Archive for the ‘Duct Cleaning’ Category

What Are the Benefits of Cleaning Your Furnace Ducts?

Thursday, October 10th, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

When it comes to furnace duct cleaning, Minneapolis residents aren’t usually in a rush to spend a lot of money. Few things are less interesting to purchase than a duct cleaning service, and since your furnace ducts are usually out of sight, it can be very easy to simply write them off in favor of more prominent problems. This can be a mistake; dirty ducts not only cost you money in increased heating bills, but can decrease the quality of your air in the bargain. Dirt is created through a lack of maintenance, though it can sometimes appear when a leak or fissure develops in your ducts.

What are the benefits of cleaning your furnace ducts?

Two of the most important answers can be found below:

  • Better indoor air quality. Dust in the ducts is primarily a concern because it can spread all over your home. When the furnace blows hot air through the ducts to warm your home, it takes that dust along with it. The quality of your air goes down, and your house becomes less comfortable as a result. The air can be drier and harder to breathe. Family members with allergies may find themselves experiencing more frequent attacks. Sensitive people might experience increased irritation in the nose or throat. Cleaning the ducts will eliminate these problems and raise the level of indoor air quality for your whole house.
  • Better heating. Dust and dirt can cause problems when they get caked on heater components. In extreme circumstances, they can also block the flow of air through the ducts, forcing your furnace to work harder and raising your heating bills as a result. None of that is conducive to your heater’s long-term capacity. Duct cleaning can help prevent that, lowering your bills and helping your heater last longer in the bargain.

In the realm of furnace duct cleaning, Minneapolis has an answer: the experts at Alpha Air Corporation. We can explain the benefits of cleaning your ducts, then set up an appointment with courtesy and professionalism. We are dedicated to your complete satisfaction, so don’t hesitate to give us a call today.

How Do My Ducts Get Dirty?

Tuesday, October 1st, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

In Minnesota, going without a heater is not an option—our winters are legendary. Going without a clean and efficient heater shouldn’t be an option either, but many people settle for this. We don’t want you to be one of those homeowners who have a furnace that strains just to blow around low quality air filled with dust and other pollutants. We’ll explain why ductwork gets dirty in the first place to help you better understand why they need cleaning.

Alpha Air Corporation has NADCA certified technicians on staff—that’s the National Air Duct Cleaners Association—so when it comes to St. Paul heater duct cleaning, we should be on the top of your list of contractors to hire.

So how why are my ducts getting dirty?

The most likely culprit for duct contamination is a clogged air filter. Furnaces and heat pumps use filters to trap debris that might damage the internal mechanisms. But filters also prevent those foreign particles from spreading through your ducts. If a filter is not changed regularly, it will get congested with dust and other debris, and dirt will start to build-up in the ducts. Make sure you change the filter once a month during the height of the heating season. If you don’t know how to, you can always hire us to change your filter.

If you’ve recently had construction projects done in your home, pieces of wood and plaster will probably get inside the ducts. It’s a good idea to have a check done on the ductwork after any major construction work to make sure this kind of debris hasn’t infiltrated your heater.

Now to a slightly unpleasant topic: mold and other bacterial contaminants. This is the sort of “dirty” you really don’t want to affect your ducts. Unfortunately, the warm and dark spaces of your ductwork make for a prime breeding growing for this kind of pollution if the ducts aren’t regularly maintained. The good news is that professional duct cleaners have methods that not only get rid of these pests, but keep them from returning.

If you have concerns about dust and dirt and anything else unwanted contaminating your ducts, you should schedule a cleaning before the winter starts. Alpha Air Corporation can do it for you: we not only clean ducts, we also sanitize and deodorize them. If you need mold remediation, we can get that done as well. Contact us now—we’re available 24/7—for your St. Paul heater duct cleaning.

The Benefits of Cleaning Your Ducts Before the Fall Season Arrives

Monday, September 23rd, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

Duct systems travel throughout the length of your home, circulating conditioned air from your central HVAC system to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Over time, dust and other particles can build up in the system, impacting your indoor air quality and forcing your HVAC unit to work harder to do its job. Duct cleaning services can remove the detritus in your system, raising your indoor air quality and helping your system work as efficiently as it can. For duct cleaning in Minneapolis, the change in seasons comes into play as well. Local residents want to take advantage of the benefits of cleaning their ducts before the fall season arrives. What are those advantages, exactly?

