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

Signs That You Need a New Dehumidifier

Friday, October 10th, 2014

Excess humidity is as much a problem for your home and HVAC system as it is for you. Excess humidity can compromise indoor air quality and potentially damage your home, so it’s important to replace your whole-home dehumidifier if your current one is failing. We’ll go over the signs that indicate it may be time for a new dehumidifier, but as with any upgrade to your system, it’s important to always hire professionals for installation. The NATE-certified technicians at Downtown Air & Heat can install, maintain and repair any whole-home dehumidifier, so call us today.

Signs It’s Time to Install a New Dehumidifier

Here are some signs that it may be time to consider installing a new dehumidifier:

  • Aggravated allergy symptoms – mold and mildew thrive in moist environments, as do dust mites. Additionally, pollen likes to cling to the moisture in the air, so if the allergy sufferers in your home have been sneezing more, increased humidity may be why.
  • Musty smells – one of the telltale signs you have mold or mildew growth is the odor: mustiness. If you smell this odor in your home, particularly when your HVAC system runs, you may have mold or mildew contamination.
  • Visible condensation on inside windows – condensation on the inside of the windows is a solid indication that there is too much moisture in your indoor air. You may also see wet areas on your ceilings and/or walls, and on surfaces.
  • Stuffy feeling in the air – humidity holds heat, so even if the temperature is moderate, too much humidity can still make it feel close and stuffy inside.
  • Rotting wood – in areas where humidity has existed for a while, there can be damage to wood in your home. Excessive moisture can penetrate wood and cause it to rot.

If you have a dehumidifier, then you know the benefits a whole-home dehumidifier can offer. Don’t let your health or your home suffer with an aging and/or malfunctioning dehumidifier. Call Downtown Air & Heat today and schedule the installation of a new dehumidifier in Orlando with one of our installation experts.

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Warning Signs You Need Duct Repair Service

Wednesday, December 18th, 2013

Ductwork presents a challenge for homeowners: It is vital for providing you with comfort from your air conditioner and heater, and it must stay in good repair. But yet you don’t see it most of the time and have difficulty accessing it.

Getting access to your ducts is actually quite easy: just call duct repair experts to take on the job. But how do you know you need to call them if you can’t see your ducts? This list of signs that you require repair and duct sealing in Orlando, FL should help.

Something else that will help: a call to the Orlando, FL ductwork experts at Downtown Air & Heat!

Signs to call for duct repair:

  • A sudden increase in your energy bills: Whether you are currently using your ducts for air conditioning or heating, if you notice a leap in your power bills that you cannot explain, then it is possible that duct work damage has caused it. Breaks in ducts will cause a loss of heat/cooling, and your home comfort system will need to work harder to achieve its set temperature, resulting in those elevated bills.
  • Unusual odors from the vents: When breaks occur along the length of your ducts, they will start pulling in air from sections of your home that have little ventilation: spaces between walls, the attics, crawlspaces. These areas often contain heavy amounts of dust and dry, stuffy air. If you detect unexpected odors wafting from the vents, it is likely because of unseen breaks.
  • A decrease in your air quality: If you start to notice symptoms that resemble the common cold—dry throat, itchy eyes, running nose, headaches—and develop irritation from dry skin, then the issue may not be from germs, but from a drop in your air quality due to ducts contaminated with dust. Broken ducts will draw in dust from those same closed spaces that cause the unusual smells. If you have people in your home with allergies to airborne pollutants, pay close attention if their symptoms suddenly begin to turn worse.

Put away the duct tape and call the experts!

No, you can’t repair broken ducts using duct tape; duct tape wasn’t even invented for this purpose. You need to call professional duct technicians, who can safely access your ducts and apply repair methods such as mastic sealant and any necessary replacements to get your ducts in proper shape once more.

For professional duct sealing in Orlando, FL, call up Downtown Air & Heat. Our NATE-certified technicians will get the job done right the first time, and just in case, we guarantee all our work for one year. We also perform duct cleaning and duct sanitizing so you’ll have the cleanest ducts on the block.

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3 Signs You Need Professional Duct Cleaning

Tuesday, December 10th, 2013

This is an unfortunate reality of modern life: we spend approximately 85% of our time indoors, and the quality of the air trapped inside modern, almost sealed indoor environments is far below that of the outdoors. (According to the EPA, it can be up to 100 times worse!)

One of the major contributors to low indoor air quality inside homes is contamination within ductwork. Regular duct cleaning will help improve the time you spend in your home, which is a major part of that 85% of your indoor time.

Downtown Air & Heat takes your indoor air quality seriously. Not only do we install purifiers and dehumidifiers, but we also perform professional duct cleaning and sanitizing. Our NATE-certified ductwork technicians will give your ducts the cleansing they need to give you high indoor quality air.

3 signs to call for Orlando, FL duct cleaning

This trio of warnings will tell you that your ducts have become contaminated with dust, dirt, pollens, dander, hair, or biological pollutants:

  1. You notice foul odors coming from your vents. Many contaminants that can develop inside your ducts will create unpleasant smells. You may also notice a burning stench, which usually means dust has infiltrated your heating system’s cabinet.
  2. The power bills start to climb for no obvious reason. The more contaminated your ductwork becomes, the more resistance the contaminants will create to the airflow from your heater and air conditioner, forcing them to overwork. Watch for spikes in your bills when nothing else seems to be wrong—it might indicate filthy ducts.
  3. Dust builds up in your home, and no cleaning you do seems to take care of it. This can indicate that your ducts aren’t helping you keep your living spaces clean, but are instead wafting dust in along with the air.

Call for professional duct cleaning

Your ducts are difficult for you to access on your own, and the dirt, dust, and other contaminants inside will not come out with a broom or a rag soaked in cleaner. Duct cleaning is a specialized field that requires an array of professional tools like environmentally-safe sanitizers and UV germicidal lights. Summon professionals with the proper certifications for this job, and you’ll have the peace of mind that your ducts are the cleanest they can be.

Downtown Air & Heat has extensive experience with ducts, from designing them to fixing and cleaning them. We guarantee our work for 1 year and are always available around the clock for emergencies. Get started with duct cleaning in Orlando, FL today with Downtown Air & Heat.

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