Why Does Fire Restoration Require a Professional?

October 13th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

After a fire, it’s tough to figure out what steps are most vital in getting your life back on track. You’re ultimate goal is getting back home and returning to the way things once were. But if you go about this too quickly without the help of an expert, you may risk your safety and your family’s health.

In many situations like these, friends and family come together to help pick up the pieces. But only a fire restoration specialist knows how to tackle all of the different types of residue left behind by smoke and ensure the safety of your living space. Here are some of the reasons you should call a fire restoration expert before returning home.

  • Duct Cleaning: One of the most important parts of your home to restore after a fire is the ducts. You breathe in the air that circulates through your ducts day in and day out. And someone who is not trained in fire restoration simply does not have the tools to examine every portion of the ductwork and keep your air free of soot and smoke deposits that may not be visible to the untrained eye.
  • Insurance: Some insurance companies require that you hire a technician trained in fire restoration with the proper certifications to assess the damages and make the necessary repairs. Though everything may appear normal, your home may be at risk for sudden damages later on.
  • Safety: When a fire hits your home, you’re in a hurry to get it cleaned up. This is understandable, as a homeowner in this situation is shaken up and ready to get back to normal as soon as possible. However, someone who is anxious to clean as quickly as possible likely will not follow the proper safety procedures to ensure all hazardous materials are cleaned up and no one in the home is harmed in the process.

A professional contractor can get you back on your feet as soon as possible, and, more importantly, they can ensure that your home is a safe place to inhabit when you return. At Alpha Air Corporation, our experts only use sanitizing agents with no health risks, so that there is no toxicity or chemical residue left behind after cleanup and odors are eliminated.

For expert fire restoration services performed by trained professionals in the greater Twin Cities area, Call Us Today! 952.476.4144 or 1-866-PIXLEYS

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Why It’s Important to Schedule HVAC Decontamination

September 29th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

The HVAC system in a home or business will begin to collect dust, dirt, and other contaminants—including possibly mold and illness-causing microorganisms—over time. Eventually, the system will require a thorough decontamination to remove these pollutants from the ductwork and air handler. This decontamination will not only protect the HVAC system from inefficient operation and repair issues, but it will also benefit your indoor air quality.

A full HVAC system decontamination in Minneapolis, MN goes beyond basic duct cleaning, and for this job you need trained specialists. Alpha Air Corporation has a staff of NADCA-certified technicians with the best equipment available for the HVAC decontamination that will protect your home or business from poor quality air and an inefficient heating and air conditioning system.

Why HVAC decontamination is important

It’s impossible to avoid the intrusion of some levels of contamination into the ductwork of a home or business, and given enough time, this dust, dirt, and other debris will accumulate to the point that it will affect airflow through the ducts. This places unnecessary strain on the heating and air conditioning system. Debris that enters the cabinets of the heater or AC can also inflict damage that will require repairs. A full cleaning of the ducts, vents, and air handler will eliminate these detriments to efficiency and system operation.

Another reason you should schedule HVAC decontamination is that the pollutants which gather inside the ducts and the air handler of the system will enter the air of the building and the lungs of the people in it. This leads to discomfort and health problems, and it is especially worrying for people who have asthma and allergies. A decontamination of the HVAC system goes further than standard duct cleaning to sanitize the ductwork and the heater and air conditioner so they do not contribute to lowering indoor air quality. During decontamination, technicians clean the air handlers, register vents, bathroom exhausts (a common source for mold), and the exhaust vents in a business that release harmful fumes and chemicals.

Alpha Air Corporation uses special robotic cameras to inspect ductwork when we start on a HVAC decontamination job. We use the data from the cameras to plan out the sort of duct cleaning necessary, as well as any spots that require duct sealing. We also use an EPA-registered sanitizing agent (Category III) to decontaminate the HVAC system without leaving behind chemical residue that can affect health within living- or work-spaces.

For HVAC decontamination in Minneapolis, MN, Call Us Today! 952.476.4144 or 1-866-PIXLEYS.

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How Robotic Camera Inspection Benefits Your HVAC System

September 22nd, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

If your HVAC system does not seem to be running as efficiently as it could, it may be because of your ductwork. Many homeowners in the U.S. spend more than they need to on air conditioning and heating every month because their ductwork is not properly sealed. Ducts may leak due to holes or cracks or if a duct has collapsed. Because there may be so many different kinds of problems with the ducts, technicians want to have a good idea of the problem before they attempt any repairs on your system. This is why some specialists rely on robotic camera inspection to ensure that your forced-air HVAC system runs as efficiently as it should.

