 Chimney cleaning is an essential part of caring not only for your fireplace but for your home. There are two very important reasons to get your chimney cleaned regularly.
One is because of the toxic gasses that can enter your home when there is a blockage or buildup within the chimney. These gases are not safe for humans or any pets to inhale and can cause health concerns. The other significant reason to have your chimney cleaned regularly is overall safety. Having a clean chimney lowers the risk of home fires starting. These chimney fires are known to cause structural damage to your home and worse, injure and kill people if the fire is not detected early enough. Unfortunately for the average homeowner, the warning signs, like loud popping sounds, are overlooked, thus an uncontrollable fire is the outcome. The National Fire Protection Association Standard 211 suggests having your chimney serviced yearly. This organization advises this in hopes to help lower injuries, deaths, and uncontrollable fires for the general public. The yearly cleaning can be your guideline but there are also some signals to watch for that tell your fireplace and chimney are due for a cleaning. The following are signs that a cleaning is needed: if you typically have no problems starting a fire but it is now taking you awhile to get one going, if the fireplace starts to smell like a campfire or smoke starts to fill the room even with the damper, the seal to the fireplace, is open, if the damper appears black, or if the walls of the fireplace have oily residue on them, then it is time for a cleaning. Another obvious sign it is time to call a chimney sweep is if you suspect animals living within the chimney. Birds, squirrels, bats, and raccoons are common chimney residents due to the warmth and safety they can offer. Signs of an animal in your chimney are droppings found in the fireplace as well as any chirping/squeaking noises. You might even spy a nest in your chimney. While you can remove general ash using a heavy metal bristled brush yourself if there is any oil or buildup, you should call a chimney cleaning professional. A professional will remove all soot, blockages, built up creosote (tar like oil that is a byproduct of burning wood), clean out the firebox, smoke chamber, and the damper. The chimney sweep will begin the cleaning starting at the flue, the vertical duct or pipe that allows gasses to get to the outside, and then work upwards or vice versa, from the roof to the smoke chamber. It usually cost a few hundred dollars and takes about an hour to complete. The suggested time of year to get your chimney serviced is in the spring. Enjoy safe, warm, and comforting fires all year long by remembering to take care of your chimney. For the comfort of knowing your fireplace and chimney are in working order it is well worth the time and money to make sure they are cleaned properly and regularly.  A hearth fire, or a fire in a wood stove, is a universal sign of comfort to all. Even people who do not have fireplaces delight in "faux" fires. You can even watch hearth fires on YouTube.com. Fires conjure up images of warmth, security, coziness, and calm. Fire is an essential element, and humans are drawn to it.
For those of you who have real, working stoves or fireplaces, you hopefully know that chimneys need to be cleaned regularly. But how often? Our recommendation is twice per year. If you use your fireplace or stove during the fall and winter months (sometimes into the spring), you may experience the buildup of cresote. Cresote is a substance that builds up on the insides of chimneys and stovepipes. What happens if you have too much cresote? It can ignite, and cause a chimney fire. Another reason is to have a chimney cleaned is to check for cracks or holes. Even a small crack or hole can be enough for fire to seep through into your attic, causing a fire. There is another reason, and while they are mostly harmless, they are creepy: Bats. To a bat, a chimney or stovepipe just seems like a safe haven when the chimney or pipe is not in use. It's a hollow, cozy spot to hang out. Bats can squeeze through incredibly tiny spaces, which is why, when you are through with fires for the year, you should have a chimney sweep inspect your chimney or stove pipe to make sure it's clear, clean it, and make sure that it is screened so that bats cannot get in it. In most areas, bats are a protected species -- so if they get in, getting them out is very difficult, not to mention expensive. Birds are another issue with chimneys or stove pipes. They of course build nests, and on top of a chimney seems sometimes like a dandy place. Unsuspecting homeowners sometimes kill them inadvertently, not realizing that a nest has been built. A chimney sweep service can make sure everything is "good to go" for a fire before something upsetting like this occurs. Should You Hire a Professional? Chimney cleaning is very strenuous, and often dangerous, work. Some roof lines are extremely daunting due to steepness and accessibility. Ladders are dangerous, accounting for over 164,000 deaths per year. Moreover, you need quite a few tools, such as a ladder, buckets and rags, a chimney brush, possibly a professional vaccum, a good mirror, and a flashlight. That is a lot to lug around, but if your chimney is not in a hard-to-clean place, you can certainly give it a try. Be sure to cover the fireplace area, lest you get soot onto floors, furniture, etc., and then have a bigger mess to clean. When Should You Clean? Follow the seasons. Clean your chimney or stove pipe after you are done using it -- perhaps in March or early April, and then again when it gets chilly again, in October or early November. Enjoy a fire, but be safe!  With the weather outside getting warmer, it is important to have some basic education on your home's HVAC system to prevent the elevated temperatures from making their way into your house.
