Schedule an appointment TODAY! 512-702-7415

Our Company Blog

Why Clean Air Ducts?

Your home is your sanctuary where you feel safe, comfortable, and relaxed — a place where you can breathe easily. However, the indoor air quality in your home may not be as good as you may think. Surprisingly, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has found that indoor air quality can be lower that the air you breathe outside. Continuous exposure to low air quality can even make you sick. National health organizations like the American Lung Association (ALA) have warned that indoor air quality is a top health hazard in this country. One of the reasons why the air inside your home can be so dirty involves the air duct system. Every time your heating and cooling system circulates air throughout your home, breathing irritants circulate as well. If you have ever seen dust bunnies on your air registers, you know how much dust is in that air. Atlas Chimney wants to keep you and your family healthy by improving your indoor air quality, which is why we provide professional air duct cleaning services to the residents of the Austin area. We have been asked why this maintenance service is important, so we would like to give you a more detailed answer to the most frequently asked question about air duct cleaning.

Why Clean Air Ducts Image - Austin TX - Atlas Chimney

Why do I need professional air duct cleaning?

Many things can be lurking inside your air duct system, including dust, pollen, pet dander, mites, fungus, bacteria, and even mold and rodents. All of those pollutants are dispersed through the air in your home during each cycle of your heating and cooling system. For those in your household with asthma and other respiratory health problems, a long exposure to breathing contaminated air can make these problems even worse. The only way to get rid of these contaminants is to have your air ducts cleaned by experienced professionals like Atlas Chimney. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  warns that not properly cleaning air duct systems can actually worsen the indoor air quality. Every component of your heating and cooling system must be cleaned. If just one part was left dirty, it will recontaminate the entire system. Inexperienced technicians could also damage the ducts, or even the whole heating and cooling system. If you hire an uncertified technician to clean your air ducts, you could end up having to spend a lot of money to repair that damage. You can trust Atlas Chimney to do this important job properly because our technicians hold certifications from the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). We follow the CSIA Code of Ethics, so you know that we have been trained to correctly maintain venting systems and promised to conduct fair, ethical, and honest business practices.

Before we actually clean your air ducts, we will inspect the system to determine if your ducts are lowering the indoor air quality. This inspection is provided free of charge. If we feel the system needs a professional cleaning, we will show you why on the video we recorded during the inspection. Our technicians use specialized tools, such as skipper balls and brushes designed to clean air ducts, to ensure every component is correctly cleaned. After we have loosened and vacuumed up all of the physical dust and debris from the ducts, we will sanitize the system with a microbial spray that kills germs, bacteria, and dust mites.
If you have never had your air ducts professionally cleaned before, you may want to consider it. Contact us at Atlas Chimney to schedule an appointment for a free inspection of your entire air duct system today.

How a Rusty Damper Can Affect Your Electric Bill

If you want your chimney and fireplace season to work as well as possible, you need to be sure that each and every component is in good working condition. When you have problems with certain parts, such as the liner or damper, your chimney could possibly even be unsafe. Also, the efficiency issues caused by damaged chimney components can be quite costly. Atlas Chimney would like to talk to you more about dampers and how a rusty damper can affect your electric bill.

How A Rusty Damper Can Affect Your Electric Bill Image - Austin TX - Atlas Chimney

What exactly is a damper?

Situated directly above the firebox, a traditional throat damper is constructed from metal, ceramic, or other material that can tolerate the exposure to direct heat. Similar to a flap or door, a throat damper can be opened or closed. Another type of damper is the top-mounted damper, which is located at the very top of the chimney and can also serve as a chimney cap.

What does a damper do?

Even when your fireplace is not being used, your damper has a very important function, which is why you need to be sure it is in good working condition. When you are burning a fire in your fireplace, the damper should always be open to allow smoke, gases, and the other byproducts of combustion to escape out of the chimney. If the damper is closed, smoke and toxic gases will get forced back into your home through the fireplace. If there is no fire burning, your damper should always be closed to create energy efficiency by keeping warm air inside your home during the winter and cooled air inside during the summer. According to Do It Yourself, you can control the intensity of your fire by partially opening the damper to limit the amount of oxygen exposure to the fire.

What is the most common problem with throat dampers, and how does this issue affect my electric bill?

Although your damper may be constructed with a good quality metal, it can still suffer from corrosion over the years. Rust is the most common problem with throat dampers because it can cause issues opening and closing the damper. You can have difficulties adjusting and even moving a damper that has been corroded by rust. When your damper is stuck in the open position, it can cause your electric bill to be more expensive than usual. It can be challenging to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer when the damper cannot close correctly. To be sure your home is as energy efficient as possible, you should have your rusted damper repaired or replaced.

Atlas Chimney can help you with taking care of your rusty damper. Contact us to find out how we can reduce your electric bill by repairing or replacing a damaged throat damper.

Recent Posts

Find Posts About