see if it operates normally. They then shut down the furnace.
  • Accessing the vents: The cleaners detach the blower unit from the furnace—the fan that sends air through the heat exchanger and then into the ducts—so they can have direct access to the ductwork.
  • Vacuuming: The technicians don’t use any ordinary vacuum for this job, but a high-power vacuum that changes the pressure throughout the ventilation system. The cleaners cut a hole into the main duct coming from the blower and seal one end of the vacuum onto it. The vacuum puts the system under “negative pressure” to agitate contaminants from the walls. Then its powerful suction collects the debris.
  • Rotary brushes: To provide deeper cleaning in other areas, the technicians use powered rotary brushes on long cables to reach inside vents and loosen any dirt and dust the power vacuum may have missed.
  • Deodorizing and sanitizing: Alpha Air Corporation can also supply a special safe sanitizing agent to ductwork that leaves behind no active chemical residue and has low toxicity. Along with cleaning, it also eliminates odors instead of covering them up.
  • Sealing and testing: Once all the cleaning is complete, the technicians seal the ducts and re-attach the blower motor to the furnace. They perform a final test to make sure there are no air leaks anywhere in the system.

Alpha Air Corporation can provide the furnace duct cleaning in the Twin Cities, MN that will make your ducts like new. We have experience that ranges from the simplest small house duct cleaning to full ventilation restoration from fire damage. Put our skills and tools to work for your home. Schedule a service appointment today.

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Purpose of Air Filters in Your Heating and Air Conditioning System

Tuesday, April 8th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

Your heating air conditioning (or HVAC) system is a complicated piece of equipment, requiring a number of different components to function in sync. When something goes wrong, it can sometimes shut down the entire system, but more often, the issue can simply linger and leach efficiency out of your system. The longer it goes, the more it costs you in higher monthly bills and the more damage it can cause to your components. A more serious breakdown rarely arrives overnight. It builds up over time. That’s the purpose of air filters in your heating and air conditioning system. In towns with wide temperature fluctuations like Maple Grove, MN, filter change out is very important. Why? Read on for the answers.

Alpha Air Corporation is waiting to lend you a hand with replacing your old air filters. Give us a call if you have any questions or concerns!

The air filter removes dust and debris from the equation. As air passes through the filter, contaminants get trapped by it and thus fail to move into the HVAC system itself. Basic filters do a good job with larger particles, while electromagnetic filters can remove all but the tiniest pieces of dust and debris. Basic filters need to be changed out every few months in order to stay efficient, while higher-end filters require maintenance a repair periodically just like the other components in your system.

Either way, filters keep dirt out of the system, which is a vital purpose. A cleaner HVAC system means less friction on individual components, reducing stress on them and helping them last longer. It also means that dirt won’t clog burners or build up in larger amounts to reduce air flow. Nor will it get passed through the ducts in your system to reduce air quality throughout your house.

The purpose of air filters in your heating and air conditioning system won’t mean much without regular maintenance from a qualified professional. You need to replace the filters often, but you also need to conduct other bits of routine “sprucing up” to ensure that the unit functions as normal. In Maple Grove, MN, filter change-out and maintenance services are all the more important in light of our muggy summers and cold winters. Fortunately, Alpha Air Corporation offers HVAC service plans to keep your system running in top condition. Give us a call to sign up today.

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Fire Restoration Services in Duluth

Friday, March 21st, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

A house fire is a devastating event for any family, and it leaves behind not only physical scars on property, but emotional ones as well. Although there’s very little that can be done about the traumatic effect a house fire has on people, there is plenty that can be done to restore and remedy the physical damage. With proper fire restoration services, you can have the important ventilation system of your home repaired, cleaned, and restored to its former condition.

Don’t wait for the clean-up process to begin before contacting a professional fire restoration service. Contact Alpha Air Corporation right away for quality air duct cleaning in Duluth, MN, and we’ll start to work making your life in the wake of the fire much easier.

