Maintenance Tips
7 Steps to Get Ready for a Professional Duct Cleaning Service
Ensuring your home’s air quality is optimal involves regular HVAC system maintenance, particularly the ductwork. Engaging in a professional duct cleaning services is a proactive step towards achieving a cleaner, healthier indoor environment. This guide outlines essential preparations to maximize the benefits of air duct cleaning services.
Understanding the Basics of Duct Cleaning
Before diving into the preparations, it’s crucial to grasp what duct cleaning entails. It involves the thorough cleaning of various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems, including the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers, heat exchangers, heating and cooling coils, condensate drain pans (drip pans), fan motor and fan housing, and the air handling unit housing.
Preparing for Duct Cleaning: A 7-Step Guide
It takes more than just arranging an air duct cleaning service to ensure your home’s HVAC system runs smoothly and produces high-quality air. Proper preparation can considerably improve the effectiveness of the cleaning process. Here’s how you can get ready for a professional duct cleaning service:
- Step 1: Research and Select a Reputable Service Provider: Choosing a reputable air duct cleaning company is crucial. Look for providers with positive feedback, the right certifications, and a history of quality service.
- Step 2: Understand the Scope of Work: After selecting a provider, clarify the scope of work. The service must include a comprehensive inspection and cleaning of your system to meet your home’s specific needs.
- Step 3: Clear the Area Around the Vent Covers and Furnace: Facilitate the technicians’ access to vent covers and the furnace by removing any obstructions. This preparation step can prevent delays and potential damage.
- Step 4: Secure Pets and Inform Household Members: Ensure the safety of both pets and technicians by keeping animals in a separate area. Also, make sure all household members are aware of the scheduled service.
- Step 5: Replace or Remove Filters: Consult with your service provider about handling HVAC filters before the appointment. Technicians may prefer to evaluate or replace the filters as part of their service.
- Step 6: Identify Problem Areas: If you’ve noticed specific issues like mold, odors, or airflow problems, point these out. This allows technicians to tailor their approach for more effective cleaning.
- Step 7: Prepare for Post-Cleaning Maintenance: Discuss any recommended maintenance or follow-up care after the cleaning. Proper post-cleaning care can extend the benefits and efficiency of your ductwork.
Wrapping Up
Preparing for a professional duct cleaning appointment ensures the process is smooth and efficient, leading to better indoor air quality and system efficiency. City Duct Cleaning Inc. offers reliable and cost-effective air duct cleaning services, ensuring your home’s air system operates at its best. For residents in Toronto and surrounding areas looking to enhance their home’s air quality, contact us at City Duct Cleaning and take a step towards a cleaner, healthier living environment.
Essentials for Dryer Vent Maintenance and Safety
Discover key strategies to maintain your dryer vents, ensuring safety and efficiency in your home or business.
Dryer Lint Traps – Everything You Need to Know
Every time you use your clothes dryer, you should clean the lint trap. A full lint trap can increase drying time, so it is important to make sure your washer and dryer are in optimal working condition for maximum efficiency and maximum safety.
Some dryer vent installations also have an external lint trap, which is also known as a secondary dryer lint trap or a 4″ In-Line Dryer Lint Trap.
What Is a Dryer Lint Trap?
This device acts as an in line lint filter in the dryer’s exhaust pipe. Its purpose is to provide additional protection for your dryer booster fan, and it also helps to prevent the dryer exhaust pipe from getting clogged with lint as quickly.
External lint traps are usually installed on clothes dryers that are located on an inside wall, or when the length of the dryer vent exceeds 20-30 feet. The shorter the overall length of the vent pipe and the fewer the number of elbows or turns in the pipe, the better. New dryers will only carry the air and lint for about 18 feet, not including elbows and bends. Longer vent lengths and turns all add restriction to the air flow, causing dryer lint to build up inside.
Safeguard your home from potential secondary lint trap for the dryer. Delve into the safety risks associated with venting dryers indoors. Discover key insights on the safety of venting dryers inside in an article addressing the topic. Prioritize home safety today.
How can I improve my dryer lint trap?
A good way to do this is by having your dryer vent cleaning service by a professional on a regular basis. This is also where the secondary lint trap can help. Not everyone needs an external lint trap, and some homeowners who do have them often have questions about their use.
Here are some benefits and importance of cleaning dryer vents.