A few of the biggest duct cleaning advantages can be found below.

  • Friendly temperatures. Duct cleaning in the fall skips over the heat of the summer (when you need the ducts for your air conditioning system to work) and the cold of winter (when the same thing applies to heat). Temperatures are comparatively mild, and you won’t necessarily miss your HVAC system if it’s out of commission for a short period of time.
  • Pollen and allergens. Summertime in Minnesota means tons of allergens in the air, which can get into your ductwork and create health issues for sensitive members of your family. It gets especially bad in late summer – August and September – when ragweed season wreaks havoc on sensitive residents. The fall is the perfect time to deal with those pesky irritants, when the colors have turned and the allergen levels drop. It prevents allergens from circulating in your home throughout the winter and leaves your ducts clean until spring and summer the following year.
  • Flexibility. Going hand-in-hand with friendly temperatures, duct cleaning in the fall provides flexibility if more thorough repairs are needed. Ducts can spring leaks and develop fissures which cold weather can make worse. While a duct cleaning usually won’t repair such leaks, it can identify them for you, allowing you to schedule a repair session and seal up your system before the snows fall.

If you want to take advantage of the benefits of cleaning your ducts before fall season arrives, contact the professionals of Alpha Air Corporation. We handle duct cleaning in Minneapolis and can schedule an appointment that fits your timetable.

I Have Flexbile Ducts: Is Duct Cleaning Still An Option?

Friday, August 30th, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

If you own a forced-air distribution system, such as a furnace or heat pump, then you depend heavily on the integrity of your ductwork to remove indoor air from your home and to recirculate conditioned air throughout the various sections of the home. But in order to get the most out of your heater or air conditioner, you need to ensure that your ductwork is kept clean at all times. There is simply no other way to ensure that they will be both effective and efficient. Homeowners with flexible ductwork in their homes may be wondering about whether such material can be cleaned. Is duct cleaning an option for flexible ducts? In short, yes. But it ultimately depends on whether you hire a professional heat duct cleaning professional in Duluth, MN to get the job done right.

Cleaning flexible ducts requires a gentler touch and a different set of tools than with normal, sheet metal ductwork. The latter is sturdy and stable, but flexible duct is relatively thin and comprised of corrugated plastic whose rings can begun to accumulate dust and other debris. It can be difficult to get into such areas effectively and thoroughly, which is why attempting to clean your own ducts is inadvisable. Attempting to vacuum them on your own may risk the integrity of the insulation lining the duct as well as the connections.

In order to have your ducts cleaned professionally, you need to ensure that you hire a qualified contractor who knows how to address the unique needs of flexible ductwork, and who can give you an honest appraisal of whether your ducts needs to be cleaned. Because of the low cost of flexible ductwork, there may be cause to replace the ductwork instead of cleaning should the debris accumulation be particularly severe. Look for an HVAC technician who can help advise you on such matters.

At Alpha Air Corporation, we can ensure that your heat duct cleaning service in Duluth, MN is completed thoroughly and properly so that your heating and cooling are restored.

Call us today to schedule a consultation about your ductwork.

Common Air Duct Contaminants Found During Duct Cleaning

Wednesday, August 14th, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

Modern homes are built very air tight in an effort to increase their efficiency. While this is great to maximize efficiency, it can hurt your home’s air quality by allowing many different types of contaminants to build up in your home’s air and ducts. Here at Alpha Air Corporation, we offer complete air duct cleaning in Minneapolis, and so we wanted to share some of the most common contaminants that we come across during our duct cleaning visits.

Air Duct Cleaning in Minneapolis: Common Contaminants

As your air conditioning system operates, it will blow cool air throughout your whole duct system. As it does this, it will also pick up and carry a number of common contaminants with that air. Here are a few of the most common that we see.