Ductwork may collapse because of faulty joints in metal ductwork, but the structure of soft flexible ductwork is also very prone to collapsing and kinks. In fact, the majority of forced air systems have some sort of problem with leaks, leading to increased energy costs of up to 30%. As conditioned air moves out of your ducts, it takes your HVAC system longer to cool or heat your home, drastically reducing efficiency. This means you pay more to cool or heat an unused space, such as the attic or crawlspace. With robotic camera inspection, a technician can see which areas of your ducts may be the most damaged, so they can tackle problem areas first and foremost.

When professionals use robotic cameras to inspect your HVAC system, they can also take before and after pictures so that you can see the difference from before you schedule service. Taking the time to show you the condition of your ducts and ensure that any issues are taken care of is the sign of a contractor who cares about quality service and helping you save money month after month.

At Alpha Air Corporation, we’ll use a robotic camera to thoroughly inspect your HVAC system and check for leaky ductwork, collapsed ducts and even excessive dust and debris.  Schedule commercial HVAC system inspection in St. Cloud with one of our experts today!

Let our experienced technicians help you get more out of your HVAC system and lower your energy bills. Call Us Today! 952.476.4144 or 1-866-PIXLEYS

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The History of Labor Day

September 1st, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

The official end of summer and the beginning of fall lands on September 23rd, which marks the Autumnal Equinox, when the plane of the Earth’s equator passes the center of the sun and the length of day and night are roughly equal. However, for most people in the U.S., the summer really concludes with Labor Day, the first Monday in September. Labor Day and Memorial Day (the last Monday of May) together serve as the bookends of the summer.

The Labor Day Holiday is a time that people in this country associate with a last summer blast: another reason for an outdoor picnic, a chance for a three-day vacation, family trips to amusement parks, and of course, taking advantage of numerous sales that retailers always offer. (Labor Day is often the second largest shopping day of the year after Black Friday in November.) It’s also the point when school traditionally goes back in session, although some schools start a week earlier and some a week later.

Labor Day’s origins lie in the 1880s. In 1882 Matthew Maguire, a machinist in New York City who was secretary of the Central Labor Union (CLU) at the time, and Peter J McGuire of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), first proposed a celebration of the hard working men and women of the United States. However, five years would pass before the first state made it an official holiday, Oregon. Other states quickly followed this example, although not all selected a date in September.

By 1894, thirty states had started Labor Day celebrations. President Grover Cleveland signed the law that made Labor Day a federal holiday only a week after Congress voted unanimously to approve the legislation. The date chosen for the holiday was the same one that Maguire and McGuire had originally proposed.

The U.S.A. is not the only country that celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday of September. Canada observes the holiday as well, although they spell it “Labour” Day. In fact, Canada celebrated the occasion earlier than the U.S., and was an early inspiration in this country for the development of the holiday.

All of us here at Alpha Air Corporation hope you and your family—whether at work or at play—enjoy a relaxing and memorable Labor Day weekend and have a fantastic start to the fall.

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Pollutants That HVAC Sanitizing Will Remove

August 26th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

Duct cleaning is a basic service that homeowners and business owners alike need to have done every few years (sometimes more) to help maintain indoor air quality and to reduce the strain on the heaters and air conditioners hooked up to the ducts. However, sometimes standard duct cleaning isn’t sufficient to eliminate the pollutants that can develop inside an HVAC system. This is where HVAC system sanitizing and deodorizing comes into play. Sanitizing targets specific biological dangers that can develop inside an HVAC system that will lead to severe problems with indoor air quality. Technicians provide a complete cleaning of the ductwork that goes farther than regular duct cleaning.

Just as cleaning ducts requires trained professionals, HVAC sanitizing and deodorizing requires the work of specialists with high-end equipment.

If you think you need sanitizing in Minneapolis, MN for your home or business, Call Us Today! 952.476.4144 or 1-866-PIXLEYS

Here’s what HVAC sanitizing will remove:

  • Bacteria: Bacteria develops in humid and closed-in environments, and ducts are ideal places for them to start growing. This bacterial growth can lead to lung infections and other respiratory problems.
  • Mold: Mold is one of the most common and harmful of contaminants that can enter buildings. Molds release toxic spores that can cause a number of different health complications, and they are especially dangerous for people with allergies and asthma.
  • Mildew: This is a less destructive and unhealthy pollutant—but it can lead to an unpleasant work environment from the damp smell permeating the ductwork. If mildew appears in a ventilation system, it can also points to problems from water damage that may have affected other parts of the HVAC system.

