Can Mold Grow In A Duct System?

Your home duct system carries the air that you and  your family breathe on a daily basis so ensuring that the air quality is healthy is crucial to maintaining a healthy environment for your family. Mold growing in your HVAC system can increase sickness experienced by your family. In order for mold to grow, the sports need a stable temperature + a food source + moisture in order to live and reproduce. All of these are provided by your HVAC system so it is the perfect environment for mold to grow and thrive. Any dust or dirt that passes through your air filter provide a good food source.

Your furnace and air conditioner are both designed to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home and moisture is available from several of the components in the HVAC system in your home. Mold growth can happen because the humidifier in your furnace is wet with standing water and the cooling coils are great places for mold to appear and grow. The thing is even if the mold dies, both living and dead mold can produce toxins and these toxins can cause short-term allergic reactions. Live mold releases spores and breathing these in can trigger asthmatic or allergic reactions.

When on house calls, our duct cleaning technicians in Ottawa have dealt with mold conditions inside ductwork several times. As part of our Ottawa duct cleaning service, we give the ducts a thorough cleaning and we then use encapsulation as well as a biocide application. It is highly recommended to have your HVAC system inspected and retreated again after 6 months from the initial treatment and cleaning. In some rare instances we may recommend installing a UV light system inside the return air duct to shine the bright light into all of the air that must pass the light on its way back towards your furnace fan which will kill molds, bacteria and fungae which may be inside your HVAC duct system.

If you haven’t had your ducts cleaned by an Ottawa duct cleaning company then we recommend giving us a call and we can fully clean your HVAC duct system and inspect for any mold at the same time.

Improve Your Indoor Air Quality in Winter

In the spring and summer months  you can enjoy the outdoors, even when indoors by opening your windows and letting the nice warm, fresh air breeze in throughout your house. While this is great for certain seasons, in the winter time you likely keep your windows closed to keep the cold weather outside. The problem with this is that the quality of your indoor air decreases. Some good news is that there are some ways to improve the air quality in your home during the winter months.

Some improvements can come from checking your air filters to ensure they are not clogged up since they will clog up very fast in your furnace as the furnace is in higher use during this time of year. When you clean your air filters your air quality is much better because when they are clogged, your furnace forces dirt, debris and other contaminants to blow through your home and that becomes the air you breathe.

Another way to improve your home air quality in the winter is to add live plants to your rooms which will increase the level of oxygen in your home which will ultimately purify the air. You can also give us a call and our professional Ottawa duct cleaners will come and purify the air in your home by cleaning your duct system to ensure that dirt and debris are not being recycled throughout your home.

In combination with our professional air duct cleaning services in Ottawa, the right essential oils will help to clean and freshen your indoor air quality. Use an oil diffuser or spritzing bottle to add some fresh scents to your home.

While it is cold outside, it can be a good idea to open the occasional window here and there even if it means letting in some cold air, the fresh air will do wonders for your family’s health during the winter months. Even 10 minutes can make a significant difference in the quality of the air in your home. You can do this once in a while for a healthy home.

Another important aspect of maintaining your home’s air quality is professional house cleaning. We recommend that in addition to having your vents professionally cleaned by our team that you have professional house cleaners vacuum and clean dust from your home to eliminate pollen, dust mites, mold and other pollutants and contaminates that can cause poor indoor air quality in your home.

For the best results and the healthiest indoor air quality in your home, count on Ottawa Duct Cleaning to take care of you and your family with a professional deep cleaning of your home’s vents and duct system during the winter months. Give us a call for a free, no-obligation quotation on your professional duct cleaning service.

Why Your Dryer Vents in Ottawa Need Frequent Cleanings

Unfortunately most people discover the importance of hiring a professional dryer vent cleaning company too late after something tragic has happened. Often, even homeowners who maintain a meticulous house, have no clue about the inconveniences, pricy repairs, and even danger associated with dirty dryer duct vents. For the sake of your residence but even more importantly, your family’s health and safety, you should schedule an appointment as soon as possible for dryer vent cleaning.

Warning Signs of Dirty Dryer Duct Vents

For anyone who doesn’t think it’s necessary to hire a professional company for dryer vent cleaning in Ottawa, read the facts listed below.

