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Do You Need HVAC Duct Cleaning?

Is HVAC duct cleaning appropriate for your residence? Homeowners may wonder whether it is necessary, how often it should be performed, and how to locate the most qualified business to complete the work. Some HVAC service companies also attempt to persuade homeowners that it is necessary to seal ducts and apply chemical biocides and treatments in order to kill bacteria and mold in the air conditioning system. Is this true or false?

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Homes are being overrun by HVAC services, and homeowners are befuddled about what services they require and which they do not. Customers frequently inquire about whether or not there are any guidelines or recommendations to follow, and the good news is that there are. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States has issued recommendations and information, which we will share with you in order to assist you make an informed decision about whether HVAC duct cleaning and other services are appropriate for your home environment. Additionally, we will provide guidance on how to select a service provider if and when you decide that you would like these services carried out.

Should you employ a company to clean the HVAC ducts in your home or business?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there is a paucity of information about the potential benefits and potential drawbacks of HVAC duct cleaning. Furthermore, because every home is unique, it is impossible to make broad statements regarding whether or not HVAC duct cleaning in your home would be advantageous.

Here's a straightforward statement of fact: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, you should get your HVAC ducts cleaned if they are clearly contaminated with significant mold growth, pests or rodents, or if they are excessively blocked with dust and debris.

What happens if none of these conditions are met? Is it still necessary to have your ducts cleaned on a regular basis?

How to determine whether or not your home's HVAC ducts require cleaning

According to the Environmental Protection Agency's publication, Should You Have Your Home's Air Ducts Cleaned?

If your family members do not suffer from allergies or illnesses, or if your ducts do not appear to be unusually blocked with big amounts of material, it may not be necessary to have your HVAC ducts cleaned. You'll have to take the registers out and examine within the ducts to be sure, because dust surrounding the registers is common and can be readily cleared with a simple vacuuming operation.

Although the report does not recommend seeking medical attention if you or your family members are experiencing odd symptoms or illnesses that appear to be related to indoor air quality, it does recommend that you consult your physician.

Understanding the need to adhere to correct HVAC duct cleaning techniques

The argument over the benefits of frequent HVAC duct cleaning continues, but the available information does not support the notion that it is harmful if done properly. The fact is, if a service provider does not adhere to the necessary HVAC duct cleaning methods, you may have indoor air quality issues as a result of the failure to do so.

Consider the possibility that an untrained service provider can cause damage to your ducts or HVAC system, raising your heating and air conditioning costs or necessitating the need for expensive repairs or system replacement.

In a similar vein, a badly performing vacuum collecting system may cause more dust and filth to be released than if the ducts were left unattended.

Remember that if the insulation in your air vents becomes wet or moldy, it will need to be removed or replaced because the insulation will no longer be able to efficiently function as it once did. Furthermore, if the moisture problems that produced the mold in the first place are not addressed, the mold will resurface.

Making the right choice for a certified HVAC duct cleaning service provider

Make no mistake about it: not every company providing HVAC duct cleaning services is equally knowledgeable and dependable. Before making a decision, it is critical to interview many service providers and compare written estimates. Don't forget to inquire as to whether the service providers are in possession of any applicable state licenses.

Make a point of asking service providers to show you any mold or other biological contamination they suspect is present in your home when they arrive. In some cases, you may even request laboratory confirmation of mold growth, but you may also choose to depend on your own judgment and common sense in analyzing apparent mold growth in other cases.

Avoid service providers who tell you that having your ducts cleaned is absolutely necessary for your health, because such statements are unfounded and unproven. A similar caution should be exercised when hiring duct cleaners who recommend routine duct cleaning as a routine part of a maintenance program. Also, be wary of any who claim to be certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as the agency has never issued duct cleaning standards and has never certified, endorsed, or approved any HVAC duct cleaning companies.

Is the use of sealants and chemical biocides absolutely necessary?

Becoming thoroughly informed about the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing sealants and chemical biocides is critical before permitting a corporation to employ them. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you avoid the use of sealants except in exceptional instances where other alternatives are not practicable, and that you only allow the application of biocides in your ducts if they are necessary to suppress mold growth in the first place. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it is highly necessary that the product be used strictly and according to label guidelines, and that you and your dogs should leave the premises while the product is being applied as a precaution.

Make certain that your HVAC duct cleaning company has years of experience and has worked on systems similar to yours, as well as that it adheres to the NADCA's air duct cleaning guidelines. If your ducts are made of fiberglass duct board or are internally insulated with fiberglass duct liner, your service provider must adhere to the recommendations of the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA).

