Sunday, March 23, 2014

What Can Cause My Dryer Vent To Become Clogged?

As the owner and operator of  AAA Duct Cleaning a lot of homeowners ask me about their dryer vent issues. One of those issues or questions is what could possibly cause my dryer vent to become blocked. My response is usually it could be a number of different things that can cause the dryer to not work properly and the dryer vent to become blocked.

Possible causes for a dryer vent blockage:

  •  Birds nest: a bird may have nested in the dryer vent causing a complete blockage of the dryer vent exhaust.
  • Lack of maintenance: a dryer vent that has never been cleaned will accumulate enough lint to cause a blockage of the dryer vent exhaust.
  •  A deceased rodent: a rodent that has gotten stuck in the dryer vent will completely block the dryer vent exhaust causing your dryer not to work properly.
  •  A broken or bent dryer vent: a broken or bent dryer vent may accumulate enough lint in the area of the break or bend and cause a complete blockage of the dryer vent exhaust.
  •  Extremely long  dryer vent: a very long run of dryer vent exhaust piping needs to be maintained on a regular basis since the lint has such a long way to travel to exit the dryer vent. If not maintained on a regular basis a complete blockage can occur.


 Signs that the dryer vent exhaust is clogged:

  •  Dryers will not work properly and frequently well ruin heating elements and blow thermal fuses within the appliance resulting in costly repairs.
  •  Condensation or water spots on ceilings or water backing up into the transition duct.
  • Humid laundry areas resulting from poor removal of condensation and heat.
 Prevention:

 Having your dryer vent inspected and cleaned annually will prevent costly appliance repairs, possible fire hazards, and higher electric bills. Contacting a professional dryer vent cleaning company that has the expertise and equipment to clean your dryer vent thoroughly will save the homeowner money and will give them peace of mind that their appliance will work regularly.






Monday, March 10, 2014

Health and Air Duct Cleaning The Correlation: Scenerio

There's been a debate about the correlation between air duct cleaning and health. The EPA currently states that there is no proof that having the air duct system cleaned improves inhabitants health. Although there have been no case-by-case studies involving individuals with allergies to specific things such as dust mites, insects, or pet hair. So for this article I will write a scenario about individuals that may be allergic to one of the above mentioned allergy triggers.

Scenario:

Robert and his wife have just bought a home and begin to see changes in their health such as sneezing, itchy eyes, and respiratory issues. Robert decides to call a carpet cleaning company to clean the carpets and rid his home of allergens. The carpet cleaning goes well and Robert thinks everything is going to be fine. A couple of days pass and the previous symptoms persist and so Roberts wife suggests to have the air ducts cleaned. A professional air duct cleaning company comes to Roberts home and reveals that Robert has an accumulation of dust and pet dander in the ducts and air handler. This professional  air duct cleaning company uses agitation to remove the dirt and dander from the ducts.  The technician recommends a UV purification light to help sterilize the air to help kill any germs and viruses that may recirculate through the duct system during normal operation. Robert reluctantly agrees to install a UV purification system on top of the air duct cleaning. The technician also recommends purchasing a better air filter that will filter particles more efficiently. the technician suggests a pleated filter with a merv rating of 6 to 13 for 13 being the best. After completing the cleaning and assessing the technician leaves and a week passes and the symptoms have gone.

 This is just a scenario that could possibly happen or be happening to some homeowners. Pet dander and debris can all be allergy triggers but with proper air duct cleaning techniques and procedures the homeowner can rest assured that their health will be restored.