Downtown Air and Heat Blog : Archive for the ‘Indoor Air Quality’ Category

When Is It Time to Call for Ductwork Services?

Friday, March 27th, 2015

When your home’s ductwork isn’t working properly, you can have problems with both your HVAC system and your living spaces. Why? Ductwork is the highway for the air being delivered to your home, and when the air blows through your ducts, it can pick and up take with it just about anything in your ducts. The result? Poor indoor air quality and less volume of air for your home. To help combat the problems that can develop with your duct system, Downtown Air & Heat offers comprehensive duct services in Orlando, including duct cleaning, duct sanitizing, duct sealing and duct repair and replacement. When is it time to call for help with your ducts? Let’s take a look.

When your energy bills are sky high.

Have you noticed a big jump in your monthly energy costs but haven’t changed the way you use your HVAC system? This can be an indication of air loss, which is a common problem with faulty ductwork. In fact, it’s estimated that faulty ductwork can account for up to 30% of your home’s total air loss, so if you are seeing sudden, high bills, call for help today.

When you are seeing too much dust and dirt in your home.

Your ductwork can accumulate a great deal of dust and dirt, especially if they haven’t been cleaned in a long time. If the build-up is large enough, the air blowing through your vents will start to bring the excess dust and dirt with it, and deposit it into your living spaces. This can be particularly bad for allergy sufferers.

When you’ve had an infestation.

No homeowner wants to think about “things” inhabiting the ductwork, but it does happen, and when it does, the ductwork needs to be thoroughly cleaned and it’s a good idea to also sanitize. Critters and insects leave a lot behind when they take up residence in your ductwork so it’s important to remove all traces of them completely so they don’t return.

When you need any kind of duct services in Milwaukie, OR, call the people you can trust: Downtown Air & Heat.

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How an Aprilaire Air Purifier Can Benefit Your Home

Friday, March 13th, 2015

We are headed toward spring, and while we all welcome the warmer temperatures, one thing that many people don’t welcome is the new wave of allergens. Spring is the season of pollination, which can be absolute misery for people allergic to different kinds of pollen. While you can’t filter pollen from the outdoors, you can filter pollen and many other contaminants from your indoors with the installation of an Aprilaire air purifier in your Orlando home. These air purifiers integrate seamlessly with your HVAC system, and can also integrate with other existing components, such as dehumidifiers. Why consider an Aprilaire air purifier? Let’s take a look.

Aprilaire Air Purifier Options

Aprilaire has been a leader in whole-home indoor air quality products since 1954. They have several options from which to choose:

  • Model 1000 series – this model is best for the removal of dust build-up. This series removes up to 94% of mold and pollen, 72% of fungi spores and bacteria and 56% of dust and pet dander.
  • Model 2000 series – the 2000 series air purifier products are best for dust-build-up and moderate allergy issues. The 2000 series removes up to 98% of mold and pollen, 96% of pet dander and dust, 97% of bacteria and fungi spores and 75% of tobacco smoke and smog.
  • Model 3000 series – the model 3000 series of products will help moderate allergy sufferers and remove moderate amounts of dust build-up. The model 3000 series purifiers have the same effectiveness at removing mold, pollen, pet dander, dust, bacteria fungi spores and tobacco smoke as the 2000 series, but these air purifiers come with a programmable thermostat.
  • Model 5000 series – the series 5000 air purifiers are top-of-the-line. These air purifiers are best for those suffering from asthma and severe allergies, and the purifier will remove significant amounts of dust. The effectiveness of the 5000 series is: 99% of mold and pollen, 98% of dust and pet dander, 98% of bacteria and fungi, 98% of tobacco smoke and smog, 80% of viruses and ultra-fine particles.

Benefits of an Aprilaire Air Purifier

Clearly, these air purifiers can help to greatly improve indoor air quality and health, especially for the allergy sufferers in your home, but they can also:

  • Put less stress on your HVAC system
  • Help you save energy

Interested to see what an Aprilaire air purifier installation can do for your Orlando home? Call the experts at Downtown Air & Heat today and schedule an appointment.

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What Are the Benefits of Duct Cleaning?

Monday, January 12th, 2015

Quick! When was the last time you had your ducts cleaned? If you can’t remember the last time you had your ducts cleaned, or if you’ve never had them cleaned, you likely have a big problem that you can’t even detect. Ducts serve a vital role inside the home, allowing central heating and air conditioning systems to circulate air throughout the living space. Without ducts, many home heating and air conditioning systems would not be possible. Unfortunately, ducts are also home to a lot of unsavory things that can lessen your quality of life. Read on to find out why duct cleaning is necessary.

