Air Duct Cleaning & Sealing - Tulsa

AIR DUCT CLEANING - TULSA

At Air Assurance, we provide many indoor air quality solutions. Many homeowners have dealt with allergies, dust, or other problems in their home never realizing that the indoor air quality can be improved. If too little outdoor air enters a home, pollutants such as dust, mold, bacteria, fungi, and other contaminates can accumulate to levels that can pose health and comfort problems. Health concerns, such as allergies, asthma or the hazards of carbon monoxide can often be attributed to a poorly maintained, designed, or installed heating and air conditioning system.

AIR DUCT CLEANING IN TULSA REQUIRED?

Indoor Air Quality is important. Air duct cleaning helps maintain the hygiene of your household. Unclean ducts make the air unfit for breathing. Bad indoor air quality is one of the major causes of many respiratory problems like asthma and allergies. But did you know, you don't always need a duct cleaning? Often times we can help elimnate the source of the duct problem.

The system cleans your air ducts by brushing and removing debris and dirt directly out of your HVAC system and into our hepa filtration silencing box. We can then apply an anti-microbial protectant inside your duct work that kills most germs and microbes on contact for up to an entire year, greatly reducing or eliminating air-borne pathogens.

An HVAC air filter captures only about 7 percent of airborne debris in the average home. That means that roughly 93 percent of the dust in your air keeps circulating through the heat vents and HVAC system. To improve your air quality and protect your costly HVAC equipment from damage, it's wise to have the condition of your ducts checked every two years. When duct cleaning is needed, make sure you hire an experienced professional who adheres to standards established by the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) and uses the correct cleaning procedures to safeguard your home and HVAC system.In between checkups, watch for these telltale signs that your ducts need cleaning.

Excessive Amounts of Debris and Dust

If your heating vents are covered with soot, dust or cobwebs and particles are sent floating through the air when the blower is running, there's likely a considerable buildup deep inside the duct system that should be removed. If your home is newly built or you've recently had remodeling done in your older home, you may need the ducts cleaned to clear out any leftover construction debris.

Signs of Pests

When pests invade the ductwork, contaminants like insect parts and rodent droppings can make the air circulating through your home unhealthy to breathe. If you hear to see evidence of insects or vermin in the heating vents, call in an exterminator. Once the infestation has been eradicated, have the duct system professionally sanitized.To learn whether cleaning the heat vents is necessary in your Broken Arrow home, contact us at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heat vents and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-615-4677. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “matius/Shutterstock”

Indoor Air Quality in Your Tulsa Home - Ways You Can Improve It

How's the Indoor Air Quality in Your Tulsa Home? 3 Ways You Can Improve It

AIR DUCT CLEANING - Broken Arrow

At Air Assurance, we provide many indoor air quality solutions. Many homeowners have dealt with allergies, dust, or other problems in their home never realizing that the indoor air quality can be improved. If too little outdoor air enters a home, pollutants such as dust, mold, bacteria, fungi, and other contaminates can accumulate to levels that can pose health and comfort problems. Health concerns, such as allergies, asthma or the hazards of carbon monoxide can often be attributed to a poorly maintained, designed, or installed heating and air conditioning system. We provide duct cleaning service in Broken Arrow, Jenks, Owasso, Coweta, Tulsa and more!

AIR DUCT CLEANING REQUIRED?

Indoor Air Quality is important. Air duct cleaning helps maintain the hygiene of your household. Unclean ducts make the air unfit for breathing. Bad indoor air quality is one of the major causes of many respiratory problems like asthma and allergies. But did you know, you don't always need a duct cleaning? Often times we can help elimnate the source of the duct problem.

The system cleans your air ducts by brushing and removing debris and dirt directly out of your HVAC system and into our hepa filtration silencing box. We can then apply an anti-microbial protectant inside your duct work that kills most germs and microbes on contact for up to an entire year, greatly reducing or eliminating air-borne pathogens.

An HVAC air filter captures only about 7 percent of airborne debris in the average home. That means that roughly 93 percent of the dust in your air keeps circulating through the heat vents and HVAC system. To improve your air quality and protect your costly HVAC equipment from damage, it's wise to have the condition of your ducts checked every two years. When duct cleaning is needed, make sure you hire an experienced professional who adheres to standards established by the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) and uses the correct cleaning procedures to safeguard your home and HVAC system.In between checkups, watch for these telltale signs that your ducts need cleaning.

About indoor air quality

Everyone deserves to breathe healthful air, especially at home. Doing so can be a challenge in today’s modern world, however, when homes are well insulated for energy efficiency. Airtight homes have a downside: They trap contaminated air inside. Many products that we use daily at home contribute to bad indoor air quality, too. Cleaning fluids, pesticides, hobby materials, home improvement dust and even wet carpets emit harmful particles, polluting your air supply. Combustion debris and gases from cooking/home heating float through our indoor air along with pet dander, dust and bacteria. Here in the Tulsa area, we have the added challenge of a humid climate, which encourages mold growth.  

