3 Benefits of Professional Commercial Duct Cleaning

February 27th, 2015 by Lisa Pixley

Most commercial HVAC systems use air ducts in order to distribute both heated and cooled air throughout the property. This is all well and good, and ductwork is a great way of doing so, provided that the ductwork in question is in fine working condition. The sad fact of the matter is that this is not always the case. Ductwork can be compromised in a number of different ways. One of the most prevalent problems with ductwork is the buildup of pollutants, including dust, dirt, and dander, therein. Professional commercial duct cleaning in St. Cloud, MN is the best way in which to address any such problems. If you are concerned about the performance of your commercial HVAC, or if you have reason to believe that your ductwork is excessively dirty within, call Alpha Air Corporation today. We can right the situation effectively.

One of the main benefits of scheduling professional commercial duct cleaning is the fact that it can help your commercial HVAC system to function in a more effective manner. It is unlikely that enough pollutants will build up block off a section of ductwork, increasing airflow resistance. However, those pollutants can certainly clog up air filters considerably, which can make it harder for your commercial HVAC system to do its job. The harder the your system works, the more energy it will consume.

Additionally, the buildup of pollutants in your ductwork can lead to those pollutants building up on sensitive components within your HVAC system itself. This too can cause efficiency to drop, as well as forcing your system to work harder. Even worse, though, it can lead to operational problems and even damages to your equipment. By eliminating the problem, professional commercial duct cleaning can help to protect the condition of your HVAC equipment itself.

Of course, there is also the fact that air ducts, when dirty within, can help to distribute airborne pollutants throughout your commercial property. This can seriously and adversely impact your commercial indoor air quality. If you hope to maintain indoor air quality of the highest level in your commercial property, then routine commercial air duct cleaning in St. Cloud, MN is an absolute necessity.

Contact Alpha Air Corporation today for more details. Call Us Today! 952.476.4144 or 1-866-PIXLEYS

 

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Valentine’s Day: Pagan Revelry, Clandestine Marriage, and 14th Century Poetry

February 14th, 2015 by Lisa Pixley

What do you think of when you think of Valentine’s Day? Perhaps rushing off to the stationary store after work to choose the perfect card with which to express your feelings towards a loved one? Dinner reservations at a fancy restaurant? Roses, dark chocolates, and other gifts and confections? Whatever Valentine’s Day may look like to you, chances are that it is a far cry from the history surrounding this holiday – or at least we hope so. Here are a few interesting facts about this most romantic of holidays, from your friends here at Alpha Air Corporation.

The fact of the matter is that there is no definitive history as to how Valentine’s Day came to be. There are a few different saints with variations of the name Valentine, for example. One of the most prevalent legends, and one certainly in keeping with the romantic nature of the holiday as we know it today, pertains to a priest serving during the 3rd century in Rome. Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II, who believed that young men made for better soldiers if unfettered by marriage, it was illegal for young men to marry. A true believer in love, Valentine would marry young couples in secret. Until, at least, he was found out, and met a very unpleasant end for his crimes.

Like many of our modern holidays, Valentine’s Day can also be traced back to pagan ritual. Lupercalia, as the pagan festival is known, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, a god of agriculture. As is often the case with Roman celebrations, the details of this celebration are unfit to detail here. Suffice to say that, while there is certainly a touch of the amorous in the proceedings, the festival was a far cry from what we associate with Valentine’s Day today.

How, then, did our modern version of Valentine’s Day come to be? The answer may lie in, of all places, 14th century poetry; particularly, in the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer. Famed for his Canterbury Tales, Chaucer may well be the very first writer to associate Valentine’s Day with romantic love, in the manner of which we are familiar with it today. His The Parliament of Fowls details the dream-vision of a narrator consumed with the idea of romantic love and the natural order of finding a mate. Valentine’s Day is mentioned by name a number of times, as the narrator witnesses a parliament of eagles vying for the hand – or, perhaps more aptly, the wing – of a mate.

Whatever you may think of the holiday’s sordid and convoluted history, we here at Alpha Air Corporation hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day with the special someone in your life.

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What Causes Mold Growth and What Can I Do about It?

January 22nd, 2015 by Lisa Pixley

Unfortunately, mold can grow in any area of your home, but only under the right conditions. Mold is common in areas of high moisture because mold needs moisture to survive. Mold spores are invisible to the naked eye, and tend to float through the air, but cannot grow unless they happen to land upon an area with a source of water. And mold can be very hazardous, aggravating any existing respiratory disorders when inhaled and irritating the sinuses. Some molds even produce additional toxins (called mycotoxins) that could cause severe reactions.

Any sign of mold growth in the home calls for immediate services, and mold remediation experts may be your best option for total elimination. But a good contractor will also help you figure out the source of the mold problem, which could be any of the following.