The most commonly asked questions about lint traps that are asked by people who already have one are:
1. How often should I clean it?
2. How do you open the door?
So to answer those questions, the lint trap has a clear door, so you can see through it. Check it before every load and you will quickly get an idea of how often your’s needs to be cleaned… something like every 3-5 loads is average. That’s for the secondary lint trap. The one that came with your dryer still needs to be cleaned at the start of every load.
While not every load fills the trap, cleaning it after each load will help reduce energy use.
And to open the door? That depends on the type of lint trap you have, however, they are all fairly similar. The most common one is a model called the LT-180. It has a plexiglass door with a knob on it. All you have to do is lift the knob up and pull it out on the bottom. To replace the door, you reverse those steps. Its very easy once you try it a few times.
Your LT180 lint trap can be installed either on the wall (highly visible) or inside the drywall. If this is the case, then you would only see a plexiglass door with two small folds of metal on either side. This could be on the ceiling near your dryer or on the wall.
The photo above shows an extremely dirty lint trap. The condo owner had recently moved in and did not realize they even had one of these.
Optimize your dryer’s performance with best-use practices for the lint filter. Regularly clean and maintain the lint filter for dryer efficiency and fire prevention. Prioritize safety and appliance longevity with proper care.
Home Depot Dryer Lint Traps
The LT-180 is the best we have found so far. It is made in Canada, is constructed of thick metal and is of commercial quality. This lint trap is a permanent model.
Over time (years) the door may crack or the screen may become damaged or frayed. It will help to know that the door and screen can be replaced seperately, and those cost about $20. If you have a broken door on your model LT180 lint trap, feel free to call us and we can send you a new one.
Some Do-it-yourselfers prefer to buy a dryer lint trap from Home Depot, but they also offer several other models as well. There are cheaper quality plastic ones, but it is recommended that you purchase the more durable and slightly more expensive model LT180. The metal one is much more sturdy and will be problem-free.
Risk Of Dryer Duct Fires
Dryer duct fires are a very real and serious threat. They have become more frequent with population growth, and stories of dryer duct fires have been steadily increasing and are now fairly common in the news.
Any home or business that operates a clothes dryer needs to take proper precautions, including considering the use of a secondary lint trap for electric dryer, to reduce this risk as much as possible, regardless if your machine is gas or electric.
Dryer lint is very flammable and can accumulate inside a vent pipe fairly quickly. It is recommended that dryer vent cleaning service be used once per year.
More Info About Secondary Lint Traps
It is always a good idea for homeowners to educate themselves about the operation of their HVAC systems and clothes dryer. Everyone knows how to use the dryer, but you can still learn some helpful and useful tips with a small amount of research.
Discover the crucial role of condo lint traps in enhancing dryer safety and preventing potential fires. Explore how these secondary lint traps effectively capture excess lint, reducing the risk of blockages and fire hazards.
Below are some useful links that we’ve found regarding the safe operation of your clothes dryer, and how to help prevent a dryer fire in your home or business.
Taking care of your clothes dryer is important for home fire safety.
Clothes Dryer Maintenance and Fire Prevention Tips
Cleaning the Dryer Exhaust Fan and Ducts in Your Condo
Also Read: Dryer Duct Fires and How to Help Prevent Them
Also Read: 5 Important Dryer Duct Safety Tips
Fire Service Demands Recall of Dangerous Tumble Dryers
This news item comes to us courtesy of the UK, but what a scary thought! The clothes dryer is such an amazing, time-saving device and almost every household has one… but do not take your’s for granted.
Manufacturers of dangerous tumble dryers should recall them immediately, fire services have said.
The Local Government Authority warned that people are “playing Russian roulette” by using appliances prone to exploding into flames.
It said firefighters were attending three blazes a day caused by dryers.
Whirlpool, which owns the Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda brands, said: “The safety of our customers is our number one priority.”
Modify dryers
The company has said that more than five million tumble dryers need to be modified to prevent fluff building up near the heating element and bursting into flame.
“People using faulty tumble dryers are unwittingly playing Russian roulette and leading manufacturers need to recall affected models as soon as possible to protect their customers,” said Jeremy Hilton, chairman of the LGA’s fire services management committee.
“These defective products are endangering lives, causing thousands of pounds of damage to homes and making people homeless.”
Whirlpool said it had to date resolved half a million cases and was looking into alternative options to speed up the programme.
To help it has increased its team of engineers by more than 45% to about 1,500 since the start of the modification programme.