  • Long Cycles – Over time, dryer vents become so clogged with lint and other debris that the appliance takes a long time to dry even the smallest load. In fact, you could turn your dryer on two or three times to complete what one cycle should do. Because your dryer has to work overtime to perform its job, it experiences a lot of wear and tear. Unless you follow a proper maintenance schedule for having dirty dryer duct vents cleaned, the life of your appliance could decrease by as much as 50 percent.
  • Hot to the Touch – Clogged vents can also make your dryer hot to the touch. With no way for the air to ventilate properly, this creates several risks. Along with possibly burning a small child, your appliance uses considerably more energy, which in turn, increases the monthly utility bill.
  • Burning Odor – If you notice a burning smell, it’s imperative that you hire a company for dryer vent cleaning in Toronto as quickly as possible. When this happens, it indicates a significant buildup of lint. If the dryer becomes too hot, that lint could catch fire. Remember, while emptying the lint trap is important, it’s even more critical to have dirty dryer duct vents cleaned.
  • Telltale Signs – You may not realize it, but any signs of lint and other debris around the outside vent opening or the dryer hose is another indicator that dryer duct vents need cleaning.
  • Maintenance Schedule – If you haven’t had your dryer vents cleaned in the past 12 months, contact a reputable company right away. Keeping to a schedule is extremely important for the reasons mentioned and more.

Potential Dangers

As you can see, there are several potential dangers that go hand in hand with dirty dryer duct vents, the most frightening, a fire. For the protection of your home and family, contact Ottawa Duct Cleaning today. Even in exchange for affordable pricing, our experienced technicians perform stellar work.

It May Be Time to Clean Your Bathroom Ducts and Exhaust Fan

A typical washroom exhaust duct that hasn’t been cleaned in a long time can be harmful to you and your family by pushing contaminates in the air from a dirty duct. Additionally the air being pulled out from your fan won’t exhaust properly which will then make your bathroom small and the duct motor, housing and exhaust will eventually get clogged.

If you find your exhaust fan is making noise or not functioning properly then this is likely the result of a clogged duct and it is something that you should take seriously not just for the smells but also for the air quality in your home. We can professionally clean your ducts to make sure that your air quality is pristine and your family is healthy.

If you live in a condo, you may find that your washroom exhaust is actually served by the laundry exhaust fan. If this is the case, then the entire system will be cleaned all at once. But if your system is not configured that way, it is still cost-effective to also have us clean out your dryer vent system at the same time while our equipment is there and this can also keep your family safe by preventing dryer duct fires.

It is a good idea to clean your bathroom exhaust fan as well. Cleaning of your washroom exhaust fans normally takes only about 10 minutes and should be done about every 3 or 4 months. And whenever the bathroom grill looks dirty, take it down and wash it.

If you are not able to do this yourself or just don’t feel up to the task, you can ask for this service to be added for a minimal cost the next time you get your air ducts cleaned throughout your home.

It is a good idea to have your ducts in your home cleaned regularly and it is best to stick to annual inspections but you can go 2 years if you need to as long as you don’t put off getting your ducts looked at for too long.

 

The Health Risks of Unclean Ducts

There are many reasons to hire a professional duct cleaning company in Ottawa to clean your home’s HVAC system. Some people hire a duct cleaner to extend the life of their HVAC system and others do it to keep the air quality in their home tip top for the safety of their family. These are great reasons to have your ducts professionally cleaned and also a very important reason is to prevent serious health risks from developing.

You see dirty ducts in your home will create health risks from recycling air that is filled with pollen, pet dander and other pollutants. Even though residential duct cleaning in Ottawa benefits everyone living in the home, it’s especially critical for those with compromised immune systems or respiratory problems such as elderly people or those suffering from asthma, COPD, emphysema, and other similar illnesses. Even people with seasonal allergies can be greatly affected from dirty ducts and breathing air from an environment with poor air quality.

 

Potential Risks from Dirty Ducts

Home duct cleaning can help prevent serious illness and risks of exposure from poor air quality. Here are some of the potential risks:

Common Illnesses

Dirty ducts can lead to surges in allergies, cough, sore throat, and even the common cold can. Furthermore, other contaminants that you may be breathing in can come from rodent and insect droppings, mold, mildew, and more.

Sick Building Syndrome

Although commonly referenced in connection with a business, people living in homes with dirty ducts can experience the same symptoms. In this case, allergens accumulate over time during periods when the HVAC system is off. When turned on, all those contaminants come out in full force and cycle through the home. If you have a vacation home or travel in between homes during different months, this could create health-related issues.

Aging Prematurely

A lot of people have no idea that dirty indoor air can speed up the aging process and make you feel and look older than you actually should be. In addition to causing problems inside the body, it also impacts the skin. Thankfully, residential duct cleaning in Ottawa can eliminate this risk.