Safeguarding indoor air quality: the three ways 

• Source control: Your goal is to eliminate or minimize sources of poor indoor air quality. Limit the use of harmful chemicals in your home and ensure proper storage. When cooking or showering, use your exhaust fans (properly vented to the outdoors) to clear out cooking odors and humid, moist air. Schedule preventive maintenance to ensure your appliances and HVAC system work properly, limiting the possibility of gas leaks. For safety, install CO (carbon monoxide) monitors/detectors near sleeping areas and test regularly.

• Ventilation: Proper, balanced airflow throughout the home depends on a properly designed, sized and maintained duct system. Have your ductwork sealed to prevent energy loss and maintain air quality. Duct cleaning is advisable in some cases. Since A/C systems can’t provide adequate ventilation, whole-house mechanical ventilation is recommended.

• Air cleaning: No one air sanitizing method is perfect, but using a few specialized tools in combination can provide greatly improved IAQ. Whole-house air cleaning with UV lighting, when incorporated into your home’s air cleaning, heating and cooling system, helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Consider asking your home comfort contractor to apply broad-spectrum antimicrobial microbiocide to further inhibit harmful bacteria. For the best air quality, include a whole-home air cleaner with an advanced filtration system and highly effective air filter.

Concerned about indoor air quality? Contact the experts at Air Assurance. Visit our website to learn more or give us a call.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

How Does Duct Design Affect Heating and Cooling?

If you're asked which of your home's HVAC components are most important, you'd probably say your furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump. Another component that you shouldn't overlook is the duct system that distributes your conditioned air, because it directly affects your heating and cooling equipment's performance.

If the duct design is flawed, the ductwork is poorly installed, or it's damaged or leaky, you can experience problems with:

Temperature control.

Damaged or leaky ductwork that lets conditioned air escape can make it difficult or impossible to maintain your desired comfort level.

Air quality.

Pressure imbalances due to duct design flaws can pull in contaminants and allergens from unconditioned areas and erode your indoor air quality.

Energy consumption.

Overcoming duct deficiencies increases the workload of your HVAC equipment, so it uses more energy.

Component longevity.

That extra workload can also shorten your costly HVAC equipment's lifespan.

Fundamentals of Effective Ductwork Design

A properly-designed duct system should deliver the correct volume of air, at your desired temperature, to the various rooms in your home. Also, it should return stale air back to the HVAC equipment for reconditioning. An effective duct design is based on principles of air distribution and thermal gains and losses, and requires quality materials, construction and installation. Such a system also relies on:

Proper duct sizing.

Individual ducts must be sized to match the capacity of the HVAC equipment. Undersized ducts can't carry a sufficient volume of air, and oversized ducts will reduce the system's efficiency.

Balanced airflow.

To avoid creating positive or negative pressure within the house and HVAC system, the duct system must have the right number of supply and return ducts to deliver an equal volume of air.

Duct location.

Whenever possible, ducts should be placed inside the home's conditioned envelope. If ducts must be routed through unconditioned areas like a garage or attic, they need to be properly sealed and insulated to limit energy losses.

If you have concerns that flaws in your HVAC duct design are affecting heating and cooling in your Broken Arrow home, contact us today at Air Assurance for expert help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

Protecting Your HVAC System While You're Remodeling

When planning remodeling projects, make sure you put HVAC protection on your prep list. Dust stirred up during home projects can infiltrate the system and cause many problems down the line. Here are steps to keep your HVAC system safe.

Seal Off Ductwork

You probably won’t see all the dust that enters vents and registers, but you will experience the effects of it later on. Debris in the ductwork can wind up in the machinery. There it is likely to coat A/C coils and get into furnace burners and other components where it will interfere with normal, safe operation.Dust in ductwork also diminishes air quality in your home. It can attract allergens, such as mold, and these will be blown into the home. Cover all vents and registers and you will reduce the amount of remodeling debris that enters ductwork.

Use Plastic Sheeting

When you cannot simply shut a door to seal off work areas, make sure to hang plastic sheeting to confine debris. This keeps the mess in single areas, which makes it easier to clean up and prevents particles from entering your home’s air supply.

Use Good Cleanup Methods

You should turn the HVAC system off when doing any demolishing, sawing or sanding, but also make sure the air is clear and surfaces clean before turning it on again. It is not enough to let the dust settle because it will easily become airborne again. Instead, keep windows open and use a vacuum cleaner to remove dusty messes on floors. Sweeping stirs dust around and isn’t as effective.