Why You Need Fire Restoration for Your Ventilation

First, restoration may be insurance-mandated. Your fire coverage might require that you use a professional restoration contractor to clean up the fire damage.

Second, professional restoration will keep you safe from additional damage. A home with fire damage requires delicate work to avoid creating further collapse. Restoration experts are familiar with how to avoid causing more injury as they do their job.

Third, you need to have the most thorough cleansing of your ducts possible, or else you will continue to circulate toxic debris from the fire through your home after you move back in. Regular duct cleaning cannot eliminate the residue that a fire will leave behind; it requires restorationists.

What Happens in Fire Restoration for Ventilation Systems

Fire restoration experts use special cleaners to remove the damage that fire inflicts on a ventilation system. They remove soot and smoke deposits, a job that requires a great deal of technical knowledge because there are different types of fire damage and each needs a different approach to properly clean it. Wet residue is the most difficult to remove, while the powder left over from dry residue is much simpler. Protein residue is harder to detect, but restoration experts will focus on locating and cleaning it.

The professionals will use special cleaning and sanitizing agents on the ducts that won’t leave behind any toxic chemicals and which will eliminate odors.

Call Alpha Air Corporation for Fire Restoration

We do sincerely hope that you will never need to call us for fire restoration in Duluth, MN. However, know that we are here when you need us, and will make a commitment to providing you high quality service that will make this time less stressful for you. Before you make any other plans after the fire, call Alpha Air Corporation.

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3 Ways Commercial Duct Cleaning Improves Your Bottom Line

Wednesday, February 19th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

When you examine the expenses for your business to determine areas where you can reduce spending and improve the bottom line, “duct cleaning” might not be an additional expense you want to add. We understand why you might think this: ducts are usually an “out of sight, out of mind” part of a workplace, and people rarely give them much consideration.

However, your bottom line can improve with the addition of regular duct cleaning. We’ll show you three ways that investing in cleaning from commercial duct cleaning specialists can save you money.

And who can you call for quality commercial duct cleaning in Minneapolis, MN? We humbly suggest Alpha Air Corporation. We specialize in commercial ductwork and have NADCA-certified technicians on staff to make sure you receive the most thorough cleaning available and receive the benefits below.

Ways duct cleaning will save money

  • Less strain on your HVAC system: Minneapolis has extremely cold winters and warm summers; your HVAC system will probably stay on most of the year, and you’ll see it as a major expense on your budget. If the ducts are dirty, it will impair the flow of air through the ducts with a heavy coast of dust, and this will put strain on the system to make it work harder. And that means… higher bills. Duct cleaning will give your HVAC system the easiest airflow possible.
  • Fewer repairs for your HVAC system: Since commercial HVAC systems see heavy use, they often require repairs to restore them. Many of these repairs are avoidable with duct cleaning. A dirt contamination in the ducts will quickly lead to dirt infiltrating the cabinets of your heater/air conditioner, and this significantly increases the chance of damage that will lead to repairs.
  • Happier employees and customers: A cleaner workplace means more productive employees. A better business environment means happier customers. You can encounter problems with this if you have dirty ducts, because it will make work environment dirtier, plus it can create health problems: asthma, skin and eye irritation, coughing, dizziness… all of which will seriously impair attention and lower worker effectiveness. Duct cleaning will help give you the productive and profitable ideal workspace you need.

When should you schedule duct cleaning?

If more than a year has passed since you last had duct cleaning for your business, that’s more than enough time for dust and other contamination to build-up and create problems. Businesses should have yearly duct cleaning for the best results. Schedule your duct cleaning today and make it part of your calendar each year.

Call Alpha Air Corporation and talk to our Minneapolis, MN duct cleaning specialists. You can learn more about how your bottom line will benefit from our commercial duct cleaning services.

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The Benefits of Furnace Duct Cleaning

Sunday, February 16th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

Your furnace depends on a network of sealed ducts to carry the heated air from its cabinet all the way to the vents while losing as little air pressure as possible. Because of the tight sealing along ductwork, it’s hard for the dust that starts to gather inside to escape; eventually, you’ll end up with contaminated ducts causing you numerous problems. To combat this problem, schedule regular cleaning for your furnace’s ducts. This is a job that requires professionals and special equipment to properly access the ductwork interior.