 

Beyond all the reasons mentioned here to hire a residential duct cleaning service in Ottawa, remember that dirty ductwork can also make the home smell horrible so it’s time to get your home looked at by our professional duct inspection team and provide you with an exceptional cleaning of your ducts so you can enjoy clean and healthy air in your home.

Air duct system improvements you should make for a more comfortable home

Finding the optimum room temperature during the winter or summer is often associated with – how well you adjust the duct in an HVAC system. Because it takes longer for hot air to rise, a slight variation of temperature will be evident on the second floor during summer. Summer is a time to remove all the cushioning effect on your vent, especially in the 2nd floor where they ought to be left open.

Placing more emphasis on the main floor vents will open more room for air to saturate to higher floors. A semi-closed vent can do the trick. Cooling the basement should carry a lesser priority. Much of the air should be channeled to the higher floors while the basement vent gets shut temporarily.

Put more interest in securing the air vent from grills that might form an obstruction around the area. Closing and cleaning the cushioning, which is essential for an already mounted humidifier should start from the bypass tube. When summer comes, proper improvements need to get in place before the start of the new season.

The main floor, basement, higher floors should have a ventilation system that is either fully opened or semi-closed with particular disregard of any room that takes time to heat.

 

Opening the basement automatically heats the floor above it because of the rising temperature in that area. We can say the same of the main floor vent performing almost a similar function elsewhere (cooling the floors below and above it).

The same procedure can run as well during the winter. All you have to do is partially close an air cushion to drive the cold elsewhere to another room.

Usually the air in the rooms above the basement, garage, and other areas don’t always fall within the needed temperature. At such times, it might be necessary to open the doors to those rooms to improve airflow. If the place is airtight, then it is a useful thing to do. An HVAC system with a dirty air filter is harmful to health. That is why it is always smart to keep your ducts clean for the sake of your furnace and comfort. Energy saving cost is another reason for doing it. Not much time is needed to carry out these tasks twice a year while you adjust other accessories. In your free time, you can clean cushions and air duct system.

Disparity on commercial and residential air duct cleaning

While the primary aim is to filter and improve the air quality in a place, commercial and residential air duct cleaning system has an underlying difference.

 

Comparing disparities

 

Each air duct cleaning system used in our residential and commercial areas gets to cater for the heating and cooling process of the room. To know the disparity a professional help is needed.

 

  • An HVAC system residing in the home gets found very close to the ground and the building in place. Commercial ones find their way at the top of the building. It is done to give enough space and ventilation for experts when they carry out repairs.
  • Fixing a commercial duct cleaning needs to be done by a technician because of it is more technical to put in perspective than for residential ones. For example, a commercial HVAC system is stationed in a room while its dampers and other peripherals get located inside. On the other hand, nobody can say a residential cleaning duct shouldn’t be “split” with some on the inside, e.g., blower, evaporator and others like compressor and fan on the outside.

 

  • The technicality of fixing and having a commercial HVAC system hasn’t given room for residential services to be priced higher than them in any location.
  • Finding out the right equipment to use is very much dependent on the type of HVAC system in play. At some point, only a gas-powered vacuum can do the work in a both HVAC system by removing dust out of the pipe.
  • Another notable disparity would be the level of experience for those on the commercial and residential angle. Many believe the commercial technician is more equipped to take on more complicated jobs because of their training.

 

For your duct cleaning services in Ottawa, you will require a service company with a blend of both worlds. It enables you to have a high shot of getting your HVAC system fixed in record time and effectively too. Such will, in turn, means a better deal for the environment.

 

Why Dryer Vents Need Frequent Cleanings

Unfortunately most people discover the importance of hiring a professional duct cleaning company for dryer vent cleaning in Ottawa too late. Even if you maintain a meticulous house, the dangers from a dirty dryer vent can cause incredible inconveniences, costly repairs and even lead to fires from dryer duct vents. To protect your home and more importantly to keep your family safe, you should schedule an appointment as soon as possible for dryer vent cleaning in Ottawa from our duct cleaning company in Ottawa.

Early Warning Signs of Dirty Dryer Duct Vents

If you’re on the fence about whether or not dryer vent cleaning in Ottawa is important then check these bullet points out.

Long Drying Cycles

Without proper dryer vent cleaning, your dryer will become much less efficient as the vents are clogged. This can dramatically reduce the life span of your dryer by up to 50%. Not to mention that it can actually cause some serious harm to your family and your house if a fire erupts from a clogged dryer vent.

