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Showing posts with label mold in hvac ducts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mold in hvac ducts. Show all posts

Friday, December 14, 2018

You Might Need an Air Duct Cleaning If…


If you own a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, at some point it’s going to need a thorough cleaning. It’s important to know what factors might be increasing your need for a professional cleaning sooner rather than later, and the information below can help!
You might need an air duct cleaning if...

…You Have Pets

If you have pets, they are most likely spending a lot of time indoors, especially during the colder months of the year. What you might not know is that your pet is continuously dropping off pet dander that can travel all over your house, wherever your pet goes, wherever you go, and wherever there’s an air vent--basically everywhere.
Dander itself is skin flakes that all animals produce, and dander--not hair--is what causes people with animal-related allergies to have an allergic reaction. Over time, your pet’s dander will find its way into your air ducts, where it will collect and be released by your HVAC throughout each room of your house. As a result, your home air quality will start to diminish.

...You Have Allergies or Even Asthma

Literally millions of Americans suffer from allergies and asthma. On an annual basis, 50 million Americans are suffering from allergies, and 24 million are affected by asthma. So what does this have to do with air ducts?
As you can probably guess, components of your HVAC system can become coated with dust, allergens, spores, and other irritants that then get pushed out into your home, affecting its air quality. If you suffer from allergies and asthma, having clean air ducts may help lessen the volume of air particles triggering your symptoms.

...Children or Elderly Individuals Live in Your House

Children and the elderly can be especially susceptible to the harmful effects of poor air quality. While many people may know this, research from the American Lung Association has revealed that 87% of Americans don’t know that the indoor air in most American homes is actually more polluted than the air outdoors. Keeping this in mind, it’s also important to remember that children and the elderly--especially those with respiratory or cardiovascular diseases--are probably spending more time indoors than anyone else.
Before welcoming a newborn baby or an elderly parent into your home, you may want to inspect the cleanliness of your HVAC system to help ensure a cleaner living space and prevent allergic reactions and illness.

...Someone in Your Household Smokes Indoors

While smoking can be detrimental to your health, it can also increase your need for an air duct cleaning. Unfortunately, when someone smokes indoors, the smoke doesn’t have many places to go. It’s almost a certainty that it will be pulled through your air ducts and that the smell will start to saturate your home. Even if you are not particularly bothered by the smell, the smoke particles are also going to be forced back into the home by the HVAC system, which could cause guests to become ill or suffer an allergic reaction or asthma attack.
It’s perfectly normal for your air ducts to need a professional cleaning from time to time. At GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration, we provide comprehensive air duct cleaning services, including inspections, cleaning of entire HVAC systems and their components, and anti-microbial treatments registered with EPA. If you have any of the four factors listed above, contact us to schedule an inspection.

Friday, October 2, 2015

Why Does Mold Grow in HVAC Ducts?


Mold is a type of fungus that can grow virtually anywhere – indoors or out. Mold serves a very important purpose in nature, and we can even make medicine from it (ever hear of penicillin?), but it's not something you want to find growing on your walls.

Exposure to mold spores can cause allergic reactions, headaches, nausea, and fever. Long-term exposure can lead to more serious problems such as infections in your lungs. Mold is commonly found growing in areas around the home such as bathrooms, basements, attics, crawl spaces, and even your HVAC ductwork. But why?

Mold needs two things to survive and spread: moisture and a source of food. Let's take your air ducts for example: during the warm summer months, your air ducts get cold because of the cooled air flowing through them. As the warm air in your home comes in contact with these ducts, condensation occurs. If there is a high humidity level, this water will not evaporate, it will just continue to collect.

Now about the nourishment. As previously mentioned, mold also needs a source of food. The average three-bedroom home generates more than 40 pounds of dust each year, much of which accumulates in your air ducts. Add that to the pollen being drawn in from the outside air supply, and you can see that your ductwork is full of organic materials for mold to feed on.

If you suspect there is mold in your HVAC ducts, don't try to handle it yourself. Call the professionals at GreenPro Cleaning &Restoration and we will remove all contaminants from your ducts in a safe, efficient manner. We serve all of Long Island including Nassau County and Suffolk County – call us today for a free quote at (631) 940-8100.