Allergies cost the United States $18 billion a year. 1 out of 6 people living in the US will or already have an allergy.

Why should you be contributing to that $18 billion? Before you go to the doctor once again, check for these things, they might be contributing to your allergies.

You may not be able to get rid of allergies, but you may be able to lessen their effects and save money as a result.

It’s often the things that we don’t see that contribute to our problems. For instance dirty air ducts in your home.

Here are the things that are affecting your allergies and some advice on how to lessen their effects.

Bad Indoor Air Quality

The air in our homes is much worse than outside. We are constantly exposed to chemicals in our homes.

A study concluded that a typical American home contains over 500 chemicals. Some of these chemicals trigger your allergies.

Chemicals can kill bacteria. They can also be very harmful to you and your health.

An air purifier can help with this problem. It removes toxins from the air. Toxins that are present in your walls due to paint or that are in your bathroom cleaning supplies.

You should also try to limit using some of these chemicals. Check the labels of your products and research their components to see if what is in them can affect you.

The best way to remove chemicals is by not having them in the first place.

Dirty Air Ducts

You don’t see them.

It’s hard to see a problem if you don’t look at where the problem is. We don’t see air ducts.

Dust can settle anywhere and one of these places includes air ducts. The problem with dirty air ducts is that it’s not easy to clean them as they aren’t as accessible.

Regardless of what cleaning you do at home, air ducts are there, and if they are not cleaned, they will have an effect on you.

If you need someone to help you clean your ducts, get in contact with us, and we will help you.

Air ducts can hold more than just dust though. They can be the home for mold.

Dirty Chimney

The material that you burn matters. Certain things release certain chemicals. Some of these stay within your home and harm you.

You can lessen the effects of the dirt caused by chimneys by considering what you burn and by cleaning your chimney.

Conclusion

Sometimes it’s things that you don’t see that contribute to your problems.

Make sure to clean the places that you cannot reach. Just because the places that you can see are clean does not mean that you decreased the effects of them.

Things that are hidden are contributing to your allergies the most, but just because you can’t reach them doesn’t mean that they can’t reach you.

It also doesn’t mean that you can’t clean these places, you can, you just have to contact the right people.

Get in touch with us if you need help.

Every city’s got its little idiosyncrasies.

Miami’s got key lime pie and humidity.

L.A. got palm trees and celebrities, year round.

And Portland? Well, it’s a hip city, with great housing, the Portland Trail Blazers, and…oh yeah, the winters are wet!

And, while that makes for great reading weather, it’s not as great for your ventilation system.

In today’s article, we’ll be looking at the effects of Portland’s notoriously wet winter on your home, and how air duct cleaning can help to prevent them.

So, without any further delay, let’s get ready to get wet!

Wet, Wet, Wet

Mold forms in air ducts when they get wet, the same as any other enclosed, warm space. The air you’re breathing flows through these ducts, meaning mold spores in your house are potentially harmful to you and your family.

In a city like Portland, where winter rainfall has topped 45 inches in recent years, this can be a real problem.

To make matters worse, air duct cleaning in an insulated system is hard to do effectively when the insulation gets moldy. Typically, when this does happen, the insulation itself needs to be replaced, entirely, which is a pain.

Air duct cleaning needs to be handled by a professional with the right equipment.

Certain steps have to be taken to make sure you aren’t just spreading the mold around. Professional technicians vent spores out of the home, covering furniture to protect it. Lastly, access holes must be resealed and insulated, after cleaning.

As if the air quality wasn’t enough of a concern, moldy air ducts can lead to other problems:

• The spread of mold stains to other parts of your home.
• Bad smells.
• Contaminated food.
• Faulty or shorted electronics from moisture and spores in the air.

Air ducts are an enclosed system that needs to be properly sealed off. Because of this, EPA actually recommends not cleaning out your ducts regularly, in case you compromise it.

That being said, if you find water leaking out of you air ducts, that’s a clear sign of flooding, and the health risks become more important. Call a professional, before the effects of mold in your home air become too bad.

How to Take Care of It

HVAC services are a genius solution to this kind of problem because they make use of the system you already have installed to do your cleaning for you.

Expert technicians hook up a high-powered vacuum to your furnace, pulling the air back out through the air vents.

Then, while that’s happening, each vent and return air register is individually cleaned. The dust and mold particles are vacuumed out, leaving the entire system clean as a whistle.

Air Duct Cleaning in Portland

Truth be told, air duct flooding isn’t all that common. If you’re lucky, you’ll never have to deal with it.