  • Leaky Pipes: Your pipes are hidden from view for aesthetic purposes and for their protection, but that makes it difficult to detect when there is a leak in the water line. A leak behind the walls or in the ceiling may not be detected until it is too late and water has already damaged the drywall. Call a mold removal specialist if this happens, and pay attention to common signs of leaking like low water pressure.
  • Flooding: After a flood, immediate cleanup is necessary to keep mold from building up in the carpets or in the basement and posing a health hazard.
  • High Humidity: Your home may have a humidity problem if there is poor ventilation or if you have no form of humidity control in the home already. Moisture can collect in the ducts, on the indoor air handler of your HVAC system, or anywhere in the home if humidity levels are your problem.

Finding a Contractor for Mold Remediation

When searching for a contractor to get rid of mold, you should find a professional who lists mold remediation as part of their services. Mold remediation goes beyond cleaning and disposing of damaged materials. A specialist will help you to find ways to prevent the mold problem from reoccurring my assessing the source of the mold.

Talk to the experts at Alpha Air Corporation and we’ll do everything we can to make sure the mold is eliminated and cannot return. Call Us Today! 952.476.4144 or 1-866-PIXLEYS

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Why Duct Inspection Is an Important Part of HVAC System Inspection

January 15th, 2015 by Lisa Pixley

When you’re not getting enough power from your heating or air conditioning system, you probably assume it’s due to an issue with the unit itself. And sometimes, HVAC repair can be costly, especially if it turns out that your unit needs to be replaced. But it’s important to schedule HVAC system inspection with a trained professional from time to time to make sure that everything is running smoothly. An air conditioner or heater that is overworked can wear down quickly, resulting in more expensive repairs later on. And one of the parts that is likely to cause the most stress on an HVAC system is the ducts.

The ducts are responsible for providing a route between the air handler and the vents in your home. While it seems like a fairly simple job, most air ducts actually suffer from major or minor leaks. The air pressure moving along the system can cause cracks and holes to develop, and often there are air leaks in the ducts simply because of a poor installation job.

In fact, air leaks run rampant in most homes in the United States. Experts estimate than in a typical home, up to thirty percent of the conditioned air in the ducts is wasted via leaks of all sorts. Small leaks add up, to the point that too much of the air that is cooled or heated at the indoor air handler escapes into unoccupied areas of the home. You may notice, in this case, that it takes too long for your home to reach the desired temperature, or that rooms in the home are too hot, cold, or drafty.

Holes in the ducts can even allow for contaminants to enter the air you breathe. Ducts typically run through an unconditioned space like the attic or a crawlspace. And these areas can contain dust particles and insulation material, both of which can be hazardous to inhale. But they can get sucked into the ductwork and get past the vents into your home.

If your air conditioning and heating system doesn’t seem to be working as well as it once did, or if it’s been a long time since someone has examined your ducts, contact Alpha Air Corporation today!

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5 Facts about Santa Claus

December 25th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

Many holiday traditions involve the story of Santa Claus, the lovable old man who spends most of his time at the North Pole taking a single evening to deliver presents and candy to children everywhere. But since Santa Claus is so elusive (unless he happens to be visiting your local shopping mall), how do we know so much about him? Where exactly does his journey begin? Our holiday guide details 5 of the most common traditions associated with Jolly Old Saint Nick.

  1. The Origins of Santa: The name “Santa Claus” comes from St. Nicholas (a name which became Sinter Klaas for short in Dutch), a Christian Bishop from 4 A.D. who was known for giving his fortune away to those in need in Turkey. Santa Claus’ first associations with gift-giving comes from Holland’s St. Nicholas’ feast day, during which children would leave out their shoes overnight and find presents waiting inside the shoes on the next morning.
  2. The Stocking by the Chimney: While many people associate Holland’s shoe tradition with the origins of hanging a stocking, this isn’t entirely accurate. Hanging stockings instead comes from the legend of a time St. Nick helped a man afford to marry off his daughter by throwing a bag of gold down the chimney, which landed in a stocking that was hanging up to dry.
  3. St. Nick’s Outfit: Santa got his fashion sense from a wooden cutout handed out during a meeting of the New York Historical Society in 1804. But it wasn’t until a 1930s Coca Cola advertisement that his traditionally blue, white, and green outfit was transformed into a big red suit.
  4. Leaving Cookies out for Santa: Food was traditionally used as ornamentation during the holidays in medieval Germany as apples and cookies commonly adorned the home at wintertime. When the Christmas tree became a common symbol of the season, edible treats began to vanish, a phenomenon which became attributed to Santa Claus’ snacking habits.
  5. Why Santa Drives a Sleigh: Santa gets his sleigh from a tale spun by Washington Irving, the same author who brought us the Headless Horseman. He wrote down an account of a dream in which Santa Claus drives a weightless wagon through the sky, and the stories became so popular, they stuck around.

