The benefits of running your air conditioner or heating system usually outweigh the negatives. Of course, turning on the heat or AC reflects negatively on your energy bills, but this is just another cost of homeownership. However, there’s one more issue that could lead to some hesitation when operating your heating and AC system—indoor air contamination.

Your home HVAC system has a filter installed (and, hopefully, replaced from time to time as well, usually every month or so depending on usage for a residential system). You can choose to purchase a filter with a higher effectiveness rating by paying attention to the MERV, the minimum efficiency reporting value of the new filter. While a better MERV may be able to eliminate more contaminants (as long as it is still the right size for your home and AC unit), it may still miss many, and it’s likely that there are already many contaminants that have collected in the ducts over the years.

Professional residential duct cleaning service is an involved process which takes up several hours, but after duct cleaning, your HVAC system should operate more effectively and efficiently. And, more importantly, your family’s health will be much better protected. Here are just some of the contaminants this service helps protect your family members from.

• Pollen – Pollen is an airborne contaminant which can settle into the ducts. Since this is a very common allergen, those with allergies may be affected even when the pollen count outdoors is low.
• Mold Spores – Mold can be much more harmful than the standard particulate because mold spores can cause reactions for those with respiratory issues and may lead to illness. If mold is a bigger issue in your home, you may need to seek mold remediation services.
• Bacteria and Viruses – Bacteria and viruses are bioaerosols (living airborne pollutants) which can lead to illness even in those without existing conditions.
• Pet Dander – Even if you don’t own any pets, a past homeowner may have, and if left behind in the ducts, this can lead a reaction from some family members.

Call the indoor air quality experts at Alpha Air Corporation for air quality services in Minneapolis, MN.

Tags: Duct Cleaning, Indoor Air Quality, Residential Duct Cleaning Services

Monday, April 20th, 2015 at 4:20 pm | Categories: Duct Cleaning |