The sanitizing process that we use at Alpha Air Corporation eliminates these pollutants without leaving chemical residues that will lower indoor air quality. The sanitizer rapidly degrades into non-volatile compounds soon after it is used. The deodorizers also attack the sources of smells and destroys them, rather than covering them up with another odor. Neither process will do any damage to the ductwork in your building.

Please take the possible presence of mold, fungi, and bacteria in your home or workspace seriously. “Sick Building” syndrome is something that you can avoid and eliminate with the proper planning and with the assistance of professionals. Our Minneapolis, MN sanitizing team has the residential and industrial experience and certification necessary to clean out the biological hazards from your HVAC system and make sure you have a “Healthy Building.”

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The Benefits of Professional Fire Restoration Services

August 12th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

There are few disasters more distressing for a business than a fire in the workplace that causes a large amount of destruction. Along with all the stresses and potential losses a fire can cause, it also poses an expensive and time-consuming clean-up job and restoration process.

Fortunately, you do not have to worry about restoring the damage to the extensive ventilation system in your business yourself.

You can call for professional fire restoration in St. Paul, MN from Alpha Air Corporation. We also handle restoration for homes as well. Call Us Today! 952.476.4144 or 1-866-PIXLEYS

Why use professional fire restoration services

  • Insurance mandated: Restoration services are often mandated by insurance companies, and it will be your responsibility as business owner/homeowner to hire a company to handle the job. A professional restoration service will work closely with the insurance company to make the process of claim investigation and estimation go as speedily as possible.
  • Safety: Fire can create toxic hazards from chemicals that are left behind in the wreckage. Professionals know how to deal with these hazardous substances. Fire-damaged areas are also dangerous because of the risk of collapses and falling debris, which is not only dangerous but will lead to additional property damage. You want only the best-trained restorationists handling the work.
  • Clean-up of all types of fire damage: Fire can damage a building in multiple ways because of the different kinds of smoke and soot. The residues left behind—wet, dry, protein—all need special attention that only professionals can give.
  • Cleaned ducts: You want to make sure that when the work is completed that the restored ductwork does not still contain debris from the fire that could spread harmful particles through the air. With professional restoration, keeping the ductwork clean is the primary concern.

As an added benefit, our team at Alpha Air Corporation uses a special sanitizing agent for ductwork restoration that leaves behind no chemical residue or volatile compounds and will effectively eliminate odors. We are committed to doing the most thorough job possible for fire restoration in St. Paul, MN.

No one wants to have a major fire occur in their home or business, but should this misfortune happen to you, make sure to contact the finest professionals you can find for the restoration work that will help you rebuild your life.

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How Robotic Cameras Are Used to Inspect Your HVAC Systems

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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Reasons to Schedule Dryer Vent Cleaning

July 14th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

Here’s an intimidating statistic: according to studies by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, around 15,000 fires occurred in homes in 2010 alone because of clogged dryer vents. The air channels that exhaust the hot air from a dryer also carry lint fibers with them, and these fibers are highly flammable. If these vents remain clogged, the risk of a house fire starts to increase.

You don’t have to take that risk however: schedule regular dryer vent cleaning in St. Cloud from Alpha Air Corporation. We specialize in services that keep your air vents clean and home safe. We are certified members of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA). Call us today if more than a year has passed since you last had cleaner for your dryer vent.

Why you need to keep up with dryer vent cleaning

  • Fire safety: We’ve already brought out the frightening number of house fires that have occurred because the highly flammable fibers trapped inside a dryer vent ignited. This alone is reason enough for you to make sure that regular cleaning for the vent is on your annual “must do” checklist.
  • More efficient dryer: One of the basic steps in drying clothes is to always clean out the lint trap before running a load. If you don’t, your clothes will take far longer to dry. This applies to the dryer vent as well: if it becomes choked with obstructions, the dryer will have a harder time removing the moist air from inside. The high moisture level means clothes that stay damp and require a longer cycle to dry them out. This leads to immense energy waste; it isn’t good for your clothes, either. When you find that the dryer isn’t doing much “drying,” than it’s probably time to arrange for professional vent cleaning.
  • Longer equipment lifespan: When a dryer is forced to run longer and harder to dry your clothes, it will suffer from increased wear. This means you will run into more repair needs. It will also result in a short lifespan for the system. Laundry machines are expensive, and you don’t want to replace one unless it’s absolutely necessary, so keep the dryer vent clean so your clothes dryer can “breathe” properly and have a long life.

