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Carbon Monoxide Detectors Now Mandatory In Ontario
Carbon Monoxide detectors are now mandatory in all homes in Ontario.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a toxic gas that is odorless, tasteless and invisible.
CO is produced when fossil fuels burn incompletely due to insufficient oxygen. Fuels that can cause CO include natural gas, propane, kerosene, gasoline, coal, wood and charcoal.
Unlike smoke, Carbon Monoxide mixes evenly with the air. It is not necessary to have a CO detector installed on every floor of your home, but should be located where it would be most likely to wake you up if a dangerous situation were to suddenly occur. A typical home may have one installed upstairs in the hallway outside the bedrooms, and if there is a bedroom or sleeping area in the basement, then you should have one there too.
CO detectors come in battery-operated portable models, or can simply be plugged into any 120 volt electrical outlet. They may also be hard-wired into your home, and in this case they would normally be installed on the ceiling. Since CO does mix evenly with the air in your home, it is not crucial that your CO detector be installed on the ceiling.
Portable CO detectors need to be re-calibrated at least once every 5 years. If your’s is older than that it would be prudent to replace it.
There have been news articles in our area in recent history about people dying in their homes due to carbon monoxide poisoning, and I’m sure you have heard about this happening. We have a customer who’s carbon monoxide detector woke up their family at four o’clock in the morning. They called the Fire Department and they told him it was because of his furnace.
His gas furnace was only 12 years old but had developed a crack in the heat exchanger. He called us early in the morning and we are able to install a new furnace for him that day. He took the opportunity to upgrade to a high-efficiency model. Lucky for him and his family that they did have that carbon monoxide detector. There’s proof right there that they do save lives.
The Kinds of Dust Masks and Why They Are Important
Dust masks are used to protect users from dust and other airborne dangers. Finding the right mask is easy; all you need to do is first recognize what you need it for. If you thought that this protective device is simple and just plain, well you are wrong, they actually come in a variety of excellent and lovely designs. Manufacturers of this item realize that people come in different face sizes and that’s why the masks come in a variety of sizes. Twin strap and single strap designs are available with that convex shape and a nose clip for extra protection.
Finding a mask that works for your face is one important thing. The lightweight nature and comfort tag is vital to the mask offering efficiency in its purpose. Since not many materials are used in its manufacture, they are easily disposable. If you in work a construction company, re-furbishing your home, doing some painting or working with wood, it is vital to own a dust mask to help reduce exposure to particles from sand, paints, and drywalls. To avoid buying one piece every time, the dust masks come in boxes of around 20 masks.
Welding fumes, smoke, sawing, sanding and grinding are some other applications that a mask protects against. Working around your farm can prove hazardous so it is important to get a pair of dust masks in case you are doing some sweeping and weeding or pruning your garden. Allergens are everywhere in the air especially in dust. It is one thing to be wary of hazards and another to take precautions. A dust mask will save you a trip to the clinic; learn to protect yourself from viruses and bacteria that may come with pollen and soot.
To avoid dealing with the consequences that come with dust and other harmful airborne aspects, invest in this item. Dust masks are not expensive. The design and material used to make them will determine the price. There are various manufacturers of this product, however, 3M makes the most durable of the disposable masks, and these are the ones that our technicians normally use.
So do not be alarmed if you see the duct cleaning technician wearing one while cleaning your ducts. Its not that we are there creating lots of dust, but it is just a part of the normal safety precautions that we use on a daily basis.
If you need quality air duct cleaning at your home or office, call us at City Duct Cleaning.
Also Read : How Dysfunctional Ductwork Makes You Spend More
Pet Dander Allergy – You’re Not Really Allergic to Your Pet’s Fur
If you are allergic to pet dander, and if having a fish for a pet doesn’t really do it for you, then you really have your job cut out for you finding a pet that won’t to get your pet dander allergies started.
Most allergic reactions to things are caused by little protein molecules called allergens that are found in all kinds of substances. Since proteins are important building blocks of every life form on earth, and since most pets are large animals that have proteins all over – in their fur, their skin, their saliva and their pee – there’s really no way to completely guarantee that you won’t have problems with a given pet.
Some people believe that if they could just get a pet that had short fur, then it wouldn’t be a problem. They feel that they will probably sneak past their pet dander allergy if they could only make sure that all the pets in the house had really short fur.
Of course, allergies aren’t that simple. You see, dander isn’t just hair. It’s anything that a pet sheds regularly – including skin flakes. When you see pet hair all around, you start to believe that it’s the hair that you’re allergic to. In fact, you’re allergic to the skin flakes that stick to the hair and that just fall about the house. You aren’t allergic to hair, mostly .
Basically, getting a pet with short hair isn’t really going to help you much. Getting a pet that doesn’t shed much hair – now that might help. Because when there’s less hair lying about, there’s not as much skin flakes lying around either.
If you have a pet in your home you would be amazed to see how much fur actually makes it into your air duct system. Whether you are the original owner of the home or if you bought the house used, air duct cleaning is a must! At a minimum, keep your air filter clean or consider upgrading to a more efficient filtration system. There are tons of options here.
Check out this helpful video about how to minimize pet dander in your home:
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.
