Indoor Air Quality

A good home comfort system should protect you from allergens, remove excess moisture, combat mold - in fact, it should ensure the quality of the entire indoor environment. It should also save energy and lower your gas and electricity bills. Thanks to technology, houses have evolved light years beyond their earliest task of providing simple shelter. They have become total environments that sustain, refresh and provide us with a high level of healthful comfort. From air conditioners to zone heating systems, a wide variety of machines and systems equip today's homes for these responsibilities.

There are two important facts you should know about heat movement. First, heat seeks a balance. Applied to a home's air temperature, this means warm air always moves from a warm place to a colder one and vice versa; the greater the difference, the faster the flow of heat. Second, heated air rises. Unless it's stirred up, the air in a room tends to stratify-warm air gathers near the ceiling, cool air moves toward the floor.

Improve your well being

Does someone in your home experience allergies, asthma or respiratory disorders? What about headaches, nasal congestion or sinus problems? If so, the cure may be right under your nose in the form of the air you breathe.

Both Total Health and Better Health magazines cite that "1 of 6 people who suffer from allergies do so because of the direct relationship to fungi and bacteria in the air duct system." Simply put: Dirty ducts can make you sick. Really sick. The Department of Consumer Affairs adds that "children and the elderly are especially affected by polluted indoor air."

Dirt, pollen, smoke, pet hair, dust mites, even dead skin get trapped deep inside your ducts. This creates a breeding ground for bacteria. Every time you turn on your system, these contaminants get blown into the air that you and your family breathe.

Help eliminate odors and dust

Does someone in your home smoke? Do you have any pets? Well, that smoke and animal dander doesn't disappear -- it winds up in your duct system. Think about it. Don't you notice that musty, stale smell that comes on when you start your system at the beginning of the heating or cooling season?

What about dust? Do you notice that a layer of dust seems to settle on your furniture right after turning your system on? That's a tell-tale sign of ducts desperately in need of cleaning. Most furnaces are only equipped with a throw-away style fiberglass filter. The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) reports that "most commercially available fiberglass furnace filters are less than 7% efficient." This allows a tremendous amount of dust to settle into your duct work.

Save money on heating & cooling

When your system kicks on, does it seem that it's blowing a lot less forcefully than it used to? It might not be your fan ... it could be that your ducts are becoming clogged. And the harder your system has to work to push more air out, the longer the system has to run to adjust your home's temperature. The longer your system runs, the more money it costs you.