Two deaths
Government statistics show there were 2,190 tumble dryer fires between 2012 and 2014 – equating to three a day.
Homes have been ruined and in one severe case, an inquest has opened into the deaths of two men who died after a tumble dryer caught fire.
The LGA – which represents 48 fire and rescue authorities in England and Wales – wants manufacturers to recall affected tumble dryers.
It has also called for all white goods to have fire-proof markings on them, including the manufacturer, model and serial number, so they can be identified more easily if they are damaged after causing a fire.
“It’s been months since some manufacturers issued safety warnings over their tumble dryers but they need to be recalled as these appliances are still causing fires – until they do so, consumers continue to risk falling victim to a devastating and tragic house fire,” said Mr Hilton.
Safety issues
Image caption An online model checker has been set up for worried owners
Some 5.3 million faulty appliances were manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015 and sold in the UK.
Whirlpool said that more than a million were estimated to have been replaced or are no longer used by owners. The remainder require a modification that will see an engineer replace the back panel and rear drum seal.
Affected brands are Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan and Proline.
Owners can check if their appliance is affected by visiting the Hotpoint model checker or the Indesit model checker and entering the model number, usually found on the back of the dryer door.
Owners of 17,000 Swan appliances manufactured and sold through Shop Direct have been contacted directly.
Some 41,000 Proline tumble dryers were manufactured and sold by the KESA Group between 2004 and 2005. It is estimated that about 14,500 are potentially still in use and efforts are being made to contact the owners of them and to install modifications.
Simple precautions
Owners can still use their dryers, but they should clean the lint filter after every use, and never run the dryers while they are out of the house or asleep.
“People must take simple precautions using tumble dryers,” said Mr Hilton of the LGA. “The compartment where fibres from fabric build up should be cleaned out after every load of clothes is dried, to reduce the risk of it igniting, and the vent or any other opening should not be covered.
Have professional dryer duct cleaning done on a regular basis. Most homes require this service once every two years, while some homes require this on a much more frequent basis. The frequency of cleaning depends on a number of factors such as how long your dryer duct is, and how often the dryer is used. If you use your clothes dryer just about every day, then you should probably be having your dryer vent pipes cleaned at least once per year.
“People should never leave tumble dryers on overnight or when they go out,” he added.
Anyone with concerns about the safety of electrical appliances can report them to the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06.
Image copyright Thinkstock
Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36562398
10 Things To Do On A Rainy Day
Stuck in the house on a rainy day and have nothing to do? Why not take this opportunity to work on some of those simple household maintenance items that you rarely seem to have time for?
We really know how to have fun! These are all energy-saving items and need doing anyway.
- Vacuum out your floor registers. And if you really want to go to town then check the dampers inside and maybe even wash some of those vents too.
- Take your return vents off the wall and vacuum them out too. Wash the vents if they need it.
- Change your furnace filter. And if you really want to go to town again, get the vacuum cleaner and clean the bottom of the furnace fan compartment. Check the side of the furnace fan motor too. It probably has dust on it. Just make sure to turn off the furnace switch before you do this.
- Check your furnace humidifier and change the pad. Turn up the humidistat and make sure it comes on. Make sure water flows through when its supposed to, and make sure it drains out properly.
- Make sure your ceiling fans are turning the right way for the season (in the summer, air should blow down. In the winter, the air should be pulled up). And clean the fan blades too.
- Remove and clean your washroom exhaust grills. Wash them off in the shower then use a spray bottle and wipe dry. If you’re really adventurous then maybe you can remove and clean the exhaust fans too. Use a dry paint brush or compressed air to do this.
- Check the condition of the flex pipe on your dryer. Make sure the flex is not brittle and is free of cracks or holes. Maybe take it off completely and clean it out if needed? While you’re there, why not vacuum behind and under the dryer and also check the condition of the water hoses going to your washing machine? It is good practice to do these items at least once every six months.
- Clean behind your fridge. Pull it out and make sure you clean the coil.
- Check your computers and clean that little fan that every one has. These things can really build up alot of dust over time. And those clogged fans can suck the life out of your computer pretty quick sometimes. If your computer has ever died because of this then you’ll really appreciate this one!
- Clean the grease filter in the kitchen exhaust above your stove.
If you’re looking for a bonus item and still haven’t had enough yet then maybe you could also clean out your central vac!
This is the dirtiest job. Definitely save it for last!