How Is Duct Cleaning Different from Furnace Cleaning & Maintenance?
You might have heard that cleaning and routine maintenance can help your furnace work more efficiently and keep you warm during the winter. However, you might not know just what this process involves or how it differs from cleaning your ducts. Keep reading to learn how furnace cleaning and duct cleaning services in Toronto differ, so you can prepare your home for another winter.
About Furnace Cleaning and Maintenance
The term “furnace cleaning” refers to an annual cleaning and inspection of the furnace. This must get done each year, so your furnace can run efficiently and safely. With annual maintenance, you can also help the components of the system last longer. The annual inspection is about more than just cleaning, however. It also involves finding and correcting issues before they can cause severe damage.
Regular furnace maintenance includes several steps. They include:
- Looking for loose electrical connections and wires.
- Looking for leaks and blockages in the ducts.
- Checking the gas pressure and ensuring that there are no leaks.
- Cleaning the motor and testing it out.
- Inspecting and cleaning the heat exchanger and the combustion chamber assembly.
- Checking for carbon monoxide leaks.
- Inspecting the controls and thermostat to ensure they are accurate.
How Does Air Duct Cleaning in Toronto Differ?
You will get a basic inspection of the ducts in a regular furnace cleaning, but that will not include air duct cleaning services in Toronto. This is because many ducts can stay clean and do not need to get cleaned as often as they are inspected. You should have a thorough inspection that is separate from regular maintenance every five years.
The goal of this inspection is to see if you need to have them cleaned. If there are smokers or pets in the house, you might need a duct cleaning every few years. Check the inside of the ductwork, and if you see patches of discoloration, schedule an inspection. This could be a sign of mould.
Choose the Best Air Duct Cleaning Company in Toronto
If your ductwork needs a cleaning, then a company such as City Duct Cleaning Inc. will bring a vacuum system mounted on a truck and connect that with the duct system. First, the Toronto duct cleaning service will clean the vents and duct registers. Then, the technician will place a hose through the ducts to help suck out debris and dislodge it. That will prevent the debris from going back into your home.
If you need your duct system or furnace cleaned, feel free to reach out to City Duct Cleaning Inc. today for the best air duct cleaning services in Toronto.
Also read : Furnace Maintenance Tips for Winter Preparation
Furnace Maintenance Tips for Winter Preparation
Although summer is still in full force, winter is just around the corner. Before temperatures start to drop, take time to prepare your furnace with a few easy-to-follow maintenance tips. That way, you will have no unpleasant surprise in the way of no heat. Once winter hits, you want the assurance that your heating system will kick on, providing a safe and efficient operation. Thanks to one of the top companies in Canada that provides duct cleaning services, you will know exactly what to do.
- Scheduled Cleaning – The first and most important thing is to schedule a cleaning with a licensed company that handles HVAC systems and air duct cleaning in Toronto. Keep in mind that the closer winter is, the busier the top businesses are, which is why you want to schedule a cleaning around the first to last week of September. In the long run, this type of maintenance will save you a lot of money.
- Filter Change – It is also important that you install a new furnace filter. Although this is something you should do every two months, it is crucial that you replace the old filter at the start of winter. That way, air can pass through easily, thereby ensuring the efficiency of the unit.
- Switch the Thermostat – While this might sound like a given, according to one of the most trusted companies for air duct cleaning services in Toronto, many people call in for service only for the technician to discover the home or business owner forgot to switch the thermostat from cooling to heating.
- Clean Burners – Typically, this is something that a professional technician does as part of scheduled maintenance. However, at any time during the winter, especially at the beginning, if you notice dust or debris on the burners, they need cleaning. Depending on the severity, you might be able to wipe them off. Otherwise, contact a company that offers furnace and air duct cleaning in Toronto.
- Furnace Blower Motor – Again, during maintenance, a qualified technician will ensure that all components of your furnace function properly. Because of the critical role the blower motor plays, your technician will likely oil it. Usually, this is something required at least once a year.
- Heating Vents – Finally, make sure you uncover or open all the heating vents in your home or business. That way, warm air can freely flow throughout the structure, keeping everyone inside cozy during the winter months.
Your Most Trusted Source
For superior-quality maintenance and repair of your HVAC system, City Duct Cleaning is your most trusted source. We offer years of experience and unparalleled expertise. In preparation for the cold Canadian winter, give us a call.
Also Read : New Home Safety Device
5 Significant Benefits of Attic Insulation Removal in Toronto
While the thought of attic insulation removal in Toronto may initially sound odd, there are several benefits. The goal is to remove existing insulation that over time has become dirty or perhaps damaged by rodents and then replace it with a more efficient material.
You want attic cleaning and insulation removal performed by a reputable company. That way, you have the assurance that the work will get done correctly and that the expert uses the appropriate type of insulation.
- Improved Health – Especially if there are rodent droppings and urine, inhalation or direct contact could cause significant health issues for you and your family. Along with these contaminants, the rodents themselves pose a risk. For instance, if an infected rat gets inside the home and bites someone, that person could experience a range of different health issues.