For expert furnace duct cleaning in the Twin Cities, MN, you should contact Alpha Air Corporation. We have NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association) certified technicians and 30 years in the duct cleaning business.

How furnace duct cleaning benefits you:

  • Improved indoor air quality: The hidden places in your ducts will start to develop dust and dirt, as well as dander and hair that can trigger allergies. Other contaminants can start in ducts that will enter the air you breathe inside your home and cause an increase in health risks. Cleaner ducts mean higher quality air and improved health for you and your family.
  • Improved furnace performance: The forced air from a furnace’s blower needs to have as little resistance as possible to move efficiently along the ducts all the way to the vents. Dirt and dust layers will create more friction, which will in turn put more stress on the furnace. This will lead to your energy bills increasing as the furnace struggles to reach its normal performance level, and it will also cause the system to prematurely age.
  • Improved home cleanliness: The dust that gets blown out from a dirty system of ducts will not only damage the quality of the air you breathe, it will also spread throughout your home’s carpets and furnishings. With dirty ductwork, you can sweep and clean continuously and still have a dusty house.

When you call Alpha Air Corporation for furnace duct cleaning in the Twin Cities, MN, you receive comprehensive cleanings that goes beyond just cleaning your ductwork: we will also inspect blowers and air filtering equipment, and apply our safe decontaminating and sanitizing agent that will present no health hazards to you or your family. We can also tackle more serious ductwork contamination such as mold and microbacteria. Call us today for better health, energy savings, and a cleaner home.

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What Can I Expect to Find in My Ductwork?

Sunday, December 15th, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

The ducts connected to your air conditioning (and your heater, if you use a furnace) are not only important for delivering comfort to your home; they are vital for maintaining your indoor air quality. If they stay clean, you should have few troubles with the quality of your air. But as the ducts gradually pick up contaminations—which they will—it will lead to pollutants infiltrating your home, not only threatening the air you breathe, but making your house dirtier. You should schedule regular air duct cleaning in Minneapolis, MN so you have the healthiest and cleanest house possible.

Alpha Air Corporation handles duct cleaning jobs both large and small, from major corporate buildings to your cozy home.

If you have contaminants in your ducts, we can get rid of them and give you pristine, safe ductwork again.

Pollutants you might find in your ducts

  • Dust and dirt: It’s almost impossible to avoid having dust settle inside ducts. It will enter through the vents, and without any other escape along the sealed ductwork, it starts to gather and build up. If the filter on your AC becomes clogged (you should change it once a month) the infestation of dirt will worsen. Almost all ducts benefit from a yearly cleaning just to eliminate dirt.
  • Mold and other microbacteria: When humid weather strikes in Minnesota, mold and other biological growths can turn into a problem inside hidden, dark places like ducts. Professionals use special sanitizers to safely remediate mold and prevent its return.
  • Other allergens: Pollen, dander, and animal hair are among the many other contaminants that can enter your ducts and cause allergic reactions in people inside the house. Sawdust from other construction projects are often trapped inside ducts as well.
  • Animals and animal byproducts: Small animals sometimes enter ducts and use them as nests and lairs. They can leave behind carcasses, leaves and sticks, and waste products. This can create terrible odors inside your home and lead to health problems. Because you have limited access to your ducts, it requires professionals to get rid of these pests and anything they may have left behind.

Duct cleaning specialists have you covered

Professionals like those at Alpha Air Corporation use numerous tools to give you the cleanest ducts possible: camera inspections, sanitizers, deodorizers, power vacuums, rotary brushes. These will clean your ducts without damaging them—and without leaving harmful chemicals behind. Our technicians are NADCA-certified to assure you of their skill and training. We promise 100% satisfaction with our residential air duct cleaning in Minneapolis.

