DuAll Heating & Cooling Blog : Archive for the ‘Indoor Air Quality’ Category

Can an Energy Recovery Ventilator Help Me to Live More Comfortably?

Friday, March 27th, 2015

At DuAll Heating & Cooling, we know how important it is for homeowners to live with the level of comfort that they desire and which we believe that everyone deserves. All too often, though, homeowners believe that they must make concessions if they are to live comfortably but also to do so in an efficient and affordable manner. The good news is that modern technology can really help to bridge the gaps between comfort, indoor air quality, and budgetary concerns. By using an energy recovery ventilator in Bolingbrook, for example, you can take some of the strain off of your HVAC system, reducing your energy usage, while also living comfortably and helping to promote great indoor air quality in your home. If you think that this all sounds a bit too good to be true, then read on to learn how an ERV can help you to live more comfortably. 

Today, energy efficiency is a major concern among many homeowners. In an effort to make their homes more efficient, many people take steps to ensure that their home is sealed up as tightly as possible. While this is an effective means by which to reduce energy waste in the home, it can also eliminate much of the necessary and natural ventilation that a home should have. With the installation of an ERV, or energy recovery ventilator, though, you can maintain comfortable temperatures efficiently while still adequately ventilating your home.

An ERV is a mechanized ventilation device which brings in fresh air from outside, while using outgoing air from within your home in order to precondition that incoming air. This means that, during the summer when you are cooling your home, the stale and low-quality, but cool, air leaving your home pre-chills the fresh, but hot, air coming in. It does this by passing the two air streams very near one another, allowing them to mingle just enough to optimize the humidity level of the incoming air as well. During the winter months, when heating your home, the system maintains the same basic operation; now, though the heat transfer process facilitates the warming of the fresh, cold air coming in by using the energy of the warm, stale air going out.

Obviously, this is a much more efficient way in which to get fresh air into your home than simply cracking the windows when it is very hot or uncomfortably chilly outside. Energy waste is greatly reduced as the ERV recovers the energy that you’ve paid to condition the outgoing air with.

To learn more about why you should consider the installation of an energy recovery ventilator in Bolingbrook, or to schedule service with a technician from DuAll Heating & Cooling, just contact a member of our team today.

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Why Is an ERV Installation in This Area Advisable?

Friday, March 13th, 2015

If you are interested in heating and cooling your home efficiently without sacrificing your comfort, as well as in maintaining great indoor air quality in your home, then give the professional technicians here at DuAll Heating & Cooling a call today. We have the systems and services that you need to achieve these seemingly lofty goals. With an energy recovery ventilator, you can truly have your cake and eat it too. Just remember that you must schedule your energy recovery ventilator installation in Romeoville with a qualified individual. Working with the fine technicians on our staff will ensure that this is the case. Here’s why you should consider the installation of an ERV in your home.

An energy recovery ventilator is a mechanical ventilation system, which means that you don’t have to open up the windows in your home in order to ventilate your living space sufficiently. This allows you to ventilate your house even during those times of the year when the temperature outside makes doing so an uncomfortable proposition. By using a heat exchanger in its operation, and ERV lets you precondition the fresh air entering your home through the system by passing it by the stale but comfortable air exiting. This is the same performance that you would get from a heat recovery ventilator; what sets the ERV apart is that it is also able to exchange moisture between the two air streams, allow for the balancing of humidity levels as well.

An ERV is ideal in our area, as our summer weather can be quite hot, and our winters long and harsh. This means that you will use your heating and your cooling systems pretty heavily in their respective seasons. HRVs are great for areas in colder climates, where heaters are really relied upon. However, considering the fact that our summers can get pretty intense, and that your AC system can really dry out the air in your home, it is a good idea to make use of the humidity in the warmer air entering your home.

If you have any questions regarding the use of an ERV, or if you think that the time has come for an energy recovery ventilator installation in your Romeoville home, call DuAll Heating & Cooling today.

The HVAC and IAQ professionals on our team are here to ensure that your installation is completed properly every step of the way. Schedule service with us and know that the job is done right.