- Improved Indoor Air Quality – Even the air quality inside of your home would improve by having the existing insulation removed and new insulation added. As an example, if the material gets wet, it could become moldy. Not only would the home have a musty smell, but also, if any spores become airborne and are inhaled, they too pose a health risk.
- Maximum Energy Efficiency – By replacing the insulation currently in your attic with a better product, your home becomes more energy-efficient. As a result, it would feel more comfortable during both the winter and summer months.
- Saving on Utilities – The more efficient your home is, the less you will spend each month on heating and cooling utility bills. Often, the difference in price before insulation removal and after replacement is dramatic.
- Increased Resell Value – If you plan to sell your home at some point, new attic insulation becomes a key selling point. By replacing the old material in your attic with a superior product, your property value may increase.
It is essential to hire a company that specializes in the removal of old attic insulation and the addition of new. As part of the process, an expert will inspect the attic, looking for any entry points where rodents or pests get inside, which would then get professionally sealed. The expert will also decontaminate your attic before installing new insulation.
Act Today
Although there are many attic insulation removal contractors in Toronto, At City Duct Cleaning, we do everything mentioned and then some while guaranteeing our performance. For information about our company and the full line of services that we offer, visit us online or call today to speak with a company representative.
Also read : How to help keep your HVAC system clean during a renovation
New Home Safety Device
We are pleased to announce that City Duct Cleaning Inc. is a distributer of Lint Alert, which is a new home safety device that basically monitors the air pressure inside your dryer exhaust duct.
Why is this important? The air flow, or pressure inside your dryer vent, is often directly attributed to how dirty your exhaust piping is. A dirty dryer vent will make your clothes dryer consume more energy and is also a potential fire hazard.
The Lint Alert will warn you of any potential problems with your dryer’s venting system so that you can take any corrective action required BEFORE it becomes a problem.
Causes of venting problems could be excessive lint build-up inside the exhaust duct, a plugged dryer exhaust outlet, a crushed flexible dryer vent hose, etc.
Check out this informative video which explains more about Lint Alert.
Updated:
Lint Alert can no longer be ordered online. It is best to have this device installed immediately after your dryer vent has been cleaned. That way, when it is calibrated during the installation, you will be getting a true reading as to what is good air flow. As the condition inside the pipe decreases, a series of lights will tell you the condition of your exhaust pipe at any given time. The installation procedure is quick and fairly easy, but should be done by a qualified expert.
The Lint Alert has a pass-through 120v plug, and also acts as a night light. It is easily installed in minutes.
My Animals Urinated in My Duct System Again! What Can I Do?
Pet Urine is difficult to locate in any home, even though it is very easy to smell. Pet urine can be removed out of your duct work. To determine where your pet has urinated, provide yourself with a UV black light. Make sure you turn all the lights off on that floor, so that you can be sure to see the glow.
Once you detect the area(s) where the pet has urinated, you must clean that area in its entirety. Most times animals will go to the bathroom on carpet or hardwood floors, which can be located close to your duct system. Once an animal has urinated in one spot then it is very instinctive that they keep re-soiling that specific area.
To remove the odor, it is highly NOT-RECOMMENDED to use any products that are ammonia based. As you know, if you have this problem, most urine has ammonia in it, which does not effectively clean the soiled area, and will keep the animal still interested to keep re-soiling this spot. We do recommend the use of baking soda with white vinegar. Please always do a test spot first to ensure that it does not create more damage, by discoloring your carpets or hardwood floors. Make sure that these products do not enter your heating and cooling system. If any of the products do enter the duct system, you should open all the windows and doors and call us.
Once the surrounding areas around the vents are cleaned, you will need to hire a professional duct cleaner. Dust, debris, crevices, or cracks can hold in the pet urine odor. Once your system is running it will distribute this awful smell throughout the home. At City Duct Cleaning we have the proper chemicals that can remove the urine smell from inside the ductwork, without contaminating the rest of your system.
We have a long-time customer who had a kitten that took a liking to urinating directly over one particular air vent in her home.
The heat from the furnace would dry it out and spread the stink throughout the entire floor that vent was serving.
It was necessary to replace the metal boot and the first pipe leading into it. Due to the nature of normal ductwork installations, where one pipe goes into the next one to enhance proper air flow, there was a gap where the two fittings connected that could not be reached to be cleaned. So we replaced those two parts and the air vent even though it was necessary to put a hole in the drywall directly below that air vent.
We also encapsulated the entire duct system, paying closer attention to that duct run. Our chemical also happens to work perfectly on drywall, concrete and wood, so while we had the space open we also sealed all around the area where the vent was (between the floor and the ceiling below). This procedure solved the problem with the odor completely.
It is not clear how she was able to get her kitten to stop peeing in the vent.
Also read : How Is Duct Cleaning Different from Furnace Cleaning & Maintenance?