Here at Alpha Air Corporation, we hope that you have a joyful and safe celebration, no matter what holiday traditions you engage in this year. Happy holidays!

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What Can Go Wrong if You Don’t Schedule Duct Cleaning in the Heating Season

December 18th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

“Can’t I just clean my ducts on my own?” This is a question we get asked often around the heating season, after we let homeowners know about the importance of cleaning the ducts. Ductwork can contain hidden contaminants which you cannot see with the naked eye, so it may be difficult to eliminate every single type of contaminant with a D-I-Y duct cleaning. Besides, professionals simply have a wider array of tools at their disposal, including high-pressure vacuums, soft brushes, and safe cleaning solutions.

If you don’t schedule regular heat duct cleaning in St. Paul, you risk a few different problems that can continue to occur throughout the heating season. Here’s what can go wrong if you don’t choose professionals for the job this year.

  • Family members with asthma or allergies can suffer. If you have family members that suffer from allergies or asthma, you’re not making the situation any better by delaying duct cleaning. Most ductwork contains some contaminants like dust, pollen, or pet dander, as well as living organisms like bacteria and viruses.
  • Mold growth may develop. Without thorough duct cleaning, you could subject your home to potential mold growth. Air conditioning and heating equipment can develop condensation, which can cause the air in the ducts to be even more humid than the air in your home. This means moisture can build up in the ductwork, allowing mold to develop and spores to spread into the air, leading to potential illness.
  • You may notice limited heating performance. The performance of your forced-air heater is contingent upon having a working set of ducts. Dirty ductwork can create friction which makes it harder for your heating equipment to operate properly.
  • You may spend more on your heating. Because your heater could have limited capabilities, the parts may begin to wear down fairly quickly, causing reduced efficiency/

 

If you’ve recently made renovations to your home, if family members suffer from allergies, or if you simply haven’t had anyone inspect your ducts in a while, call Alpha Air Corporation.

We’ll get your ducts back into top condition with our quality heat duct cleaning in St. Paul. Contact Us Today! 952.476.4144 or 1-866-PIXLEYS

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How to Find a Company for Commercial and Industrial Mold Remediation

December 4th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

In your line of work, you simply cannot afford to neglect the air quality inside of your building. For those who manage a commercial property, the quality of the air deserves attention—particularly if you or someone in your building suspects mold growth. Mold can keep employees, tenants, and clients feeling ill or aggravate pre-existing conditions that make staying in your industrial building difficult and unpleasant. When you suspect mold—either from the appearance of mold, damp spots around the building, a recent flood or leak, or even just a musty feeling in the air—it’s time to find a company for commercial and industrial mold remediation. But how do you locate the right company for the job?

A Thorough Inspection, Cleaning, and Elimination

One of the things you should look into when searching for a company for commercial mold remediation services is the process that technicians go through when deciding on the steps to take for mold remediation. Unfortunately, there are contractors out there who simply don’t take enough pride in their work. Some companies are looking to make a quick buck and, while they may do as promised to remove the mold, they won’t take the steps to make sure the source of the problem is eliminated as well.

Mold growth in your business will probably not go away after a simple cleaning. If there is mold in your building, it is because moist conditions—caused by poor ventilation, lack of dehumidification, a leak in the home, inadequate drainage from your HVAC system, or any number of issues—allow for mold to develop. A good contractor will promise to locate the source of the problem and help you find ways to keep it from affecting daily operation in the future.

Industry Experts

You should also make sure that you only trust the job to industry experts. Experts in the indoor air quality industry recognize the importance of air quality to the operation of your business, and know that the work they do is vital to your company’s well-being.

At Alpha Air Corporation, we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on our work. However, we hope you’ll never have to use it, as our NADCA and IAQA certified experts locate the source of your mold problem and address any issue thoroughly for the best in industrial mold remediation in Rochester, MN.

For expert industrial mold remediation services in Rochester, MN and the surrounding areas, Call Us Today! 952.476.4144 or 1-866-PIXLEYS

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Will Thanksgiving Turkey Really Make You Sleepy?

November 27th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

We’ve all heard it before: you feel so sleepy after a Thanksgiving meal because of the main event: the turkey. For years, people have credited extraordinary levels of tryptophan in turkey as the reason we all feel the need to nap after the annual feast. But contrary to this popular mythology, tryptophan is probably not he largest responsible party for your post-meal exhaustion.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, which means it’s something that our bodies need but do not produce naturally. Your body uses tryptophan to help make vitamin B3 and serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that sends chemicals to the brain to aid in sleep. But in order to get this essential amino acid, we have to eat foods that contain it.