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Fixing Storm-Related AC System Damage

Using your air conditioner during this time of year can be hazardous to its health. Hurricanes, tropical storms, and even sporadic thunderstorms have the potential to bring down power lines and cause electrical equipment such as air conditioners to malfunction. This article explains how to determine if you have electrical damage, as well as what to do if you do.

Is there any electrical damage? Maybe it's not.

When a storm has passed and the electricity has been restored, you'll want your air conditioning to be operational as quickly as possible, especially on a hot and humid summer day. However, you may be disappointed to discover that the unit will not turn back on. Attempt the following methods to reset the system before you become concerned about electrical harm.

THESE ARE THE STEPS TO TAKE TO RESTART YOUR AIR CONDITIONER AFTER A POWER OUTAGE:

The striking of lightning, particularly after a rainstorm, might result in an electrical surge that can trip the circuit breaker. Even if the power was restored after a seemingly random outage that was not caused by a storm, there may be a rush in demand when the power is restored. That is simply the circuit breaker going about its business of safeguarding your electronics. All you need to know is how to reset the breaker and re-energize the machine to get it working again.

Turn the air conditioning system off by pressing the OFF button on the thermostat (s).

Go to your electrical panel and locate the circuit breaker that controls your air conditioning system. Turn the switch to the off position and then back to the on position. The external circuit breaker is reset during this procedure.

Waiting for 30 minutes is the most difficult part. Make sure that the thermostat is turned off so that the internal circuit breaker in your air conditioner can be reset. This is not possible if the thermostat is set to chill the house or room.

Then, after 30 minutes, return the thermostat(s) to the COOL setting.

Most likely, your air conditioner will begin to function again. If it doesn't, you could be dealing with electrical damage.

What to look for to determine whether you have electrical damage

If resetting the breakers does not resolve your problem, it is possible that you have experienced electrical damage. If you see any of these signs, follow these steps:

THE CIRCUIT BREAKER IS UNABLE TO BE RESET.

If you discover that one or more of your external circuits will not turn back on, you most likely have electrical damage that extends beyond your air conditioner. This is most likely the result of a power surge triggered by lightning, or even a power spike that occurred when the electricity was re-established after being cut off. In this scenario, you'll need to get a certified electrician to come in and repair the damage..

The AC CIRCUIT BREAKER DOESN'T STOP TRIPPING 

If your breaker keeps tripping even after you have turned it back on, it is possible that your air conditioner has not been damaged by electrical current. If the only circuit breaker that is tripping is the air conditioning circuit breaker, your air conditioner is most likely overheating, which causes it to use an excessive amount of power.

IMPORTANT! If a circuit breaker trips regularly, do not attempt to re-energize the circuit. If the current flow of electricity becomes excessive, the circuit breaker's function is to preserve your building, wiring, and equipment by shutting down the flow of energy completely. If it continues to trip, you run the risk of starting a fire if you switch it back on.

To discover more about air conditioning problems (including electrical damage) that might cause breakers to trip, continue reading.

Signs and symptoms of electrical damage caused by a lack of maintenance

If you failed to schedule preventative maintenance for your air conditioning system in spring, your unit may have decreased air flow as a result of pollutants in the system. When the air filter and coils become clogged with dust, filth, and debris, your air conditioner must work harder and for a longer period of time in order to chill your room effectively. For starters, you may observe that the unit appears to be running continuously. Eventually, the evaporator coil will freeze, which can not only cause the circuit to trip because to the excessive power consumption, but it can also result in costly water leaks.

This could occur if your system has not been cleaned and tuned in a long period of time, for example. As soon as you notice a problem, contact your air conditioning service company for assistance.

Symptoms of electrical damage induced by alternating current components

After all, if the electrical damage symptoms in your air conditioner are not caused by a lack of maintenance, you could be looking at a repair problem on your hands.

FREON LEAKS: If your unit is consuming excessive electricity and causing your circuit breaker to trip, the most likely culprit is a leak in the refrigerant that circulates through the coils to chill your space. When the refrigerant charge is depleted as a result of a leak, the unit is unable to cool as effectively and must operate for longer periods of time.

IF THE FAN MOTOR IS DAMAGED AND THE SPEED IS DECREASED OR STOPS COMPLETELY, THE COILS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COOL PROPERLY, THEREFORE THE UNIT WILL HAVE TO WORK HARDER AND USE MORE POWER.

FAILURE OF THE COMPRESSOR: In the worst case scenario, you could have a faulty compressor, which would be a severe problem because it is the heart of the system. In order to get an accurate diagnosis, you'll need to contact an air conditioning service technician.

