Advantages of Commercial Mold Remediation

June 13th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

One of the greatest threats to indoor air quality and building material, both in the commercial sphere and the residential sphere, is the growth of mold and microbacteria. These biological pollutants are especially problematic inside ventilation systems, where they can develop unseen and release toxic spores into the air that enters work spaces.

Mold growth can begin inside your business for a variety of reasons. If your building has suffered water damage, you should call for air quality specialists to look for mold growth as soon as possible. Problems with your HVAC system’s condensation drainage will lead to excess moisture that encourages mold development, and leaks in plumbing will contribute to the problem.

At the first indication of biological growth, call for commercial mold remediation in St. Paul, MN from Alpha Air Corporation. We will solve the trouble with the best technology available, and your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Mold remediation advantages

The health of your employees, customers, and clients is paramount to running a successful business. The dangers that mold presents to a workplace can be high, and include respiratory illnesses and flu- and cold-like symptoms. To maintain a workplace that is happy and healthy, you need to have any biological pollutants removed quickly and safely.

There’s also the issue of health codes. Excess mold in a building that could endanger the well-being of the people inside can be a health code violation, and that can mean a forcible shuttering of your business until the mold threat is removed. This isn’t a situation that you ever want to find your company facing.

There are some cosmetic advantages as well. Aside from dangerous spores, mold creates unpleasant musty smells that can make a workplace intolerable. Part of mold remediation is removing these repellant odors to return your business to its former condition.

Mold remediation for commercial space goes beyond simply removing the offending growth: professionals will locate the source of the growth and eliminate it so the problem does not return.

It’s vital that you hire commercial indoor air quality specialists to perform this task. Trained technicians familiar with commercial mold remediation in St. Paul, MN understand the needs of businesses, and will also have NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association) and IAQA (Indoor Air Quality Association) certification that will ensure you receive a thorough job to keep your business safe and up to code.

With Alpha Air Corporation, you have a guarantee of quality work. All our technicians have certification from the NADCA and the IAQA, and we approach our work with the professionalism that you expect as a business owner yourself. Contact us immediately if you suspect mold infestations in your workplace.

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Why Are Commercial HVAC Systems Modular?

May 30th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

At Alpha Air Corporation, we specialize in improving the air quality of homes and businesses through a variety of services. One of the most important—and complex—services we provide is work on the ventilation systems of commercial buildings, which includes duct cleaning and HVAC system decontamination.

Because of our extensive work with commercial cooling and heating, we often field questions from clients about them. One we hear often is, “Why are commercial systems modular?” Since residential HVAC systems almost always come as a single unit that hooks up to the ductwork, the commercial design of multiple modules seems a bit unusual. We’ll explain why commercial systems are designed this way.

Call us for service for your commercial air conditioning in St. Paul whenever you need cleaning, mold remediation, or restoration. We are proud members of the NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association).

Why commercial systems are modular

One of the basic reasons that commercial systems are designed in separate modules is for easier construction and transportation. Some commercial HVAC systems are simply enormous; they have to be in order to cool down such large spaces with so many people. Making them modular allows for systems to be constructed and shipped in smaller parts.

In terms of the actual installation, modular systems allow for the job to go a piece at a time: this “phased installation” creates much less disruption or shutdowns, since the work must not all be done at the same time, but spaced out for greater convenience. A residential HVAC system can be installed in a few hours, and people don’t tend to worry about a “loss of business” in their homes. For a company, needing to close down for days during installation could be disastrous; phased installation removes this problem.

Modular systems allow for easy expansion as well. If a business adds on more space, or converts storage areas into offices and other work spaces, it will need a larger cooling load. Instead of purchasing and installing a new unit, a business can simply add on another 25-ton module to the current configuration.

Take good care of your commercial air conditioning in St. Paul, MN

A commercial AC must not only keep your customers, clients, and employees cool; it must also work without obstructions and the development of dust, dirt, or possibly worse contaminants. Schedule regular ductwork cleaning for your business’s HVAC system, and make sure that you only look to certified cleaners with a long history of working on commercial systems. The complexity of commercial HVAC makes them out of reach of residential cleaners.

Call Alpha Air Corporation today to schedule ventilation system cleaning for your business. We are also available 24 hours a day for emergency work.

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Common Tools Used in Duct Sealing

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?