Contaminants in the Ducts

The air in your home is actually filled with thousands of different particulates and microorganisms. Most of these are harmless, but there are several that can provoke allergy attacks and more serious illnesses. These contaminants include dust, pollen, bacteria, insect dander, viruses, mold, and many others. Though they can be found in smaller numbers throughout the house, the ducts are often the central hub for these contaminants. This is because the ducts are out of the way, and relatively undisturbed by human or animal activity in the home. The contaminants collect in the ducts until the heat or air is turned on, at which point they are blown out of the vents and throughout the house, where they come in contact with humans and affect their health.

Duct Cleaning

The primary reason for duct cleaning is to eliminate as much of these airborne contaminants as possible. Depending on the type of ducts you have, an HVAC technician can either suck all the debris out of the network with a specialized vacuum or carefully clean each area with a set of brushes. By cleaning the ducts in your home once every year or two, you can substantially increase your air quality and health. If you neglect your ducts, however, you provide a haven for these germs and other contaminants from which to infect you.

If you haven’t had your ducts cleaned in a while, call Downtown Air & Heat. We provide duct cleaning throughout the Orlando area.

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Can’t I Install a Dehumidifier Myself?

Monday, January 5th, 2015

High levels of humidity can be quite a pain both inside the home and out. Humidity can cause you to feel hot and sticky and can keep you from enjoying some of the activities you partake in every day. And at this time of year, you never know whether it’s going to be a cool, temperate day, or if moisture in the air will drag you down.

Thankfully, you can purchase a dehumidifier so that you and your family can feel more comfortable inside of the home and so that you can prevent the nasty effects of a potential buildup of moisture. Many people decide to get simple single-room dehumidifiers which they can plug into the wall themselves in order to remove some moisture from a single room. But these don’t take care of moisture in every area of the home.

It’s important to have a dehumidifying system throughout the home if the air in your house is prone to holding moisture. While a single-room dehumidifier can make you feel cooler, it’s unable to reach moisture in parts of the house where it may actually do some damage. When water collects around the walls or on ceilings, it could cause permanent damage to the structure of the building. And what’s worse is the potential for mold growth which could actually make you feel ill. Mold particularly affects family members with asthma and allergies, but it can easily start to take a toll on other household members as well.

It’s important to have whole-home dehumidifying capabilities to prevent moisture from ruining the structure of your home, keeping you uncomfortable, or even making you feel sick. But can you install a whole-house system by yourself? Well, this task will be difficult to complete without the right expertise. A whole-house dehumidifier is located in the ducts and works with your HVAC system to collect and drain moisture. You’ll need professional tools to enter the ducts, often slicing through it or replacing a portion of ductwork. And afterwards, you’ll need to make sure the ducts are sealed properly to prevent air leaks from decreasing the overall efficiency of your unit.

Call Downtown Air & Heat whenever you need a trained professional to install a new dehumidifier in Orlando.

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What Type of Air Cleaner Do You Need?

Friday, December 12th, 2014

Poor air quality is quite common in homes across the country. Though many homeowners do not know it, their home’s air is often infested with microscopic pollutants. Dust, mold, pollen, insect dander, viruses, bacteria, and many more contaminants are circulated throughout the house every time the heating or air conditioning is turned on. These pollutants can cause allergy attacks, illnesses, and all sorts of other nasty symptoms when they come in contact with the home’s occupants. So, what can be done about it? If you want to improve your home’s indoor air quality, you’ll need an air cleaner. Let’s examine which one would best fit your needs.

Mechanical Air Filters

Mechanical air filters are the simplest type of air cleaner available. They are comprised of a woven mesh, usually of fiberglass, stretched over a metal or plastic frame and inserted into your home’s air ducts. These filters are finely woven enough to catch a lot of the dust and debris common to a home’s ductwork, while allowing air to pass through them relatively unobstructed. Some of these filters, like HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters, are woven so tightly that they can even catch viruses and bacteria. Those filters are usually reserved for use in hospitals and the like, however, and are probably overkill for simple home use.

Ionization Air Purifiers

Ionization air purifiers are a lot more complex than mechanical air filters, though they have a few distinct advantages. Basically, a whole-house ionization purifier works by generating an electrical field around itself. As air passes through this field, the particles it carries receive a negative electric charge. These negatively-charged particles are then attracted to the positively charged metal plates inside the purifier. After the plates collect enough particles, they can be removed and cleaned. Ionization purifiers can capture a lot of airborne pollutants and contaminants. However, they do require a bit more maintenance than a simple mechanical filter.

If you’d like to know more about your air cleaner options, call Downtown Air & Heat. We install and maintain air cleaners throughout Orlando, FL.