Use a High-Quality HVAC Filter

Thick, pleated air filters will trap smaller particles of dust, and these filters are extra helpful during a remodel because of that. Fine particulates are created when working with drywall or sanding grout, for example, and cheap filters won’t always keep these out of your heating and cooling system. If your project lasts for several weeks, check the filter weekly and change it when it is clogged.

For more information about protecting your HVAC equipment, please contact us at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “bikeriderlondon/Shutterstock”

Tips to Save Money and Increase Energy Efficiency During Cooler Weather

Winter is coming to Broken Arrow, and that means running the furnace nearly constantly to beat the cold. It's why winter also means skyrocketing energy bills. What can you do about it? Is there a way to save money and increase energy efficiency while still maintaining your overall comfort? Here are a few tips.

• Get a programmable thermostat. Rather than having your furnace running full blast while you're not home, a programmable thermostat lets you switch between your general home comfort setting and an energy-saving setting that's a few degrees warmer. Switch to the energy-saving setting automatically during the day while you're at work and at night when you're asleep. Throw a few extra blankets on the bed to make up the difference in heat.

• Seal your ducts. Holes in your ductwork cause air (and heat) to leak out before it reaches your rooms, which requires more energy to make your home comfortable. Inspect your ductwork carefully for tears, holes, gaps and other damage that can allow air to leak out, and seal them up with metal tape or mastic sealant.

• Insulate. Even if your home has insulation, chances are it could use more. Insulation slows the flow of heat so that it stays in your home longer. Since heat rises, the best place to insulate your home is the attic. If the insulation in your attic is at or below your floor joists, then you could use more. Call an HVAC professional to help you add insulation.

• Upgrade. All the energy-efficiency advice in the world won't help if your furnace is wasting energy. That's when it's time to upgrade to one that will run more efficiently and save money. It may cost a bit, but it'll save you in the long run. Look for the blue Energy Star label, which indicates your furnace has been inspected by the federal Energy Star program and is proven to save money and energy over comparable models without sacrificing performance or features.

To learn more about improving your home's energy efficiency, contact us at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “twobee/Shutterstock”

Why You Should Have a Pro Seal Your Air Ducts

You may not think about your home's ductwork often since it's hidden from sight, but deficiencies in this critical HVAC system component can erode your comfort. If ducts aren't properly sealed and insulated, up to 40 percent of the system's conditioned air output can escape before it reaches the registers. Duct sealing can solve this problem and prevent other serious issues as well.

Benefits of Professional Duct Sealing

When you hire an experienced professional, you'll have peace of mind that the air ducts in your home are thoroughly inspected and any damaged or disconnected sections are repaired. A pro seals the seams with fiberglass mesh and mastic and then wraps the ducts with R-8 insulation. Taking these steps is especially important in hard-to-access areas like the attic, garage, and crawl space where air losses often occur. Some of the major benefits you'll gain from the process include:

• Greater comfort — When duct deficiencies are corrected, conditioned airflow from the registers improves. You'll experience fewer hot and cold spots in different rooms, and you'll find it easier to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the house.

• Lower energy bills — Heating and cooling devours roughly 45 percent of the energy used in your home each year. Reducing air leakage in the duct system by 30 percent can result in energy savings of up to 16 percent and help curb high yearly heating and cooling costs.

• Better indoor air quality— When the ducts are properly sealed, unhealthy contaminants can't enter the air supply from the attic, wall cavities, or other unconditioned spaces.

• Enhanced safety — Eliminating leaks in the duct system lowers the risk of carbon monoxide exposure from a back-drafting gas water heater or furnace.

• Longer equipment life span— Compensating for air leakage puts added strain on the HVAC equipment, which can shorten its service life. Sealing and insulating ducts reduces this unnecessary wear and tear, and it also helps keep out debris that can build up on sensitive components and cause a premature failure.

To learn more about the many benefits of duct sealing, contact the Broken Arrow HVAC pros at Air Assurance today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Lopolo/Shutterstock”

Energy-Saving Tips for Your Tulsa Home This Spring

Now that spring weather is here, you have a golden opportunity to make some energy-wise changes before another hot summer arrives. The following home energy-saving tips can help you keep consumption and costs under control and boost your comfort too.

• Get your air conditioner tuned up. Scheduling A/C maintenance with your HVAC contractor before you start it up for the season guarantees it's ready and able to keep your home comfortable when the temperatures soar. To keep your cooling system operating at maximum efficiency, remember to check the air filter every month and change it as needed.

• Upgrade to a programmable thermostat. If you're still using a manual thermostat, talk to your HVAC pro about the benefits of switching to a programmable model. You'll learn that it's the most convenient way to schedule daily eight-hour, 10-to 15-degree temperature setbacks and save energy.