  • Dust – Probably the most common contaminant in ducts is dust, which is primarily comprised of dead skin cells. During the winter when the air gets dry, you may see elevated dust levels because of dry skin.
  • Pet dander – If you have pets in your home then you should expect to see lots of pet dander in your ducts.
  • Pollen – During allergy seasons, pollen is a big problem. It can often get trapped in your ducts as well and continue to cause problems as your AC blows it around.
  • Construction debris – Surprisingly, many homes can have a lot of construction debris in them from when the ducts were installed. While this doesn’t have as much impact on air quality, it can certainly affect your home’s efficiency.
  • Insect droppings – During the summer when the weather is hot and humid, insect populations can start to grow—especially dust mites. Their droppings, which are huge allergy triggers, can  get caught in your ductwork and cause problems for your respiratory health.

If you’ve never had air duct cleaning in Minneapolis, make sure that you call the experts at Alpha Air Corporation right away.

How is Duct Cleaning Done?

Wednesday, July 31st, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

Most homeowners don’t give much thought to how well their ducts are performing. But your ducts are actually one of the most important components of your air conditioning system. Make sure that you call the duct cleaning MN experts at Alpha Air Corporations. We have years of experience working with countless customers to help them get more comfortable cooling through duct cleaning. We put together a short explanation of how duct cleaning actually gets done. Give us a call if you’re having any issues with your ducts or your air conditioning system.

Why Is Duct Cleaning Necessary?

We often get asked by our customers about why duct cleaning is important. As your air conditioning operates, it will pull in outside air which could be contaminated with pollen, insect parts and many other pollutants. Also, your home’s air can start to fill up with contaminants like chemicals from cleaning, dust, pet dander, smoke and many others. All of these contaminants can get caught in your home’s ductwork and get recirculated throughout your home.

Duct Cleaning MN: How it’s Done

While some homeowners regularly clean out the registers in their ceiling or floors that come from their AC system, there are still many feet of ductwork that is buried in your floors or ceilings. In order to reach the rest of your ductwork our duct cleaning MN experts will cut holes in your ducts and attach powerful commercial vacuums to the holes. This will allow them to remove the contaminants that might be hiding in the recesses of your ductwork. Once our technicians have thoroughly cleaned out your ducts, they will seal up the holes so that no air can leak out of them.

How to Tell if You Need the Duct Cleaning MN Experts at Alpha Air Corporation

Because your ducts are installed in your ceiling or under your floors, it can be hard to tell if they’re having any issues. But there are a couple things that you can look for which could indicate that your ducts are dirty and need cleaning.

  • More frequent allergy attacks
  • More dust
  • Noises coming from your ducts
  • Odors coming from your ducts

Call the duct cleaning MN technicians at Alpha Air Corporation today for all your air conditioning and duct services.

Why Do You Have to Cut Into My Ducts In Order to Clean Them?

Wednesday, July 17th, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

If you’ve never had your ducts cleaned before then it could come as a surprise when you learn that the technicians will actually have to cut into your ducts in order to properly clean them. At Alpha Air Corporation, we offer complete St Paul duct cleaning service and we often get asked why we have to cut into the ducts. Here is a quick explanation about why we have to do that and then give us a call if you would like to learn more about duct cleaning or to schedule service.

St Paul Duct Cleaning Service: Why Cut Into the Ducts?

When you call for St Paul duct cleaning service, your contractor will use powerful vacuums and cleaning equipment to thoroughly clean out every part of your home’s ducts. Without cutting holes in your ducts, the only point of access for our cleaning equipment would be through the registers in your rooms’ floors or ceilings. But there are still remote areas of your home’s ductwork that aren’t close to those registers. While our equipment is very powerful, even it won’t be able to reach those areas and remove the contaminants that might be there. For that reason, our technicians will customers holes in the ducts which will allow them to thoroughly clean out your home’s entire duct system.

After our technicians are done, they seal up the hoes that they cut so that no air can escape out through the holes.

How to Tell You Need St Paul Duct Cleaning Service

Most home’s ductwork is installed in the ceiling or under the floors which makes it hard to tell if there are any contaminants built up inside. There are a couple things to look for which could indicate that you need to have your ducts cleaned.

  • Strange odors – If you notice that when you run your air conditioning or heating system that it produces a foul odor, it could be from contaminants that are inside your ducts.
  • Aggravated allergies – If you see that you or any of your family members start to have more allergic reactions while they are in your home it could indicate that you have an excess of pollutants like pollen, dust, pet dander or insect dropping building up in your ducts.