But, if it were going to happen anywhere, it would happen in Portland in the winter.

Do the right thing this winter, and call us if you begin experiencing any symptoms of moldy air ducts. Our air duct cleaning services and over-the-phone quoting mean expertly cleaned ventilation systems, set up in no time.

Is your HVAC system performing as it should? Do you need a duct cleaning?

Read on to learn how and why you should get your ducts cleaned regularly.

When do you need a duct cleaning?

Having the ducts of your heating and cooling system cleaned may be something you have never thought about.

While it is not something which needs to be done regularly, there are times it should be considered.

If your home has suffered damage

Has your home been subjected to any extreme weather lately? If you have had a flood, fire or been snowed in – it may be time for a cleaning.

Your ducts may have been damaged and it’s a smart idea to have them checked by a professional.

If you have pets

When you have a fluffy friend, they often leave hair lying around. You may notice you have to vacuum more regularly just to keep the house clean.

For those who have pets, it may be worth considering a duct cleaning. Those tiny hairs can get into the air and create dust in your system.

If you bought a new home

If you have just purchased a new home, it’s a good idea to have the ducts cleaned before you move in.

This will ensure your HVAC is clean and any dust from the previous owners is removed. This will give you a fresh start in your new home.

If you smoke inside

If someone in your home smokes indoors, you should get your ducts cleaned. You want to keep the air clean and the system running smoothly.

Smoking can affect the quality of air in your home so ventilation is essential.

If you have vermin in your roof

Have you noticed any traces of wild animals or heard them scratching around in your roof?

Once you have eliminated the problem, it’s important to get the ducts cleaned. You don’t want any nasty animal feces, urine or fur left in your system.

If you have any asthma or allergies

If someone in your household suffers from asthma or allergies you may need to have your ducts cleaned.

If they notice their symptoms worsen, dirty ducts may be the cause.

What might they find?

If you hire a professional for your duct cleaning, be aware they might find mold. If there is any mold in your HVAC system this needs to be removed.

Mold can make you ill so it is important it is dealt with. If you find any mold on the outside of your ducts, it is time to organize a service.

In addition to mold, there may be dust or vermin present.

It could save you money

Interestingly, having your ducts cleaned could save you money. If your system isn’t up to scratch it may not be running efficiently.

If this is the case, you could be using more electricity than you have to. When your system needs a clean it might be harder to reach your perfect temperature.

Electricity is expensive, you don’t want to pay more than you need to!

What are the risks?

The risk of hiring an inexperienced professional to come and clean your ducts include:

• Damage to the system
• Harsh chemicals
• Overcharging

The most important thing is to have a good filter. This will help keep your air fresh and clean.

Willard Power Vac has over 40 years in the business. You can trust that we will handle your systems and concerns with great care. You need a professional that you can trust, and that’s what you’ll get with us.

Do you need your ducts cleaned? We can help!

Contact us today and we will visit your home or business and get the job done.

Our homes are supposed to be our safe havens. A place where we can live comfortably and with great love for our families. Unfortunately, there are insidious threats inside our homes. That is why we need to take a home air quality test.

We are exposed to many dangers whenever we go outside.

Think about all the fumes from car exhaust pipes. What about all the people who are coughing next to you on the bus? Others kept blowing second-hand cigarette smoke in your direction.

Such pollution hazards make us take pause and try to figure out how to mitigate our exposure next time. Yet, we never seem to do the same for our homes. It is the threats we haven’t identified that pose the greatest risk to our lives.

Keep reading to find out more.

Reasons to take a Home Air Quality Test

Thus far, we mentioned ‘hidden’ threats inside our homes. Here are the reasons a test will benefit us:

To detect life-threatening Carbon Monoxide gas

One of the biggest threats that people face at home is carbon monoxide poisoning. From 2010-2015, more than 2,200 died because of unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning. If you have a faulty gas line, a damaged water heater, or a blocked fireplace vent, you could be inhaling this dangerous gas.

Carbon monoxide is dangerous because it prevents vital organs from getting oxygen. Other symptoms of poisoning include nausea, headaches, and dizziness. Worst-case scenario is that you will die.

That’s why it is important to have a home air quality test done by an expert.

To eliminate Allergy Triggers

Anyone who suffers from allergies will tell you it’s the most annoying health problem to have. In chronic cases, these allergies can kill you.

Take for example an asthma sufferer. Exposure to dust, pollen, and mold will trigger symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Those with mild asthma might survive, but for someone with chronic asthma, it could be fatal.