When you call for professional dryer vent cleaning in St. Cloud, MN, the technicians will inspect the whole venting system and use special brushes and vacuums to draw out all the lint from the vent, as well as any mold or mildew. With the right professionals on the job, you should have your home back to the way it was before in no time at all.

When it comes to dryer vent cleaning trust to the experience and certification of the team at Alpha Air Corporation. Call Us Today! 952.476.4144 or 1-866-PIXLEYS

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Denmark Also Celebrates the Fourth of July

July 4th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

Maybe an elementary school teacher tried to trip you up with this test question: “Do other countries have a Fourth of July?” If the teacher had phrased the question as, “Do other countries celebrate the Fourth of July?” you would be less likely to slip up and answer “no.”

Except… and your teacher probably didn’t know this at the time… there is another country that celebrates the Fourth of July. They don’t celebrate a holiday that happens to fall on July 4 (there are quite a few of those spread across the globe), but the actually celebrate U.S. Independence Day.

That country is—Denmark.

Every July 4, in the Rebild Region in the north of Denmark, thousands of people gather in Rebild National Park to hold the largest Fourth of July celebration outside the U.S.A., an events known as Rebildfesten. This tradition has continued for over a hundred years now, starting in 1912. The origins of this unusual celebration is that in 1911 a ground of Danish Americans purchased the 140 acres of the parkland between the woods in Rold and the Lindenborg stream. The next year, they deeded the land to the Danish King and people of the country as a memorial to Danish Americans, under the condition that the place remain undeveloped, open to the public, and used to celebrate U.S. holidays. Today, the park also hosts a museum on the history of Danish immigrants to the U.S., housed inside a log cabin.

This display of solidarity with the U.S. is because of the country’s warm welcome of 300,000 Danish settlers who were among the earliest to migrate across the seas. The celebration continues as sign of the long friendship between the two nations.

Since its inception, the celebration has hosted famous speakers such as the members of the Danish royal family (the queen and princess both attended for the 100th anniversary), Walt Disney, Keith Carradine, and Richard Chamberlain. The festivities actually start two days earlier, but on the fourth is when the major parade is held (which marches over 3 miles from the train station) and the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra performs a selections of music from both countries.

Although we doubt you will be celebrating your Fourth of July in Denmark this year, we at Alpha Air Corporation hope you have a fantastic Independence Day.

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How Does Mold Remediation Work?

June 27th, 2014 by Lisa Pixley

Eliminating mold inside the ventilation system of a home takes more detailed and intensive work than simply locating spots of mold growth trying to wipe them away. Professional mold remediation addresses not only current issues with mold, but removal of the source of the growth as well as the ability of the mold to spread. If you trust mold remediation in Rochester, MN to amateurs who lack NADCA and IAQA certification, you will only receive a superficial remedy to the mold problems, which will return soon afterwards.

A company like Alpha Air Corporation with the proper certification, training, and experience will do a thorough job of protecting your household from the hazards of mold and their toxic spores. We are so confident in our mold remediation services that we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on our HVAC sanitizing work.

What is involved in mold remediation

There is no single process for mold remediation: it changes depending on the situation in a home and the amount of biological contamination the needs removal. The mold remediators will first assess the amount of mold they must deal with and its type, and then set to work eliminate them and the source of their growth.

The technicians will first remove the source of moisture that allowed for the mold to appear, such as ductwork leaks. After that, they will start with methods to destroy the mold and remove it. A common technique is to use dry fog that kills mold. The chemical used in this fog is approved by the EPA as safe for humans and pets. The inspectors will not use any toxic fungicides that could leave residue inside your ducts. These fungicides are not fully effective, either, since it’s important that the mold is not only killed, but all traced of it removed, since dead mold is still capable of causing health problems and reactions in people. Any successful mold remediation involves techniques that not only destroy the mold (dry fog, UV germicidal lights, damp vacuums) but also uses agitations equipment to scrub the mold material from the ductwork and sweep it away.

For some remediation jobs, sections of the ducts will need complete replacement to eliminate all trace of the mold. This is common if the mold developed as part of damage to the ventilation system.

During the process of mold remediation, the technicians use fans and take special care with filtration and ventilation so that the debris from the job, which contains dead mold and spores, will blow out of the house and not enter living spaces. The technicians will take all precautions to keep your home safe as they do their job.

It’s crucial that you only hire mold remediators with the proper certification from the NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association) and IAQA (Indoor Air Quality Association).

Call the certified and highly qualified team at Alpha Air Corporation to handle your mold remediation needs in Rochester, MN.

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