Even if you pride yourself on being squeaky clean, the tiny dust particles released when you vacuum carpets or polish furniture often get recirculated through your house, all thanks to your air-conditioning system. And then you breathe all that dust back in.
But there are a few things you can do to help the dust settle somewhere besides your lungs. Mike White, a board member of the nonprofit National Air Duct Cleaners Association, or NADCA, offers some advice about improving the air you breathe in your home.
“Air ducts get dirty over time and when you start seeing dust and dirt around the grilles or on your furniture, that is a sign that dust and dirt are being moved around with the ventilation system,” said White, who has an Air System Cleaning Specialist certification, or ASCS. “You want to get the ducts cleaned to improve the air quality within the living space of the home or business.”
The dust flying around the ventilation system also includes chemicals you use in the home, including things like hair spray or the cleaner you spritz on the countertop.
“The dust basically absorbs that, so when you’re breathing, all of that is being absorbed into your upper respiratory system and can aggravate breathing problems like asthma and allergies,” White said.
Dander from pets also can contribute to air contamination. “It depends on how good your filter is on your air conditioning system, and if your return air duct is big enough for the type of filter you are using,” he said. “If the return is too small for your unit, it can build up pressure in the system, and it won’t operate as efficiently. That’s why you want to change your filters on a regular basis, too, because it traps a lot of that dust that is being circulated.”
Have your air circulation system inspected once a year to make sure your coils, return air and ductwork are clean, White said. The period of time between cleanings depends on what goes on in your living space. “If you get in there and you find one area is dirty, you may want to check the whole system, to make sure other areas are not contaminated with dust, dirt or mold,” he said.
In hot, humid climates, it’s especially important to keep dust out of the system because dust and dirt are a food source for mold. Keeping it clean reduces the likelihood of having mold in your air supply. “If you have asthma or allergies, a lot of times dust does affect that,” White said. “But when you start dealing with mold, that will absolutely give you upper respiratory problems.”
To clean the ducts, grilles are removed, the inside of the ductwork is brushed, and a vacuum is used to capture the dust, which avoids recontaminating the air. A provider with ASCS certification following NADCA guidelines can do this properly, White said. “You know they have been trained to do the job, and do it correctly,” he said.
After cleaning, some providers will use sealants to coat and resurface any dilapidated insulation. There are currently no Environmental Protection Agency-registered sanitizers on the market for ductwork. However, you can disinfect components like coils or the blower.
Besides cleaner air, you also can see reduced utility bills with proper duct maintenance, White said. “When you clean the blower, the coils and the duct system, you can see up to a 10 percent savings,” he said.
If you have remodeled, changed carpets or done any construction work, it’s a good time to get the duct system cleaned, because improvement projects stir up a lot of dust.
“When you hire someone, make sure to check them out and ensure that they have the certifications to clean the system like it should be,” White said.
Schedule Inspection
The American Lung Association (ALA) is responsible for grading the air quality of counties and regions in the United States. Unfortunately, the ALA has graded the counties of South Eastern Michigan (Macomb, Oakland, Wayne) and we received a whopping ‘F’. It may be difficult to notice but Michigan, specifically in the south eastern region, has pitiful air quality and the unconventional heat of climate change is only emphasizing our air’s pollution.
So how does the air’s pollution affect us? When sunlight chemically interacts with common emissions like those of factories and cars, it adds to the level of smog (ground level ozone) in the air which irritates lungs and can be especially dangerous to people with cardiovascular issues or asthma.
Michigan has had surprisingly high air pollution ever since our government started recording information on air quality. One would think that our environment would improve as larger industries and contributors of pollution left our state, but Michigan has always struggled to reach a healthy air quality. The good news, however, is that we have improved since the last information was gathered in 2013.
We are finally making meaningful steps toward achieving fresh air. This is a combined effort of the government urging businesses to be more environmentally friendly, many companies and organizations opting to “go green” and even average citizens driving fuel efficient cars and adding simple habits like recycling to their lives.
If you or someone in your household has asthma, Safety King can help!