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How a Professional Cleans Ducts

Friday, November 22nd, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

You should schedule duct cleaning in Minnesota annually. It only takes a year for dust, dirt, debris, and even less welcome contaminants to build up inside your home’s ductwork. If you leave the ducts without regular cleaning, it will lead to a negative impact on your indoor air quality, spread dust across your furnishings, and cause your HVAC system to work harder and wear down faster.

Duct cleaning should stay in the domain of professionals. You don’t have the tools or the access to your ducts that will allow you to clean them effectively—and neither will any amateur who offers to do the job for “a bargain” (it won’t be a bargain if your ducts receive damage and they get even dirtier because of it). Contact experienced duct cleaners like those at Alpha Air Corporation.

The professional way to clean your ducts

The contamination inside ductwork is both harder to reach and more difficult to cleanse than the dirt you encounter in places like your kitchen or bathroom. Professionals use a variety of special equipment to access the interior of the ducts and remove pollutants.

Two important pieces of equipment duct cleaners use are power vacuum systems and rotary brushes. The power vacuums are much more effective at drawing in dust and debris than any commercial system, and they use long hoses that can snake safely through your ducts. The vacuums place large sections of the air ducts under negative pressure, which helps dislodge contaminants. Rotary brushes connected to air compressors remove caked-in dirt from the walls of the ducts without damaging the ductwork itself. The brushes also run along lengthy cables to reach deep inside the ductwork system.

To make sure the ducts receive complete cleansing, professional duct cleaners use powerful deodorizers and sanitizers to eliminate bacteria and other growth. These special sanitizers take care of the pollutants without posing any danger to you or the rest of your household.

For serious cases of mold in the ducts—unfortunately a common problem in Minnesota—professionals will use UV germidical lights to eliminate the problem. These lamps destroy the cellular structure of bacteria using ultraviolet light. This also discourages the microbacteria from returning.

Leave it to Alpha Air Corporation

At Alpha Air Corporation, we are concerned about your indoor air quality. When you hire us to perform your annual duct cleaning, you can trust that we won’t use chemicals that will leave toxic hazards in your home. We use a special sanitizing agent with a low toxicity rating from the EPA (Category III) that contains no active chemical residue or volatile chemical to leave behind.

We take the same level of care with all parts of your duct cleaning. When you’re ready for cleaner living through cleaner ducts, contact Alpha Air Corporation today.

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Why Are My Heater’s Ducts So Dirty?

Friday, November 8th, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

Ducts help to distribute hot or cool air from a central HVAC system throughout your home. Once the heater creates the warn air, a blower sends it into your ducts, which move it throughout the home safely and efficiently. We see their use every day during our cold Minnesota winters, and in towns like Woodbury MN, heater duct cleaning becomes as much a part of home maintenance as vacuuming and changing the light bulbs. Ducts get dirty, after all, and if you don’t clean them then the very system that distributes heat throughout your home can spread dust and debris as well. “How do my ducts get dirty?” you ask. The answers say a lot about the need to keep them clean.

Dust gathers on any appliance, especially when it sits unused for a significant portion of the year. Minnesota summers are often hot and muggy, and we have little use for our heaters during that time. It’s easy for dust and debris to accrue in the system itself, as well as in the duct system. As air circulates throughout your home, it pulls dust along with it, distributing it throughout the ducts. Eventually, the build-up is so great it can affect your health: irritating your nose and throat, and triggering allergy attacks in those susceptible to them.

Dust and dirt build-up gets worse if you don’t change your heater’s air filters. They keep contaminants out of the system and reduce the frequency which you need a maintenance session for your heater. The frequency with which you should replace your filters varies – anywhere from once a month to twice a year – but should go up if you have a lot of pets or a family member who suffers from allergies.

For answers to questions like “how do my heaters ducts get dirt?” and for other Woodbury, MN duct cleaning services, contact the experts at Alpha Air Corporation. We understand the needs of most heating systems and provide high-quality repair services as well as maintenance sessions to clean every inch of your ducts. Pick up the phone and give us a call today.

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