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How an Air Cleaner Can Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

Thursday, January 22nd, 2015

As you may or may not be aware, the air in your home is saturated with all manner of microscopic particles and organisms. Many of these organisms can have an effect on your health vastly disproportionate to their own small size, provoking illness and allergy attacks when you are exposed to them. Using an air cleaner can dramatically improve the air quality in your home. Let’s take a look at the various kinds of air cleaners that can improve your indoor air quality, and how they work.

Air Filters

An air filter is basically a woven fiber mesh stretched over a frame. It is designed to collect any particulates that come into contact with it, while allowing air to flow freely through it. There are many different grades and varieties of filter, with the strongest being the HEPA filters. A HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air) is woven so tightly that it can even capture incredibly small viruses and bacteria. Most homes do not have a need great enough to warrant a HEPA filter, but it’s good to know that the option is available. The downside of air filters is that they must be cleaned on a regular basis, or they stop being effective.

UV Germicidal Lights

A lot of the viruses and bacteria that float through the air in your home are sterilized or killed by too much exposure to ultraviolet light. This is why they tend to thrive inside homes, where there is more shelter from the sun. A UV germicidal light exploits this vulnerability by projecting ultraviolet light in the area around itself. Any germs that pass through the air cleaner are killed or sterilized, rendering them unable to affect any human exposed to them.

UV germicidal lights are a great choice for those who are especially vulnerable to illness. However, they don’t have any way to remove non-biological pollutants like dust and pollen from the air. For this reason, they should not be considered a complete solution to the problem as much as a good contributor to better air quality.

If you’d like to know more, call DuAll Heating & Cooling. We provide air cleaners throughout the Bolingbrook area.

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What Types of Contaminants Can Hurt Your Indoor Air Quality?

Monday, November 17th, 2014

Many homeowners may think that the air quality in their homes is significantly better than outside. A house is sheltered, after all, and circulates its own air rather than taking it from outside. What may surprise them, then is the revelation that indoor air quality can actually be quite poor. There are a number of common indoor air contaminants that can provoke allergies, make you sick, and even prove fatal. Here is a list of the most common contaminants.

Animal/Insect Dander

If you have a cat or dog, you know about the absurd ability they have of shedding large amounts of hair all over the place. Along with hair, they also shed dander, which is comprised of groups of skin cells similar to dandruff. Dander causes strong allergic reactions in some people, and is actually the source of cat and dog allergies. This problem can be made worse by forced air heaters and air conditioners, which serve to propel the dander throughout the house.

Just like common house pets, insects shed dander as well. Insect dander is often small bits of exoskeleton, and provokes a similar allergic response when inhaled. Unlike pets, these insects often lurk in the ducts themselves, giving their dander a much wider reach when the A/C or heating is turned on.

Bacteria/Viruses

Bacteria and viruses are also quite common airborne contaminants within a home. These microscopic organisms can survive and thrive in all sorts of unlikely places, including the ductwork of your home. Their most common form of entry, however, is often on or in a person that has been outside. When that person coughs or sneezes, the germs are scattered into the air and are able to infect others.

So, what are you supposed to do about these contaminants? Well, there are a number of air filters and purifiers on the market that are designed to remove these contaminants from the air. We recommend using one or more of them to improve the air quality in your home.

If you need to install an air purifier in your home, call DuAll Heating & Cooling. Our experts provide indoor air quality services throughout Naperville.

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How Is the Rotobrush Used for Professional Duct Cleaning?

Monday, September 22nd, 2014

*DuAll Heating & Cooling no longer offers duct cleaning services. Take a look at our other indoor air quality services to find the best solution for your needs.

When you hire a company to perform duct cleaning in Naperville, you want to be assured that your ducts are being cleaned at a level that  improves energy efficiency, indoor air quality and your comfort. The way DuAll Heating & Cooling makes sure this happens is by using the patented Rotobrush Duct Cleaning system for all duct cleaning appointments. The Rotobrush system allows our trained technicians to clean every angle of your ductwork without causing damage, and the HEPA vacuum of the Rotobrush system ensures that all contaminants are removed safely. If you are in need of a professional duct cleaning, call us today!