May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. This month of awareness exists so asthmatics can live more comfortable lives and to teach people not to take the subconscious action of breathing for granted. Asthma is rarely acknowledged as the wide-spread, life-long, incurable disease that it is.
One fourth of all visits to the emergency department of hospitals are caused by asthma. Medical organizations want to use this awareness to stress that the information needed to manage asthma is available and can lead to a normalized life. The cost of living with asthma can be significantly decreased with a few preventative procedures.
Safety King wants to help everyone breathe easier, especially those who suffer from asthma and struggle with breathing every day of their lives. Two of the biggest contributing triggers of asthma attacks are dust mites and pet dander which can linger in air ducts of a house. While we can’t do much to help outdoor air pollution (which is projected to be at unhealthy levels in Michigan this season,) Safety King can clean your home’s air ducts making your indoor air healthier to breathe.
Safety King is proud to announce that we have recently become the first company in the United States to acquire the StormTech 2100 Cyclonic Power Vacuum Truck.
But why should you care? The StormTech Cyclonic power vacuum truck has a revolutionary design that provides all the power of our current fleet of monster vacuum trucks but runs with 30% less fuel and 40% less emissions. This means our cleaning process itself now has a smaller carbon footprint.
The smaller carbon footprint of Safety King’s StormTech 2100 is accomplished by:
Two of the goals of our team are to improve the air that people breath and help conserve energy. Of course a cleaner air duct system accomplishes both these goals but now the cleaning process itself lends itself to these goals. Keep in mind that we only have one StormTech at this point with another on order for delivery this spring. We plan to add several of these revolutionary new power vacuum trucks to our fleet over the next 24 months. We fully expect (and encourage) our competitors and the industry at large to follow Safety King’s lead as they have so many times before.
This spring when you have Safety King out to clean your home or business remember that while we are helping to make your air cleaner we are also helping keep the air of the world cleaner!
Picture yourself taking deep breaths from you vacuum cleaner’s bag just before you empty it!
As awful as this sounds it gives you an accurate picture of what the air you breathe is like after it passes through all the crud and decaying material in your furnace’s ductwork.
That’s because your ductwork is a lot like your vacuum cleaner. And if you think about it, the main difference is that your vacuum only runs for a few minutes each day compared to the hours on end your furnace fan runs. Every time your furnace runs more and more things are sucked into your ductwork. Things like dust, pet hair, cooking grease, cigarette smoke, and other debris that will stay in your ductwork – until they eventually break down and are released back into the air stream for you and your family to breathe.
Anyone who has ever cleaned behind their refrigerator knows just how much gunk a fan will collect. So if you want to know what lurks in the depths of your ductwork just look in your vacuum cleaner and see what you are breathing. This alone is reason to get your ducts emptied.
Award reflects company’s consistently high level of customer service
Safety King Air Duct Cleaning Inc. has earned the service industry’s coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award, reflecting an exemplary year of service provided to members of the local services marketplace and consumer review site in 2014.
“It is an honor for us to receive this award. It’s a tangible representation that our company continues to fulfill the high standard of quality which our customers expect and deserve. We thank all of our customers who have offered feedback and helped our company be its best. We look forward to continuing our award-winning service through 2015!”
“Only about 5 percent of the air duct cleaning companies in Southeast Michigan have performed so consistently well enough to earn our Super Service Award,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “It’s a really high standard.”
Angie’s List Super Service Award 2014 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade; the company must be in good standing with Angie’s List, pass a background check and abide by Angie’s List operational guidelines.
Service company ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List. Companies are graded on an A through F scale in areas ranging from price to professionalism to punctuality.
Angie’s List helps facilitate happy transactions between nearly 3 million consumers nationwide and its collection of highly-rated service providers in 720 categories of service, ranging from home improvement to health care. Built on a foundation of authentic reviews of local service, Angie’s List connects consumers directly to its online marketplace of services from member-reviewed providers, and offers unique tools and support designed to improve the local service experience for both consumers and service professionals.