Like all good investments, a heating and cooling unit needs to be maintained and occasionally serviced to make sure the money you spent on it is not wasted. Part of this maintenance includes cleaning of the duct system. But how do you know when it is time to have the air ducts cleaned, what are the signs to watch out for? And who do you call to perform this cleaning? Sign 1: Your electric bill is higher than normal. Keeping a close eye on your monthly energy bill is a good idea for staying within your budget, but it is also important in case of clogged air ducts. When air is being forced through dirty air ducts, your cooling system must work much harder to maintain the temperature that you set on the thermostat, thus increasing the time the unit is on and the amount of money you will spend keeping your home's temperature at a comfortable setting. Sign 2: Pests have moved into the ducts. Not only is creepy to think about insects and rodents making a home with you, but their invasion can also cause health problems. The best way to tell if they have found their way into your home's HVAC ducts is to look and listen for some tell-tale signs. Strange noises, smells or droppings are all easy to notice and are indicators that your air ducts need to be cleaned-immediately. Sign 3: You have recently remodeled or built your home. Whether you built and remodeled your home using an outside contractor, or you did the work yourself, construction is messy! Even with covering vents and diligently cleaning up as you go, fine particles of dust and debris can easily make their way into your air ducts. Make it a habit to have your air ducts cleaned anytime you complete a construction project. Sign 4: You can see evidence of dust. Noticeable dust in the air when your HVAC system kicks on, or visible dust on your air vents is not something you should be embarrassed about, nor is it something that should be ignored. Even homes with fulltime house cleaners accumulate dust, dirt and pet dander. Noticing this on your vents or your air filters means that it is time to have your air ducts cleaned. It will save you money, and it will keep your family breathing in healthy, dust-free air. Sign 5: A musty smell. Mold is very hazardous to the air quality in your home and can cause some serious health problems. It can be hard to see (especially if it is forming further down the duct system), but it has a very distinct scent. At the first hint of a "musty" smell in your home, you need to act quickly to have your air ducts cleaned so the mold doesn't spread. So, who do you call to clean your home's HVAC ducts? You call Portland's number one trusted duct cleaning company. Duct Cleaning Portland Pro is a fully licensed and insured company with experience, professionalism and reasonable prices. Call them today for more information on how to keep the air in your home cool, and healthy this summer.  Air duct cleaning is a service that many people don't even think about or worry about unless they have sensitive allergies or smell at home. However, it is something that every homeowner should consider at least every three to four years. Your air conditioning, ventilation or heating system will accumulate large amounts of bacteria, fungi, mold and other pollutants over several years, which can significantly affect the air quality in any typical home. When you clean your system, 99.9% of these contaminants are removed from your home or building, which significantly improves indoor air quality. Professional sewer cleaning can improve air quality by removing allergens that can build up in the system. Since the ventilation openings are directly connected to your heating and cooling system, they give off another round of harmful dirt each time they are activated. You may find that your family is having trouble getting rid of a cold or that you have bronchitis or asthma. Air pollutants usually go unnoticed until you see your family getting sick more than usual, and then it's time to call a professional. It is an easy process to use a professional company to access the air ducts. First, it will check your openings to see if there has been an excessive buildup of debris in the area. This can give a professional cleaning service an idea of ​​how much might be in the air ducts. Once that is established, the company will offer you a solution to the problem. If the openings are a little blocked, there is likely a lot more trapped in the ventilation system. Advantages of this ProcessEliminate Health Problems:The air around us can pose a significant potential threat to our health if not properly