• Have your ducts sealed and insulated. A knowledgeable HVAC specialist will also advise that sealing your ducts can stop the loss of up to 30 percent of your A/C's cooling output. By having the seams and joints sealed with foil-backed tape, and wrapping the ducts with R-6 insulation, you'll see a drop in energy consumption and an increase in comfort.

• Increase your water heating efficiency. The sediment that builds up in your tank during the normal heating process can erode energy efficiency and even ruin the appliance. Having the tank flushed twice a year to get rid of the accumulation can keep it operating efficiently. While it's being serviced, have the water heater thermostat dialed to 120 degrees and add an insulated jacket if it's an older model.

• Check your attic insulation. Have a pro measure the insulation level on your attic floor and, if necessary, get extra installed to bring it up to the recommended minimum of R-49. If it hasn't been done already, make sure your access hatch is insulated on the attic side and properly sealed to stop conditioned air losses.

For more home energy-saving tips, contact Air Assurance. We've helped make life more comfortable for Broken Arrow area homeowners since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “patrimonio-designs-ltd/Shutterstock”

Keep Your Attic Ducts Free of Costly Leaks

According to Energy Star, leaky and poorly designed ducts account for as much as 30 percent of the energy lost in the average home. If you experience uneven temperatures in your home, or hear rattling noises caused by loose ducts, make sure to find and seal them so you can save more energy dollars and increase your home comfort.

Finding Attic Duct Leaks

Most attics are inhospitable, so make sure to dress appropriately by wearing goggles and a hard hat. For a basic duct leak evaluation, you only need a few simple tools: a flashlight, a grease pencil and a smoke pencil or incense stick. Here's what needs to be done:

• Turn on the HVAC system.

• Mark air leaks with a grease pencil.

• If your ducts are insulated, look for dirt streaks, which are a sign of air leaks.

• Inspect your ducts for obvious holes, damage, tangled ducts, disconnected ducts and loose ducts.

• Use the smoke pencil or incense stick to find smaller holes. Hold the smoke pencil or incense at each duct connection. If the smoke swirls, you’ve found a leak. Mark it with the grease pencil.

If your HVAC professional is evaluating your attic ducts, specialized equipment is used. A blower door test pressurizes your ducts to detect leaks, and airflow is measured across the blower (i.e. pressure drop). If you want the best duct sealing, or if you're upgrading your HVAC equipment, it’s wise to bring in the pros.

Sealing Duct Leaks

Sealing air ducts can be fairly simple, or get pretty messy. It depends how air-tight you want your ducts to be. At the very least, use foil-backed tape to wrap duct joints. For the best seal, use mastic paste first. Simply apply the paste with your gloved hands or a paintbrush. Wait a day to let it dry, and then wrap each area with the foil-backed tape.

For more information about locating and sealing leaks in your Broken Arrow or Tulsa home, contact Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Kichigin/Shutterstock”

Find Out How Sealing Your Ducts Can Save More Energy

Homes with forced-air heating and air conditioning systems use ductwork to distribute conditioned air. Unfortunately, a quarter to a third of heated and cooled air is commonly lost through leaks in the ductwork. Sealing your ducts can create obvious benefits in terms of greater comfort, higher efficiency and utility savings.

Why do ducts leak? For most of us who have never seen our ductwork, it's good to understand what's going on.

Poor Installation or Repair

The primary cause of leaking ductwork is poor installation. Joints, seams and fittings can and do fall apart. What's more, an unbalanced system can create high or low pressure that exacerbates this problem.Repairing or sealing with so-called duct tape is another issue. Duct tape deteriorates over time, particularly given the conditions that can prevail in a home's attic, crawlspace, garage or basement, where ducts are usually located. Mastic sealant or foil tape should be used instead. If your ductwork lies in an unconditioned area, consider wrapping ducts with insulation.

Leaks can occur anywhere, including where the main air supply meets the air handler, connections between bends and the main duct line and from smaller branches at the main supply line.

Benefits of Sealing Ducts

• Comfort. Your HVAC system will not have to work as hard to provide you with efficient heating or cooling if ducts are well sealed.

• Utility savings. Obviously, if your HVAC system isn't working as hard, the lower costs will be reflected on your bill.

• Efficiency. If you've invested in newer, more efficient equipment, you'll want to get the most out of them. Make your system even more efficient by preventing conditioned air from leaking into the attic, basement, crawlspace and garage.

• Better air quality. Sealing ducts can reduce the amount of pollutants circulating in your system.

• Reduced fossil fuel consumption. By reducing your use of fossil fuels, you're contributing less to carbon emissions.

For more information about sealing your ducts, contact Air Assurance in Broken Arrow. We've been serving the Tulsa area since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Silroby80/Shutterstock”