You have to make sure the air you breathe is clean.

To identify pollutants and contaminants

Mold and mildew are some of the air pollutants sneaking into our homes. These pollutants and naturally formed gasses like Radon can spread in our living areas. The EPA estimates that Radon is the number one cause of cancer in non-smokers.

A home air quality test can identify dangerous building materials such as asbestos. It is better to let an expert deal with asbestos. Breathing its fibers causes lung cancer, mesothelioma, and respiratory problems such as asbestosis. It can also cause stomach, kidney, larynx, and colon cancer.

To prevent Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)

You may not know this, but Sick Building Syndrome is an actual problem. It occurs when there are airborne contaminants causing illnesses in the home. The problem happens due to dirty and poorly maintained air filtration systems.

Some symptoms of SBS include:

• headaches
• nausea
• difficulty in concentration
• fatigue
• asthma attacks
• flu-like symptoms
• a dry cough and hoarse voice

To lower energy costs

When experts check your home’s air quality, they can uncover blocked air vents and damaged HVAC systems. Fixing these systems will improve efficiency and productivity. This, in turn, will lower your energy costs.

Everyone at home wants to know they are breathing clean air and not the polluted air outside. A home air quality test will uncover bad smells and other dangerous pollutants.

Get a professional cleaning service to fix the air quality in your home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A study issued in 2016 showed us that the leading factor that contributed to home heating fires was solid-fueled heating equipment. A large portion of which were chimneys (30%).

Having a chimney is a wonderful thing to gather your family around and cozy up to in the winter months. However, if not taken care of properly, you could run into some serious health problems and damage.

If you’re a homeowner or manage a property with a chimney, it’s time to take preventative action in not becoming part of this statistic.

The benefits of proper chimney cleaning greatly outweigh the costs to clean up a chimney fire or structural damage as a result.

Read on for the benefits of proper chimney cleaning. You won’t’ regret it.

It ensures safety

The most important benefit of chimney cleaning is ensuring you and your family’s safety. Chimney fires, harmful toxins, and smoke fumes are all results of neglected chimney cleaning.

When you use your chimney, you want to be comfortable and confident that no harmful consequences will result. In the cold winter months, chimneys are there to keep us warm and happy.

A routine chimney clean every year will give you the peace of mind to enjoy your fires safely.

It lets smoke escape properly

Have you heard of creosote or soot? These are harmful substances that result from smoke residue on the inside of your chimney.

Eventually and with time, creosote builds up and produces sticky, black, flammable substance.

The more you use your chimney, the more this builds up and becomes a serious fire hazard.

Creosote can also clog the chimney flute and prevent carbon monoxide from escaping the home.

With a routine chimney cleaning, you can be sure smoke is escaping properly without residue in the way.

It heats your home properly

Not only will a routine cleaning allow the smoke to properly flow out of your home, it allows for an overall better heating of your home.

When creosote builds up in your chimney walls, the circulation of cooler air weakens your fires efficiency. Meaning more fossil fuels are burned and more wood will be needed.

A clean kept chimney results in peak efficiency and proper ventilation.

It lessens the chances of costly repairs

The last thing a home or business owners wants to do is spend hundreds or even thousands to fix a structural chimney problem when it could have been prevented.

The National Fire Prevention Association says fireplaces should be inspected at least once a year, if not more depending on how often you use it. If you’re using it as your main heating source, you may need to get it cleaned a few times a year.

Having a routine clean will allow the professional to catch any signs of structural damage or any other problems that are on the rise.

The cost of cleaning up a chimney fire or structural damage to a smoke stack will greatly outweigh the cost of a yearly preventative cleaning.

Your chimney is bound to experience average wear and tear. Catching problems like this ahead of time is huge.

It’s time you take action in keeping your home and family safe by scheduling a chimney cleaning service. Take action today and contact your professional chimney cleaners at Willard Power Vac!

You breathe in about 3,400 gallons of air every single day.

So, if something harmful is in the air you’re breathing, it can have serious health consequences.

In fact, a recent study showed that about 2 million people die every single year from air pollution.

Do you know how clean the air you’re breathing is?

In this post, we’re going to take a look at the top 5 reasons why you need a high quality air purifier to boost your home’s indoor air quality.

1. You Have Pets

We all love our four-legged friends – but pet dander can seriously mess with the air quality in your home.

Especially if you have allergies, a poor air quality can only make things worse.

A good air purifier can filter out fur, hair, and other dander.

2. You’ll Breathe Better

Especially if you have people with asthma or other breathing problems, a purifier for the air in your home is a must.