treated. Respiratory diseases such as asthma, lung cancer and other chronic heart diseases are mainly caused by polluted air. Cleaning the air ducts and proper maintenance can partially eliminate this hazard. The various allergies caused by dust and other microorganisms are usually addressed when cleaning the air ducts. And making sure the air in a home can flow unhindered reduces the chances of disease-causing organisms growing. Cleaning the air ducts should be a regular part of any proper maintenance schedule. It Create Clean and Fresh Feeling: EnvironmentEvery home wants a feeling of cleanliness and freshness. And one of the most important contributions to this department is the air that flows through the house. If the air itself is dirty and polluted, expect nothing else. Therefore, cleaning the air ducts is an absolute must if you want to give your home that certain something. For any home that complains of a damp and stuffy environment, cleaning the air ducts is the solution. To Remove Molds: Moulds are generally helpful elements of our ecosystem. Without mould, you could never have cheese, and Sir Alexander Fleming would never have invented penicillin. However, the problem starts when mushrooms start feeding on organic things that we don't want. These moulds are common in damp corners of the house, where moisture and stale air are abundant. These moulds are known to cause common allergies as well as other skin irritations. Cleaning the air ducts is one of the possible answers to this little problem. With clean, unrestricted air flowing in, it's more likely that you saw the last mould problem. Take AwayAre you looking for experts who can meet your air duct cleaning needs?
 People tend to spend a majority of their life in their home and hence it is important that the indoor air quality is good so that there are no risks of any health issues. There are many ways of improving the indoor air quality but nothing is more beneficial then cleaning air ducts as it is known to improve the indoor air quality significantly. Hence, before you move ahead with this option, you will need to find out why clean air ducts so that the dust and debris will be removed from the duct system. Additionally, duct cleaning is the best way of eliminating indoor air pollution which is considered as the major cause of many kinds of allergies and illnesses among the homeowners. The containment should be removed from the HVAC system so that it does not affect your health adversely and it will also address all the issues that might impact the health of your children, elderly and pets. Why clean Air Ducts - Important Reasons: 1. Reduce level of dirt and debrisThe most important reason for cleaning the ducts as it helps in removing every trace of dirt and dust that is accumulated in the system over a period of time. With proper and regular cleaning of the air ducts, all kind of containment that affects the indoor air is eliminated so that you will get clean and healthy indoor air. 2. Eliminating allergensThe right kind of professionals will assist you in cleaning the air ducts so that all kind of allergens will be eliminated from the indoor air. Moreover, there are different kind of allergens that impact your home including mold, pollen and pet dander that can have an adverse effects on your home interiors. 3. Maintaining HVAC systemProperly cleaning air ducts is very important for making sure that your HVAC system will run efficiently. It will also help in keeping the ductwork to run efficiently so that there is no presence of any kind of contaminants. It will also ensure that there will be proper airflow to your system so that it will run efficiently and the motors and fans of the HVAC system will be in its peak performance. 4. Allergy ReliefAnother important reasons of why clean air ducts is that it helps in reducing the risks of allergies among people of your home. This is especially very important for removing mold, fungi, bacteria and other allergens from affecting people with allergies so that there will be a boost in their immune system. A dirty air ducts are a perfect breeding ground for many kind of contaminants and hence it is important that you hire professionals who will help in cleaning the air ducts in an efficient manner. 5. Improved Air QualityWhen all kind of dust, dirt and debris is removed from the air, it will eventually help in improving the indoor air quality. This is especially important for making sure that the home owners do not suffer from any kind of health issues in the long run. |
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