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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3 Things You Need to Know About Mold Remediation

April 22nd, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

People do not like to think about the possibility of mold developing inside their homes, whether down in the basement, or hidden inside crawlspaces and ductwork. But mold growth is a major issue in modern homes, and removing it requires the work of specialists trained in mold remediation.

Here is a list of three things you should know about mold remediation and why it is necessary. For a team experienced and qualified to perform mold remediation in St. Paul, MN, make the call to Alpha Air Corporation today.

3 things to know about mold remediation

  1. Mold growth can start in any house: It doesn’t matter how clean you keep your home, mold can find ways inside. Unseen leaks in your plumbing are a common source for mold growth, and the residue from water damage is also a prime breeding ground. Perhaps the place where mold is most likely to take hold without you realizing it at first is inside your home’s ductwork, where trapped moisture allows mold and other bacteria to begin to grow.
  2. Mold remediation is important for your health: Mold presents a major threat to the quality of a home’s indoor air quality. The EPA links mold infestation to many ailments, including threatening respiratory illnesses; the situation is even worse among people with allergies. Among the more common health troubles from mold in ductwork are skin and eye-irritation, asthma, fever, nausea, and fatigue. You cannot allow molds to continue to grow in your home or its ductwork, but to effectively remove them requires the work of specialists with certification from the NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association) and the IAQA (Indoor Air Quality Association).
  3. Mold can damage your home as well: The development of mold is not only a problem for your health; it can cause damage to your house. Mold eats through drywall rapidly, and it warps wood; if mold begins because of leaky pipes in walls and floors, it can lead to expensive damages. Mold also contributes to blocking up pipes and causing flooding. When you spot mold growth, it is often an indicator that you have water damage occurring elsewhere.

At Alpha Air Corporation, our mold remediation specialists are NADCA and IAQA-certified to make sure you receive the highest possible quality.

We back our St. Paul, MN residential mold remediation services with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Call us today to find out more about how we can eliminate these health hazards from your home.

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Purpose of Air Filters in Your Heating and Air Conditioning System

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

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

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

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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Other Anniversaries of Valentine’s Day

February 14th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

For more than a hundred years, people in countries around the world have marked the 14th day of February as a time for lovers to give each other gifts and for children to write cards to each other and eat heart-shaped candy. But Valentine’s Day isn’t the only important event to occur on February 14th. There are many other anniversaries to mark on this day. Here are a few:

1400 – The death of King Richard II: The same English king whose engagement resulted in the first love poem mentioning Valentine’s Day (from court poet Geoffrey Chaucer) dies in prison in Pontefract Castle after his cousin Henry overthrows him. He probably starved to death, although another famous author, William Shakespeare, would portray his death as murder.

1859 – Hello, Oregon: The Oregon Country is admitted to the United States of America as the 33rd state.

1876 – Who invented the telephone? Alexander Graham Bell applies for a patent for his new invention, the telephone. Another inventor, Elisha Gray, applies the same day for a similar device, sparking a long controversy over who invented what first.

1912 – Hello, Arizona: Continuing the statehood tradition that Oregon established, the Territory of Arizona is admitted to the U.S. as the 48th state. Women are granted the right to vote in Arizona the same year, eight years before the rest of the nation.

1929 – The world’s most infamous mob hit: Unknown assailants shoot down seven people in Chicago, IL. Six of the dead are gangsters in the mob of Bugs Moran, an enemy of Al Capone in the business of selling Prohibition bootleg liquor. No one is ever arrested or charged for the crime—but there isn’t much doubt who masterminded it.

1931 – “I am… Dracula”: The most influential vampire movie ever made, and the start of Universal Studio’s famous monsters series, Dracula starring Bela Lugosi, premieres in theaters. Universal cannily uses Valentine’s Day to promote the film as “The Story of the Strangest Passion the World Has Ever Known!”

1961 – The Periodic Table becomes larger: The 103rd chemical element, Lawrencium, is discovered at the University of California. The name comes from the laboratory where it is synthesized, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

2005 – Now it’s easy to watch funny animal videos: A group of college students launch a video sharing website call YouTube.

Even if Valentine’s Day itself isn’t a major holiday for you, February 14th has many reasons to celebrate—unless you are a member of Bugs Moran’s gang or a supporter of Richard II. All of us at Alpha Air Corporation would like to wish you a happy Valentine’s Day, however you observe it.

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