Features of the Rotobrush Professional Duct Cleaning System

  • Powerful, portable HEPA vacuum – the vacuum of the Rotobrush system is powerful and portable; it also uses HEPA filters to contain and capture the contaminants in your ductwork, ensuring that they are safely removed from your system and home.
  • Hose and brush system – the Rotobrush system has an advanced, patented design that allows it to clean and remove dirt, dust and any other build-up in your system, even in the crevices of turns. This is due to the design of the Rotobrush head and how the head and hose of the system work together.

The Rotobrush head is a rotating, full brush. The bristles are strong enough to clean, yet gentle enough not to do damage to your system. The brush scrubs the inside of your ductwork at 450 rpm while the nozzle of the hose, which is part of the brush head, sucks up any and all debris and contaminants loosened by the rotating brush.

  • Flexible hose – the hose of the Rotobrush system contains the cable that manages the movement of the hose and brush, and because of its slim yet durable design, the hose can reach for long distances and curve easily through a complicated duct system.

The Rotobrush is one of the best duct cleaning devices on the market, and offers something most other duct cleaning systems cannot: 360 degree cleaning. Not only is this system powerful, it can reach the crevices and turns other systems may not. When you combine the cleaning capacity of the Rotobrush with the expertise of our DuAll Heating & Cooling technicians, you can be assured that your duct cleaning in Naperville will be beneficial and long-lasting.

Call the duct cleaning experts at DuAll Heating & Cooling to set up an appointment today!

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Why You Should Install a Humidifier for Your Home

Monday, September 8th, 2014

Most people are aware that excessive humidity can be a problem, but did you know that too little humidity can be equally problematic? Making homes energy efficient is a good thing, but sometimes a home can be so air-tight that it reduces the indoor moisture levels too much. A great way to counteract this problem is to install a whole-home humidifier. Humidifiers help balance the indoor moisture levels, improving the indoor air quality of your Bolingbrook home. However, to gain the benefits of any upgrade to your air conditioner, it’s important to hire trained professionals for the installation – this is where Duall Heating & Cooling can help.

Problems Caused by Low Humidity

Low humidity can cause the following kinds of problems:

  • Health – low humidity levels dry out your skin and mucous membranes, causing rashes, skin irritations, nose bleeds, sore throats and lower immunity to germs.
  • Damage to woodwork – too little humidity can dry out and splinter wood, so anything in your home made of wood, including furniture pieces, trim, and baseboards, can splinter and shrink.
  • Peeling paint and drywall – when paint becomes too dry due to low humidity, it can chip and peel.
  • Feeling cold – dry air sucks up humidity, and humidity holds heat. This can make your heating season challenging as your indoor air won’t hold the extra heat it needs to help keep your home feeling comfortable.

Proper Humidity Levels

Proper indoor humidity levels vary somewhat depending on the season. During the summer, humidity levels over 60% start to feel uncomfortable and can cause problems; during winter, the ideal humidity level is in the 25-40% range.

Benefits of Installing a Humidifier

Adding a whole-home humidifier to your existing HVAC system can help keep you healthy and prevent damage to woodwork and home furnishings. More importantly, it can help you feel warmer in the winter. According to the EPA, you can save as much as 3% on your heating bill for every degree that you turn down your thermostat in winter.

If you see the signs of excessively low humidity in your home, it may be time to improve your indoor air quality with a humidifier.

Call DuAll Heating & Cooling today and speak to one of our experts about our whole-home humidifier solutions and related products.

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How UV Germicidal Lights Help Protect Indoor Air Quality

Tuesday, August 5th, 2014

Your indoor comfort isn’t just about temperature; it’s also about the quality of your indoor air. There are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to indoor air quality, like humidity levels, the presence of allergens, odors and the possibility of biological pollutants like bacteria, viruses, mold, mildew and fungus. Removing all these different particles from your indoor air can require the pairing of different air cleaners, but if you seek not just to remove, but eradicate, biological pollutants, you’ll want to consider the installation of UV germicidal lighting in Romeoville.