Even if you're suffering indications of electrical damage, it's possible that the problem is caused by a simple electrical problem within the air conditioner itself. A faulty electrical connection, a defective capacitor, or a short in the equipment's wiring are all possible causes of this problem. Despite the fact that this may be a simple remedy, you should never attempt to fix it yourself. For those who don't understand electricity, it can be really dangerous! Inviting your air conditioning service business is a good idea.

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A heat pump is essentially an air conditioner that can also be used to generate heat when the temperature drops.

Should you consider acquiring a heat pump for air conditioning if you need to replace your air conditioning system or your entire HVAC system? A heat pump can be used to replace both your air conditioner and, in some cases, your heating system. However, it is critical to ensure that the option you select is the best fit for your requirements.

In this post, we'll look at the differences between a heat pump and an air conditioner, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each. After that, we'll get down to business with the all-important topic of cost.

What is the difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner?

Heat pumps and air conditioners perform exactly the same functions in hot weather when your room need cooling. They cool an interior space by extracting heat from the space and releasing it outside the building.

It goes without saying that a typical air conditioner will not be of assistance in cold weather when your area need heat. As a result, furnaces or, in some cases, electric heat are used in most residential and business buildings.

A heat pump, on the other hand, has the capability of providing both heat and cooling.

What is the mechanism by which it accomplishes this? Let's go back to our definition of a heat pump: "an air conditioner that may also be used to generate heat in the reverse direction." The simplest explanation is that a heat pump can extract heat from the outside air and release it inside of the building.

 If you're not an HVAC specialist, this section may seem a little confusing to you... In the cold, how does it manage to extract heat from the outside air? Even though people feel cold as the temperature outside drops, there is still some thermal energy in the air, which allows it to accomplish this. Heat pumps are capable of absorbing this moisture and transferring it indoors to provide heat.

Advantages of a heat pump over an air conditioner and a furnace

Heat pumps are less expensive to run than furnaces.

This is the primary rationale for selecting a heat pump over other options such as an air conditioner or a furnace. Heat pumps are extremely energy efficient, which means you may save a significant amount of money on your power bills. (See what energy.gov has to say about the efficiency of air source heat pumps.)

Heat pumps do not require the use of fossil fuels.

Heat pumps, in contrast to a gas or oil-burning furnace, do not require the use of fossil fuels in order to generate heat. As a result, they are a more environmentally responsible heating solution.

There is only one system to maintain and repair.

Using a heat pump as your sole source of heating and cooling means you have one system to maintain, one system to diagnose and one system to fix if something goes wrong. This also has the additional benefit of lowering your total operating costs

Check out our linked post on heat pump troubleshooting for more information.

Heat pumps have the potential to conserve space.

When you don't need a separate heating appliance, employing a heat pump can save you space... which is especially useful in urban areas like New York City, where space is at a premium.

Constraints of the heat pump

Heat pumps are less efficient in colder climes than they are in warmer regions.

The most significant disadvantage of using a heat pump instead of an air conditioner is that heat pumps lose efficiency in colder temperatures.

When you understand how a heat pump works, this makes perfect sense. The heat pump has to operate longer and work more to generate heat when the outside air is colder, because there is less heat energy available to absorb and transmit inside when the air is cooler. When the weather is cold for an extended period of time, the running costs rise significantly.

It is possible that additional heat will be required.

Heat pump technology has advanced significantly in recent years, and they are now capable of operating in colder regions with greater efficiency than they were previously. But if temperatures drop far below freezing, you may reach a point at which your heat pump no longer has enough energy left to keep you warm.

 As a result, homeowners and business owners in the Northeast may find themselves in need of a backup heat source if they decide to go with a heat pump. Of course, this will increase the final cost of your project.

The expense of a heat pump versus an air conditioner

Generally speaking, the cost of heat pump equipment plus installation is more expensive than the cost of installing a standard central air conditioning system. The difference between the two figures can be several thousand dollars.

However, if you are upgrading both your heating equipment and your air conditioning system (and you do not require supplemental heat), you may be able to save money. This is due to the fact that you only require one new system rather than two.

TIP FOR COMMERCIAL HVAC: Take advantage of the heat pump tax credit.

 Attention, business owners: pay attention!

There is a new tax law in effect right now that allows you to deduct the entire cost of commercial HVAC equipment, including installation, from your taxable income. (This rule replaces the previous regulation, which allowed you to depreciate the cost throughout the equipment's useful life.)

That implies you'll get a large tax break all at once, rather than a small tax break spread out over a long period of time.