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Why a Dehumidifier Is Necessary in a Tropical Climate

Friday, December 5th, 2014

According to the Köppen climate classification, the most widely recognized classification system for classifying the climates of particular areas, Orlando is not located in the area deemed a “tropical climate.” While Tampa has many of the characteristics of a tropical climate, it is actually located in what is known as a humid subtropical climate. In a humid subtropical climate, the winds from the tropics brings in warm, moist air which means humidity can be a real concern in our area, leading many to choose a whole-house dehumidifier.

High humidity occurs when there is a lot of water vapor in the air. This can cause a multitude of problems for Florida homeowners, including damage to the home, high energy bills, and poor indoor air quality. Rather than risk these negative effects, many homeowners choose to install whole-house dehumidifiers instead of point-of-use dehumidifiers which only alleviate the problem in a single room or area. Here are some of the risks you take if you don’t protect your entire home.

One of the most noticeable problems associated with high humidity is the level of heat you feel on your body. With too much moisture in the air, sweat cannot evaporate from your body as it should, which means a heat envelope forms around your body and makes you feel as though it is far warmer than the actual outdoor and indoor temperature. You crank up the AC to compensate, which could lead to an overworked unit that breaks down frequently or cots a lot of money to run.

The effects of high humidity on the conditions in your home can be even more of an issue. Water can ruin your furniture and do some damage for the structural integrity of your home. And in area with a lot of moisture, bacteria, mold, and viruses can thrive and move into the air, aggravating allergies, asthma, and other respiratory symptoms.

Choosing to install a whole-home dehumidifier in Orlando means you are protecting every area of your house, not just a single room. This type of system works with your HVAC unit to collect moisture as it sucks in air. Moisture is attracted to cooling coils as condensation occurs, leading to improved conditions and a feeling of overall comfort and relaxation.

Call Downtown Air & Heat to learn how you can get a dehumidifier in Orlando and get peace of mind about the state of your home.

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Problems Caused by Excessive Humidity

Friday, November 28th, 2014

High humidity is a part of daily life in Florida, and it can affect us around the year. It causes problems with comfort, negatively affects health, and leads to water damage. If your home is experiencing high indoor humidity (greater than 60% relative humidity), then one of the best solutions is to have a whole-house dehumidifier professionally installed. Dehumidifiers use a process similar to air conditioners to absorb moisture from the air. If properly sized and installed, a whole-house dehumidifier can create a proper balance of indoor humidity levels so a house is neither too damp nor too dry.

Downtown Air & Heat is experienced with creating comfort for homes in Florida, and that includes balancing humidity levels. Call us today for dehumidifier services in Orlando. With our help, you can avoid some of these common problems that result from high humidity indoors:

Discomfort and Elevated Cooling Costs

Muggy air makes hot temperatures feel much worse. The reason for this is that the moisture in the air makes it more difficult for the human body to release heat through perspiration, and this traps additional heat inside the body. Not only does this mean hot weather feels more uncomfortable, it will mean needing to keep the air conditioning running almost constantly. A dehumidifier can lower a home’s need for air conditioning by 30%, which means significant energy savings throughout the year.

Health Issues

High humidity is connected to a number of health problems, most notably those that stem from the growth of toxic molds inside a house. Other health troubles linked to high humidity include insomnia, asthma attacks, allergy problems, irritation of eyes, nose, and throat, and respiratory difficulties. For people who already have asthma, allergies, or respiratory conditions, high humidity can be extremely dangerous.

Water Damage

As moisture from high humidity continues to accumulate, it will lead to damage to the building material of a home. The development of mold and mildew will eat through drywall and warp floorboards. Expenses for repairing water damage are often high, but you can avoid the trouble with an effective dehumidifier in your home.

It is very important that you have professionals take care of installing a whole-house dehumidifier. If the wrong size system is put in, or put in improperly, you might end up with a dehumidifier that barely affects indoor conditions—while still draining power—or ends up creating humidity levels that are too low. (Low humidity creates as many problems as high humidity.) From excellent installation, repair, and maintenance services for a dehumidifier in Orlando, FL, call up the indoor air quality specialists at Downtown Air & Heat today.

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Why Consider UV Lights?

Friday, November 14th, 2014

Healthy indoor air is important to your overall health, and with the winter months coming, you may have additional concerns about biological contaminants. While an air filtration system can capture a number of contaminants in your home, it may not be able to capture the biological contaminants you want it to. This is because biological microbes are very small particles; many of them are smaller than 0.3 micrometers, which is the smallest size an air filter can capture. But there is a solution when it comes to biological contaminants: UV germicidal lights. UV germicidal lights are geared to specifically target biological contaminants, and when combined with an air filtration system, you can have a great air cleaning combination for your home. Want to find out more? Read below, and then schedule an appointment with a Downtown Air & Heat indoor air quality expert!

How Do UV Lights Work?