Call the experts at Alpha Air Corporation if you need St Paul duct cleaning service.

How Do Things Get Caught In My Ducts?

Thursday, June 27th, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

Over time your ductwork can start to get clogged with a number of different types of contaminants. These contaminants can cause a number of different problems for your home. Here at Alpha Air Corporation we wanted to alert you to how those contaminants can get into your ducts in the first place, and why regular duct cleaning is so important.

Ductwork Contaminants

If you’ve never had your ducts cleaned then there could be a number of different contaminants crowding the space inside your ductwork including the following:

  • Dust
  • Dirt
  • Pet dander
  • Pollen
  • Bacteria
  • Construction debris

How Your Ductwork Gets Clogged

Pollutants can enter your ducts through a number of different means.

  • Poor installation – One of the most common ways that your ducts can get clogged is through poor installation. During the installation process sawdust, metal shavings, insulation fiberglass, dirt and even wood cuttings can get lodged in your ducts. Without Minneapolis duct cleaning those type of things will continue to clog your ducts and reduce the efficiency of your AC system.
  • Old age – As your ducts age they can start to crack and develop holes. Through those leaks different contaminants can get inside. Insects, rodents, dirt, pollen, smoke, exhaust and many other pollutants can get into your homes ductwork.
  • Lack of maintenance – If you’ve never scheduled Minneapolis duct cleaning then there is a good chance that your ducts are very dirty. Getting regular cleaning of your ducts is a great way to make sure that they aren’t leaking and that they aren’t filled with pollutants.

If you’re interested in learning more about Minneapolis duct cleaning just call the friendly specialists at Alpha Air Corporation.

Common Duct Contaminants in Your Home

Thursday, June 13th, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

Most air conditioning systems depend on a ducted forced air distribution system in order to circulate cooled air throughout your home. While this can be a very effective, efficient way to cool your home, air ducts systems are susceptible to certain problems. One of the most common issues that users of ducted forced air distribution systems encounter is the buildup of airborne pollutants in their air ducts. If you are concerned about such an issue in your home, you may want to consider scheduling professional St. Paul residential air duct cleaning service with Alpha Air Corporation. We have the tools and training necessary to improve cleanliness within your air ducts.

There are some very common contaminants that are often found within air ducts. A buildup of dust is at the top of this list. The issue with forced air distribution systems is that by blowing cool air into the rooms of your home they can also cause dust that has built up in that room to become airborne. Once it has, it can be pulled into return ducts and brought back into the system. From there it can work its way into your air conditioning components and cause performance issues, or it may become more widely distributed throughout your home. This proves that many factors, including the general cleanliness of your home, can have a serious impact of the air quality therein.

If your air ducts are damaged and have any tears or holes in them, it is also possible for vermin and insects to infiltrate the system. Even after the pest problem is dealt with there will often be traces of their presence left behind. Do not let nesting materials, fur, dander or other contaminants remaining in your air ducts make their way into your home and the air that you breathe. Schedule duct cleaning service with a qualified professional if you have had any issues with unwanted visitors in your air ducts.

To learn more about the St. Paul residential air duct cleaning services we offer, contact Alpha Air Corporation today. Our duct cleaning technicians are glad to answer all your questions. Call now for more details.

What to Look for in a Commercial Duct Cleaning Company in Minneapolis, MN

Thursday, June 13th, 2013 by Lisa Pixley

We know you have many choices when looking for a commercial or industrial duct cleaning company in the Minneapolis, MN area. At Alpha Air, we pride ourselves on bringing more than 30 years of experience in the industry as well as a staff of National Air Duct Cleaners Association certified technicians. Commercial services are a big undertaking and it’s important to trust that the technicians handling the job bring the highest level of customer service, technical expertise, and attention to detail.

Alpha Air offers a variety of services including exhaust duct cleaning, mold remediation, dryer vent cleaning, fire restoration, HVAC system inspections and much more. Whether you’re an apartment complex, shopping mall, movie theatre, industrial office, or warehouse, we come prepared with the equipment and experience to handle any job. Call us today to get an estimate or click here to see pictures and testimonials from satisfied commercial clients.

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