What Are UV Germicidal Lights?

UV germicidal lights are lamps that can be installed directly into your system. They are typically placed over the evaporator coils and/or in the ductwork of your system; this is because biological growths like mold, mildew, algae and fungi thrive in cool, moist, dark places. UV lights operate at the same cost as regular home lighting, and installation is simple and straightforward.

How Do UV Lights Work?

UV lights radiate UV-C light rays. These UV-C light rays destroy the DNA in biological particles, preventing them from reproducing, as well as interfering with life-sustaining proteins they need to live. By destroying these cells at their core, UV germicidal lights eradicate biological pollutants. UV germicidal lights are the only air cleaner available that can destroy biological contaminants.

UV Lights Do Not Filter

One important item to note about UV germicidal lighting is that, unlike a mechanical filter, it does not filter anything. This means UV germicidal lighting does not capture dust or other particles, nor can it attract air to be purified; biological particles have to float to the space where the lighting is installed. This is why it’s important to consider the installation of a mechanical or electronic air filter when installing UV lighting.

UV germicidal lighting in Romeoville offers a safe and effective way to help make your home healthier. It is important to hire professionals for your UV light installation because if the lights are not installed correctly, they may not operate as needed.

If you are concerned about biological pollutants in your home, call DuAll Heating & Cooling today and schedule an appointment with one of our installation experts.

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When Should I Schedule Duct Cleaning?

Monday, July 14th, 2014

*DuAll Heating & Cooling no longer offers duct cleaning services. Take a look at our other indoor air quality services to find the best solution for your needs.

Having professional cleaning for your ducts is an essential service for maintaining an efficient air conditioner and forced-air heater and to protect the quality of the air in your home. Duct cleaning experts use high-level tools such as enormous power vacuums and agitation equipment to remove buildup of dirt, dust, pollen, lint, and other contaminants that will place heavy resistance on airflow and which can end up pushed out into your air.

A question we often hear from customers is, “When should I arrange to have duct cleaning done?” It’s a good question, and one that isn’t simple to answer, since there are a variety of times when it’s good to schedule it and a number of signs to watch for.

More than two years have passed since you last had cleaning done

…or if you’ve never scheduled cleaning before. Although not all ventilation systems will need cleaning on the same regular basis, two years is a good general rule of thumb for how often you should schedule cleaning. Your cleaners will be able to tell you if you should adjust the frequency up or down.

A visual inspection reveals serious clogging in the ducts

You should make an occasional visual check on the inside of your ductwork. Here is how to do it: Remove one of the covers from a vent, then reach down inside with a digital camera and take a flash photo of the interior that is normally out of your sight. If the image captured shows you a tangle of dust and lint that looks like a clogged intake filter, then you definitely need to schedule cleaning.

An increase in health problems from airborne contaminants

If you have people with asthma and allergies living in your home, any increase in their symptoms should prompt a visual check (see above) and then scheduling duct cleaning. You may also notice allergy and asthma symptoms in other people in your house, and in this case the problem is probably very serious.

You struggle keeping your home clean

Excessive dirt and dust inside the ventilation system will lead to a buildup in your home as well. For example, a six-room home will, on average, circulate 40 lbs. of dust over a year through the ventilation system, and most of that will settle across your floors and furnishings. When you can’t seem to keep your home free of dust no matter how much cleaning you do, then it’s time to look into duct cleaning services.

A long-handle broom and hose vacuum cleaner will not do the job of cleaning out your ductwork.

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How Do Energy Recovery Ventilators Work?

