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The Dangers of Dirty Air Ducts

Although it is impossible to control pollution outdoors, there are things you can do to improve the air quality inside your home. Following a regular cleaning routine is very important to reduce dust in the air in your home. If you or your household suffer from allergies, you know how essential it is to stay on top of your dusting duties. However, dusting is not always enough to keep dust spores from worsening breathing conditions because the dust inside your air duct system. Once this happens, dust spores are spread throughout your home.

house at sunsetOther health dangers of a dirty air duct system include sinus infections, eye irritations, and asthma and respiratory issues. To avoid these ailments, an annual professional air duct cleaning is recommended by respiratory health experts like the American Lung Association. For over 25 years, Atlas Chimney has been taking care of the chimney and venting systems in the Austin area. You can count on our trained and experienced professionals to properly clean your air ducts. We would like to tell you more about what you can expect from our professional air duct cleaning services and how we can help repair any leaks in your air duct system.

What can I expect when Atlas Chimney shows up to clean my air ducts?

Before we clean your air ducts, our trained and certified professionals will perform a video inspection of your entire air duct system. This allows us to see exactly how dirty the ducts are. We also use this video to show you how much of a difference our cleaning made with a before and after video comparison. In order to avoid contamination of your system, we do more than just vacuum your HVAC system. To loosen dirt and debris, we use specialized industry tools like brushes and skipper balls, then we hook up a powerful HEPA-filtered vacuum to the duct to remove all of the dust, dirt, and debris. We then sanitize your air ducts with a microbial spray to kill germs, bacteria, and dust mites. If you are unhappy with our work, we will re-clean your air duct system a second time at no cost.

What other air duct services does Atlas Chimney provide?

Your air ducts could also develop leaks, which can pull dust, moisture, and irritants into your system from the walls, attic, crawl space, or basement. Leaky air ducts can make your home uncomfortable and cause your utility bills to be more expensive. If you suspect your ducts are leaking, we can seal them with Aeroseal, a system that uses polymer particles to repair it. Aeroseal is backed by a 10-year warranty, and it is non-toxic and safe for you, your family, and your pets.

When was the last time your air ducts were professionally cleaned? Protect your family’s respiratory health by calling us at Atlas Chimney to schedule an appointment today!

Chimney Physics 101

When you own a home with a masonry chimney and fireplace, it is a good idea to understand how it works so that when problems arise, you may have an easier time troubleshooting what is wrong. One of the most common chimney issues has to do with smoke blowing back into your home. It may surprise you to learn that the air in your home is in constant motion. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), it can help you to think of your house as a system, and several different things in this system, including your fireplace, can affect the airflow.

For over 25 years, Atlas Chimney has provided superior professional chimney maintenance, repair, and installation services to the Austin area. We love teaching our customers about the physics that help chimneys work efficiently. We would like to tell you more about how your chimney works and what you should know about it.

 

How can I make the draft work best in my chimney?chimney hidden behind trees

 

In order to produce enough draft to pull the exhaust gases out of your chimney, you need the right amount of heat from the fireplace. The hot gases produced by fire is more boyant that cold air, causing it to rise out the chimney. This is known as the stack effect. The hotter the fire burns, the stronger your chimney draft will be. This difference in air pressure pushes out the exhaust gases as it pulls combustion air into your fireplace. Another factor that affects how much draft you have is the height of the chimney. Taller chimneys will have stronger drafts.

 

What are the most commonly experienced chimney draft problems?

 

At Atlas Chimney, we often get calls from our customers asking for help with their smoky fireplaces and chimneys. Often these issues are due to poor drafting. A weak chimney draft can be caused by flue blockages, stuck dampers, construction errors, damage to the structure, and dirty chimney caps. Our CSIA-certified chimney professionals have been trained on exactly where to look to diagnose draft problems. After we inspect your chimney, we will recommend the action that is needed to correct the draft and flow.

Understanding the physics of your chimney can help you to enjoy warmer and safer fires this winter. If you have any chimney draft issues, contact us today at Atlas Chimney to schedule an appointment for our professional chimney inspection services.

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