UV lights emit UV-C radiation. This type of radiation destroys the DNA of biological cells as well as their life-sustaining proteins. This results in two things: first, the cell cannot replicate and second, the cell cannot sustain life. As such, not only do UV lights kill existing cells, they eradicate them. UV germicidal lights are over 99% effective at destroying biological contaminants.

There are a couple of things to note about UV lights. First, they do not draw particles to them. Contaminants need to come within reach of the radiation to be affected. Second, UV lights do not capture or trap particles, so contaminants like dust, dirt and pollen are not affected by UV lights. This is why it’s recommended that UV lights are paired with an air filter or electronic cleaner.

How Are UV Lights Installed?

Placement of UV lights is pretty flexible, but recommended areas are within the ductwork and over the evaporator coils. This is because these areas are more prone to the development of growth such as mold and mildew.

Do They Need to Be Replaced?

UV lights have a lifespan of about 12 months, so they should be replaced annually to ensure they are effective.

When you pair UV lighting with your air cleaner, you and your home can see significant benefits for your indoor air quality. Call Downtown Air & Heat to schedule air cleaner services in Orlando, FL today!

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The Benefits of Air Cleaners

Friday, November 7th, 2014

A well-insulated home is sheltered from many air pollutants present in most outdoor environments. However, even inside you are not fully protected from contaminants that can reduce your air quality. That’s where air cleaners can be a great benefit to you. Below, we’ll outline some of the different types of air cleaners and the benefits they offer.

Ionization Cleaners

An ionization cleaner operates by creating a small electromagnetic field around itself. As particulates in the air pass through this field, they receive a negative magnetic charge themselves. Within most ionization cleaners are one or two metal plates, which possess a positive charge. The negatively charged particulates in the air will seek out and stick to these plates, which can then be removed and washed. An ionization cleaner is good at removing all kinds of contaminants from the air around it, including fumes and gases. It does have its own drawbacks, however. Primarily, it produces ozone as a byproduct. Ozone is considered a pollutant in its own right by the EPA, and can be harmful in large amounts.

HEPA Filters

HEPA stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Air.” A HEPA filter is a special, high quality air filter that is usually installed in a home’s ductwork. The randomly woven fiber mesh that makes up the filter is very good at capturing contaminants, even those as small as viruses and bacteria. Because of this, HEPA filters can often be found in hospitals. Unfortunately, it does nothing to impede the progress of gaseous contaminants.

UV Purifiers

UV air cleaners operate by exposing the area around them to streams of ultraviolet light. It may seem like this does nothing at all, but there are actually a number of organic contaminants that are adversely affected by this. Several strains of bacteria, viruses, and mold are sterilized or killed by overexposure to UV rays. The UV purifier is designed to destroy these organic contaminants to reduce the transmission of disease. Since it doesn’t actually restrict airflow in any way, however, dust and other inorganic contaminants are unaffected by it.

If you’d like to know more about air cleaners, call Downtown Air & Heat. We provide air cleaner installation throughout Orlando, FL.

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Types of Air Cleaners

Friday, October 24th, 2014

You’ve probably heard of air cleaners, appliances designed to improve the air quality in your home through one method or another. You may have even heard terms like “ionization” thrown around in relation to these air cleaners. How much do you really know about them, though? We’ve assembled a list to help you make an informed decision when it comes time to select the right air cleaner for you.

HEPA Filters

HEPA stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Air,” and applies to air filters with a particularly high rating for filtering out particulates. HEPA filters range in quality, from typical home use to hospitals and even nuclear power plants. A HEPA filter is a great way to improve the quality of the air in your forced air system. Just make sure that your system is designed to work with such a high quality filter.

Ionization Cleaners

Ionization cleaners are another popular option for home air cleaning. An ionization cleaner uses an electrical current to charge a metal plate within itself. As air passes through the cleaner, this plate will pass on a negative charge to particulates like dust and bacteria. The particulates then stick to the filter in the air cleaner, using a principle very similar to static electricity. Ionization cleaners are often used in areas that are extremely sensitive to particulate contaminants, like server rooms.

Ultraviolet Purifiers

Some microscopic living organisms are sterilized when exposed to UV light. This includes viruses, bacteria, and mold. Ultraviolet purifiers take advantage of this by bathing the air in UV light as it passes through them. This prevents harmful organisms from multiplying and causing sickness quite well. However, it doesn’t do much for non-living contaminants like dust. Obviously, this kind of thing is often found in areas that require a sterile environment, like hospitals.

These are just a few of the air filters available on the market. We hope that this list has helped to give you some idea about the way air filters work, and which may serve you best. If you’d like more information, call Downtown Air & Heat. We install air cleaners all over Orlando, FL.

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