If you continue living in a home with filthy air, your health problems will only get worse, and the frequency of shortness of breath or asthma attacks will increase.

Don’t put yourself or your family at risk.

3. It Cuts Through The Smoke

Even if no one in your home or office smokes, you can still be at risk from your neighbors that light up.

But cigarette smoke doesn’t only smell awful and quickly seep into your furniture.

It also comes with serious health risks, especially secondhand smoke.

Look for a purifier with a HEPA filter to get rid of the dangerous chemicals in tobacco that can easily make their way into your family’s lungs if left unchecked.

Maybe if you drop one off at your neighbor’s house too, they’ll get the hint!

4. It Helps Clear Out Dangerous Toxins

You may think that because you’ve moved into a new home, the air quality is fresh and safe.

In fact, the opposite is often true.

Think about all the chemicals contained in paints, floor varnish, and more. Plus, what about all the dirt that’s stirred up in moving?

An air filter/purifier can help get rid of these dangerous chemicals, so you can enjoy your new home safely!

5. It Makes Your Home Smell Cleaner

Whether you’ve got smelly teenagers living at home or if you just can’t seem to get rid of a funky odor, an air purifier can help.

Stop lighting candles and using potentially harmful air freshener sprays to cover up weird smells.

Instead, filter out the stench and breathe fresh air in your home again with a purifier.

Find The Best Air Purifier For Your Home Or Office

Now that you know what to look for in an air purifier, you’re ready to buy one!

But keep in mind, that doing so is only one small part of keeping the air in your home or office safe.

We offer a variety of air filtration services like chimney cleaning, air duct cleaning, and dryer vent cleaning, among others.

Get in touch with us today to make sure the air you and your family breathe is safe.

With the growing demand for duct cleaning services to improve indoor air quality, scam artists are making millions from unsuspecting homeowners looking for a good deal. The biggest mistake homeowners make is to assume they will receive quality services from whichever company they choose. Their choice is based on the price alone, which in this case could range from $49 dollars to $800 dollars or more. Such an abnormal range only confirms the fact that there are many scam artists out there looking to make a quick buck at your expense.

Beware Low prices

Unreliable companies draw customers by offering the best deals, which is why you will find numerous coupons offering the service for less than $100 dollars. It is worth noting that proper air duct cleaning is quite difficult; reaching inside the air ducts and cleaning all the parts of the system requires hours of hard work, knowledgeable technicians and advanced equipment. In fact, a quality service will cost upwards of $300 dollars, depending on the size of your home, the number of vents and their configuration.

You’ll Receive Low quality work

A company offering these services for less than $100 dollars would obviously be operating at a loss – unless what they actually do falls short of quality service. Proper air duct cleaning will typically take about two to three hours, but scam artists will quickly go through the house, vacuuming a few vents and be done in less than an hour. They may also use inadequate tools and equipment, such as handheld vacuums and drills. Most good companies use outdoor vented equipment that ensures the dust and debris captured is vented and contained outside the home.

Typical Bait and switch

A common scam approach is the bait and switch tactic. You are offered an amazing coupon deal, but this is only to get the con artist through the door. Once inside your home, they perform minimal work and then offer you upgrades to the service for additional fees. Note that even if you give in to their schemes and pay for the up-sells, you still won’t get quality work done.

Tack on Extras like Mold

Another common scam is when a “mold inspection” is performed. To your disadvantage they always find mold contamination even if it’s not true, just so they can charge for more services. Such companies can even fake tests or bring the mold with them in an attempt to convince you.

What to do

Most reputable companies provide a free inspection and estimate, so asking for written estimates is one way to avoid scams. As a rule, avoid outrageously low offers. They might actually damage your ducts and force you to undertake difficult and costly repairs or replacements. Additionally, if a company tells you that you have mold in your air ducts, it is advisable to have a qualified mold testing firm visit your home to verify this.

Cheap coupons will often become the most expensive route in the end – and there’s no guarantee the work will be done well because you are, in fact, working with a scam artist. A reputable company may seem expensive at first, but this is because they are providing an honest price for honest work.

Air duct cleaning is an important aspect of HVAC maintenance that homeowners need to perform on a regular basis. To regulate the temperature of a room, heated or cooled air must first pass through air ducts. Unfortunately, Portland homeowners and renters often encounter numerous air duct issues, and many of them do not know how to deal with them. The following are the top 5 air duct issues and how to deal with them.