Friday, June 27th, 2014

An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) is a home comfort and efficiency innovation that helps you circumvent a serious problem that many houses face today. Because of the heavy heat and air sealing on modern buildings to protect their energy efficiency (excess heat cannot enter in the summer, and cannot escape in the winter), very little fresh air circulates through the indoor ventilation system. This leads to stale and contaminated indoor air that runs through the ductwork gathering dust, dirt, debris, and other pollutants that can affect your health.

By installing one of the energy recovery ventilators in Bolingbrook, IL available from DuAll Heating & Cooling, you can bring fresh air into your home without losing or gaining heat; in fact, you will conserve power and “recover” energy that would otherwise be lost. To find out how our technicians can set up an ERV in your home today, call our expert staff. They can answer all your questions about ERVs and other indoor air quality appliances.

The operation of an energy recovery ventilators

An ERV brings in fresh air through and outside vent and into the ventilation system attached to your heater/air conditioner. Then, through a process called counter-flow heat exchange, the ERV runs this outside air past the stale air from the inside of your home. Energy transfers from one to the other, and the stale air gets removed without you losing or gaining heat.

During the summer, the warm air from outside your house transfers its heat to the outgoing air from inside, cooling itself down in the process and making your air conditioner need to work less to lower its temperature. During the winter, the warm indoor air transfers its heat to the cold incoming outdoor air, and your heater will need to work less. Before reaching the indoors, the air from outside runs through a filter to remove any particles that might have come in with it.

A properly installed ERV will recover 85% of the energy of the outgoing air, and so not only will you have fresh air brought into your home and better health, you’ll also save money on your utility bills each month.

We must emphasize “properly installed.” You cannot select and put in an ERV yourself; it requires the work of indoor air quality professionals with experience working with air conditioners, heaters, and ventilation systems. You’ll find the necessary skills at DuAll Heating & Cooling.

Our NATE-certified technicians handle installation of energy recovery ventilators in Bolingbrook, IL and many other ways to improve your home’s air and energy efficiency.

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How Energy Recovery Ventilators Improves Indoor Air Quality

Friday, June 6th, 2014

On average, people in the U.S. spend 90% of their time indoors, and that means the quality of the air found inside homes and buildings is vital for good health. Unfortunately, too few buildings have the proper ventilation to remove stale air, and the indoor air quality suffers as a result. The quality of your home’s air is probably much lower than it should be.

To combat this decline in air quality, you can open up your home to the outside through the windows and doors. However, this ends up breaking the energy efficient heat seal on your home, making it harder for you to keep cool in summer and warm in winter. During an Illinois winter, you especially don’t want to have windows and doors open!

But there’s a way to receive fresh outdoor air without energy loss and discomfort: have installation of energy recover ventilators in Bolingbrook, IL. Our team at DuAll Heating & Cooling is familiar with these helpful devices, and we’ll explain how they give you better indoor air quality.

How energy recovery ventilators work

Energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) are installations in the ventilation network of your HVAC system that remove the stale air from your home—without losing excess energy, either too keep you cool or keep you warm. An ERV returns approximately 85% of its outgoing energy to the incoming fresh air.

Here’s how an ERV does this: The ventilation system runs to the outside of a home and pulls in fresh outdoor air. The ERV draws the stale air from inside the house and runs it past the incoming fresh air, and a process of heat transfer occurs between the two that is called counter-flow heat exchange. If the air from outside is cold, then the stale indoor air transfers its heat to it, helping you receive warm fresh air. If the air outside is warm, it will lose its heat to the colder air from indoors, helping you to receive cool fresh air.

So whether its winter or summer, you receive fresh outdoor air that has been conditioned to fit your temperature needs. This will also reduce the stress on your heating and cooling system.

An energy recovery ventilator is like having your home’s windows and door always open to fresh air—but without any of the inconveniences. In fact, you’ll save more energy than ever before.

Professional installation

ERVs are complex devices, and it takes professional installers to set them up so they fit a home’s HVAC system and ductwork.

Call the indoor air quality specialists at DuAll Heating & Cooling for fast and knowledgeable work installing energy recovery ventilators in Bolingbrook, IL. Our NATE-certified technicians are ready to tackle the job.

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