Turkey has somewhat high levels of tryptophan, but so do many other foods, including eggs, peanuts, chocolate, nuts, bananas, and most other meats and dairy products. In fact, ounce-for-ounce cheddar cheese contains a greater amount of tryptophan than turkey. In order for tryptophan to make you feel sleepy, you would have to consume it in excessive amounts, and serotonin is usually only produced by tryptophan on an empty stomach.

The truth is, overeating is largely responsible for the “food coma” many people describe post-Thanksgiving. It takes a lot of energy for your body to process a large meal, and the average Thanksgiving plate contains about twice as many calories as is recommended for daily consumption. If anything, high levels of fat in the turkey cause sleepiness, as they require a lot of energy for your body to digest. Lots of carbohydrates, alcohol, and probably a bit of stress may also be some of the reasons it feels so satisfying to lay down on the couch after the meal and finally get a little bit of shut-eye.

If you feel the need to indulge in a heaping dose of tryptophan this year, go ahead! Turkey also contains healthy proteins and may even provide a boost for your immune system.

Here at Alpha Air Corporation, we hope your Thanksgiving is full of joy and contentment this year. Happy feasting!

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Can I Clean the Air Ducts on My Own?

November 17th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

Cleaning your air ducts requires a lot more than pulling out your vacuum and removing the dust from the registers. Your ductwork is a long, complex system that can reach to the deepest parts of your home, and dust and dirt can settle in these parts as easily as any other. Being able to remove the contaminants from your entire system takes knowledge and expertise, which is one of the reasons why it’s important to hire trained and certified professionals for residential duct cleaning in Duluth. If it’s time for you to clean your ducts, call a company you can count on to do it correctly and efficiently: Alpha Air Corporation.

Reasons to Call a Professional

  • Specialized tools – there are a number of specialized tools that a trained technician uses to clean your ducts. These can include truck-mounted vacuums, pneumatic tools, visual aid equipment, professional brushes and access tools. It is likely that you don’t have these kinds of tools, which can put you at a great disadvantage when trying to clean your ductwork yourself.
  • Training – certified technicians not only know what to look for, they know what to do. For instance, part of a professional duct cleaning involves the safe and clean removal of all contaminants. This ensures that your home won’t be re-contaminated when things like dust and dirt are removed from your ductwork. Are you able to guarantee that for yourself?
  • Efficiency – trained technicians clean ductwork every day. This means they not only have the knowledge, expertise and experience, they will also be efficient and expedient when they clean your ductwork.
  • Good results – when you hire a trained professional to clean your ductwork, you can be assured that your ductwork is truly being cleaned and that dust, dirt and any other contaminants are removed from your system.

Your ductwork is an integral part of your HVAC system. Having it professionally cleaned helps you and your system for the long-term.

If it’s been more than 3 years since your last cleaning appointment, schedule residential air duct cleaning today with Alpha Air Corporation today!

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Tools Used During Commercial Duct Cleaning

October 20th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

The employees, clients, customers, and/or tenants in your commercial building deserve to breathe clean air every day. That’s why the air filter in the return register of your ducts works with your commercial HVAC system, trapping particles so that you do not have to breathe them in every day. However, this filter may not be enough to give you the level of protection you need, failing to filter out every pollutant so that some dangerous particles may continue to circulate around your business.

If you own a commercial heating and air conditioning system, it’s vital to keep it maintained, not only for the comfort of the people in your building but for their health. Bacteria or mold may thrive in the ductwork of some buildings, and as spores circulate through the air your employees breathe those in, which could aggravate respiratory issues—and lead them to call in sick. Scheduling air duct cleaning with a technician experienced with commercial duct cleaning is one of the best ways to improve the conditions within your building. Let’s take a look at some of the tools used for commercial duct cleaning in St. Cloud.

First, technicians use a robotic camera to inspect your ducts. This helps them to detect any problem areas, but it can also let them know whether any areas of the ducts need to be sealed due to leaks and cracks. Once they have a good idea of the conditions within the ducts, they use professional-grade vacuums which create negative pressure within the ducts, thus knocking loose any dust clinging to the insides of the main air plenums and sucking it up through the vacuum hose. They also use brushes to safely and gently scrub off any remaining dirt and debris. They’ll target the register vents as well as any exhaust vents your property uses.

At Alpha Air Corporation, we’ll finish the job with an EPA-certified non-toxic sanitizing agent that will help us make sure your ducts are sanitized and ready for use. There is no chemical residue left behind and it can kill some remaining bacteria and stop mold growth.

Call Alpha Air Corporation for commercial duct cleaning in St. Cloud. We have over 30 years of experience serving our customers. Call Us Today! 952.476.4144 or 1-866-PIXLEYS. 

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