1. Air Leakage

If the connections in the ductwork are not properly aligned, become loose or they are not properly sealed, air can escape into unusable space. Therefore, ducts must be properly sealed at the grills and registers to reduce air leakages. Aside from causing massive energy losses, these leakages also pose another major problem; they can let in harmful gases into the HVAC system. Portland residents should watch out for uneven room temperatures, stuffy rooms and unusually high energy bills as these may be signs of leakages in the ductwork.

2. Dirty Air Ducts

Air filters in the HVAC system are responsible for getting rid of impurities from the air supply system. However, Portland residents should know that they are never perfect. If there are gaps in the ductwork, impurities may be sucked into the ductwork. Portland residents can expect to find dead insects, cobwebs, dust, carpet fibers and pollen among other types of impurities inside the air ducts. These impurities can compromise indoor air quality severely. This can cause a number of health problems. It is therefore not surprising that the EPA estimates indoor air quality to be much worse than the quality of air outside. Portland residents can remedy this problem through professional air duct cleaning on a regular basis.

3. Restricted Air Flow

When air does not flow efficiently through the duct system, delivery of conditioned air can be severely hampered. This will force the HVAC system to work harder. The result will be increased energy bills, frequent breakdowns and reduced lifespan of your HVAC system. Twisted, torn, kinked and crushed air ducts often restrict air flow. Portland residents should always ensure that the ductwork in their offices or homes are properly installed by professionals. During roofing work or electrical works, contractors should be cautioned to steer clear of the ductwork.

4. Inefficiency

A large portion of the energy lost when heating Portland homes is caused by poor insulation of air ducts. During Portland summers, cool air in the ducts can absorb heat energy from the surroundings as it moves to the intended destination. On the other hand, heated air being transported through the air ducts during winter can lose some energy to the colder surroundings if there is poor insulation. To increase efficiency, Portland residents should consider insulating their air ducts properly. Air duct cleaning can also help to increase efficiency.

5. Poor Design

All HVAC systems are not the same. Large spaces normally have high capacity HVAC systems and vice versa. Poor design of the system can lead to massive inefficiencies. A system that is too big will lead to significant energy losses. On the other hand, a system that is too small will be forced to work much harder to control room temperatures. That said, professional HVAC contractors should be hired to design and install HVAC systems as well as perform air duct cleaning.

When it comes to cleaning the air ducts in your home, you must be careful in choosing which system is the best. Having clean duct work in your home or office is extremely important for the well being of those inside it. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calculates that indoor air contains up to 70 times more contaminants than outdoor air. Cleaning your ducts can remove allergens like dirt, dust, debris and mold from your home. It can also prevent them spreading throughout it via the air conditioning and heating systems.

There are two types of systems used to clean air ducts. The first and most common is a portable system which uses hoses to go through the vents and suck up contaminants in the ducts. The second, and much more effective is the truck mounted Power Vac system. It also uses hoses, but there are several differences between the two. When compared there is really only one logical choice.

Differences Between The Systems

Power

The biggest difference between portable and truck mounted systems is power. Most portable vacuums are rated at around 2,000 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air circulation. The very largest gas or electric one is rated at 5100 CFM. Power Vac systems on the other hand have 12,000 CFM. That is more than double the best portable system, and around 6 times the average ones.

Storage of Contaminants

Portable systems have their hoses hooked up to a storage container which is set up inside your house. Even if nothing goes wrong, and the portable system is working properly, 1% of the pollutants find their way back into the house. It might not seem like a lot, but to someone who is allergic to contaminants in the air, 1% can be the difference between life and death. Power Vac systems are mounted right on the truck so 100% of the contaminants are taken outside of your house and stored. Portable systems often have seals and gaskets that are not tight or spring leaks, again releasing pollutants back into the household.

Fly By Night

We’ve all had those annoying calls from people wanting to clean our air ducts. They are the fly by night kind of companies that show up with a cheap system, and do a third rate job of cleaning your ducts. Some even pretend to be truck mounted, and hide their storage container in the back of their truck, out of sight. A real Power Vac truck mounted unit costs about $100,000, something these scam artists could never afford. The real deal almost looks like a firetruck, so you will know the difference immediately.

Cost

Power Vac units cost around double what the portable units charge. When it comes to the health of you and your family, isn’t it worth spending the extra money to be sure it is done correctly and responsibly? You get what you pay for, especially when it comes to eliminating pollutants from your home.

After comparing the two systems, it is easy to see that the Power Vac truck mounted system is hands down the logical choice. When it comes to breathing clean air, there really is only one option.