Dryer is Hot to Touch

When your dryer gets clogged the heat has no where to escape and this causes the dryer to be less efficient as well as be hot to the touch. If you notice this then it is time to have your dryer vents cleaned professionally.

Burning Odors and Smells

If you notice a burning smell or odor coming from your dryer or vents then it is crucial that you hire a professional dryer or duct cleaning company such as ours right away. If this happens then it means there is a serious buildup that can lead to fires. Even though emptying the lint trap is important, it is far more important to have your dryer vents cleaned.

Other Signs

There are some other signs as well indicating that your dryer vents need professional cleaning. If you notice lint outside of your dryer for example before you even open the dryer then this can be a sign of the dryer being clogged an the lint you see is spill over.

Dryer Vent Maintenance Schedule

If you haven’t had your dryer vents cleaned within the last year then you should contact us right away to have your dryer vents cleaned. Keeping to a routine maintenance schedule is extremely important for the ensuring that your family and your home are safe and protected from clogged dryer vents that lead to fires.

Potential Dangers of Clogged Dryer Vents

There are several potential dangers that are caused by dirty dryer duct vents and the most frightening is a fire in your home. For the protection of your home and family, contact us today for a professional dryer vent cleaning at your home.

Why Duct Cleaning Is a Professional Job?

Some people love DIY and while this is great for many projects around the home, cleaning your ducts should not be one of them. You see cleaning your air ducts requires special tools and knowledge in order to properly get out all dust, debris and contaminants. There are many reasons why professional duct cleaning is required for your home or business instead of attempting to DIY and here are some examples of why this service requires the assistance of a professional duct cleaner in Ottawa.

  • Methodology
    Our duct cleaning professionals follow strict guidelines for getting the job done right and we follow compliance laws to ensure that nothing gets overlooked, which ensures your duct system is extremely clean.
  • Comprehensive Cleaning
    Professional duct cleaning goes beyond just the air ducts, a trained technician will check and clean your evaporator coils, handlers, drain pans and more.
  • Efficiency
    Without experience and the right tools to get the job done, your duct cleaning will take a long time. Our professional duct cleaning technicians know the right methods, procedures and have the right tools to make sure that we get everything done properly and quickly. Our professional technicians understands how critical it is to clean the registers correctly, and therefore, we will dedicate the correct amount of time to get this part of the job done right whereas a DIYer would have lost their energy by the time they get to this part and likely cut corners.
  • Tools and Equipment
    To properly clean your air ducts you will need specialized tools to do the job right. For example, using a regular household vacuum is not sufficient and will not clean your ducts properly. You need commercial grade, powerful tools to do a thorough duct cleaning in your home or business.

Enjoy Cleaner Air In Your Home

With our professional duct cleaning services offered at Ottawa Duct Cleaning, we can improve the indoor air quality in your home or business. In addition to our extensively trained and experienced duct cleaning technicians and professional tools and equipment, we keep our prices competitive so that you get the quality clean your home deserves without breaking the bank.

Reduce Your Energy Costs with Residential Duct Cleaning Ottawa

There are countless health benefits to having your ducts professionally cleaned, especially if someone in your family has allergies such as asthma. In addition to the health benefits did you know that professional duct cleaning can be healthy for your wallet too by reducing your home energy costs. It’s a win-win when you get your home ducts cleaned because you will dramatically improve your air quality in your home as well as cut your home heating and cooling bill down substantially.

Like most home owners, cutting our monthly expenses is high on the list of priorities and you certainly don’t want to sacrifice your home comfort or your indoor air quality. So what’s the solution? Well it’s quite simple actually. Just give us a call and we will come to professionally clean your home air duct systems to improve your home air quality while saving you money on your monthly utility bills.

Thanks to our expert residential duct cleaning services in Ottawa, you can save in a variety of ways, including the following.

  • Clean filters so your home heating and cooling systems don’t have to work as hard
  • Clean air vents to keep the flow of air running normally which reduces stress on the blower and ensures that the thermostat understands the request for a change in temperature
  • Clean the blower motor so the particulates that build up do not prevent the dissipation of heat throughout your home.

The good news is that we can help by cleaning your entire home heating and cooling system and you will notice the difference almost immediately with improved air quality and circulation, consistent home comfort and temperatures as well as lower energy bills.

Always Affordable Services

We keep our prices for residential duct cleaning in Ottawa affordable without compromising our service quality and reliable work. You can start saving money on your monthly bills right away by having our duct cleaning experts clean your home heating and ventilation system.