When you think about house fires, you may think about the stove or electrical wires as the most likely culprits. The dryer, though, is another fire hazard. We’ll discuss dryer safety and some alarming statistics.

Dryer Fire Statistics

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released some alarming numbers pertaining to dryer fires. Washers and dryers can both catch on fire. However, in 92% of cases involving washer and dryer appliances, the latter was the primary culprit. In 2017, nearly 16,000 American residences sustained property damage stemmed from a dryer fire. Those cases led to 440 bodily injuries and $238 million in damage.

How Dryers Cause Fires

Fires are typically ignited from lint and dust. The NFPA estimated that about 1/3rd of dryer fires are due to a backed-up dryer vent. Dryer vent fires also increase around wintertime. The issue, however, is problematic no matter the time of year. Continue Reading →

Homeowners typically think of the faucet or pipes when a leak comes to mind. Did you know, however, that air ducts are just as prone to leaks? Not a water leak, obviously, but a leak of air. In fact, an estimated 10% of indoor air escapes due to leaky air ducts. This leads to needless energy waste.

Signs of Air Duct Leaks

Higher Utility Bills—Is your utility fee steadily rising each month? If so, then the ducts may be the culprit. Air loss forces the HVAC to expend more energy, more so than a unit connected to a fully sealed air duct system. Leaky ducts ultimately take a toll on your finances.

Erratic Temperature—Where does the leaked air go? Much of it seeps outside or flows into the attic. This also prevents the air from making its way into individual rooms. If switching on the air conditioner or furnace, you might feel the full effects in the living room but much less so in the bedrooms. Continue Reading →

Here’s an inconvenient truth: the majority of cleaning products are more harmful than beneficial. Sure, that brand-name spray will dissolve the grease off the countertop, but the chemicals and preservatives can induce allergies in anyone with sensitivities. Cleaning products affect indoor air quality more than you might think, so be selective about your choice of cleaners.

How Do Cleaning Products Erode Indoor Air?

Common window, furniture, and countertop sprays emit chemicals, such as glycol and terpenes. These are hazardous endocrine disruptors that can worsen allergic symptoms. These chemicals are also present in other everyday items, such as:

• Floor polishers
• Chlorine bleach
• Dishwashing detergents
• Air freshener sprays
• Toilet bowl cleaners

When researching cleaners, diligently read the label and steer clear of products with the following compounds:

• Ammonia
• Sodium hydroxide
• Triclosan
• Perchloroethylene, or “PERC”
• Phthalates, a mainstay ingredient in air fresheners

Ways to Enhance Indoor Air Quality in Everett

We suggest using only all-natural cleaners. Avoid lemon or pine-scented products, especially during peak allergy months. When applicable, just stick to lukewarm water and soap. This is as simple of a cleaning formula as it gets, but it’s sufficient as a cleaner.

Air circulation also needs to be sufficient. Apart from leaving windows and doors open, your air ducts also need to be in a healthy usable condition. We suggest avoiding using ionizers, electrostatic precipitators, or other home purifying appliances during cleaning. These devices emit ozone, which may react with airborne cleaning chemicals and create hazardous fumes.

Let Us Enhance Your Residential Air Circulation

What you can’t see can induce harm. Call Aurora Edmonds Furnace Cleaning for maintenance of your ductwork, furnace, and carpet. Allergy season isn’t far off; take measures to improve air cleanliness. Most cleaning products impact indoor air and not in a good way. An optimal ventilation system is vital if you’re going to be doing some extensive cleaning.

Improve Indoor Air Quality Today in Everett

Serving Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Bellevue, King County and South Snohomish County

Posted on January 22, 2021 | Published by Ignite Local | Related Local Business

Our crew commonly finds the usual in a routine air duct cleaning. This includes swaths of dust mites, insect remains and droppings, and the occasional dead rodent. On rare occasions, we find bizarre items inside air ducts. This ranges from strange to outright gross stuff. To cap off 2020, we’ll share some of what we and other related companies have found tucked away in residential ducts.

Weird Items Inside Air Ducts

We heard of a company that went to a residence where the occupant was complaining of lack of airflow. A slab of sheetrock was blocking the circulation. The technician broke through the sheetrock to find a hidden cache of VHS tapes. The homeowner misplaced the tapes years ago during a renovation and have no idea how they came to rest in that location.

Air ducts also make terrific hiding spots. Homeowners and/or their kids may hide items of a “sensitive” nature. This includes bags of marijuana, adult magazines, and other items that we’d rather not specifically mention.

Wildlife Inside the Air Ducts

Sometimes, we find animals, alive and long dead. We once serviced the home of a lady who took in homeless cats. One entered the ductwork and refused to leave. Another account included a 4-foot long python that entered the ductwork after escaping its terrarium. This was outside our job description, so we phoned animal control. Other times, we discovered deceased animals other than the common house rat. This includes opossums, raccoons, and other wildlife common in the Snohomish and greater area.

We’ll Clear Out Your Entire Ductwork

End 2020 with a thorough duct and dryer vent cleaning. We also recommend cleaning the furnace now that winter is not far off. Contact Aurora Edmonds Furnace Cleaning for an inspection. You never know; we just might discover some truly bizarre stuff.

Full Air Duct and Vent Cleaning

Serving Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Bellevue, King County and South Snohomish County

Posted on December 22, 2020 | Published by Ignite Local | Related Local Business

Air ducts and dryer vents are very sophisticated systems. This is why DIY cleaning hardly ever works. Over the years, we’ve met homeowners who have attempted all sorts of crazy DIY hacks. One such out-of-the-box idea is dryer vent cleaning with a leaf blower. In case you’re contemplating such an idea, we’ll explain why this method will likely result in failure.

Dryer Vent Cleaning With a Leaf Blower: What’s Wrong With This?

Some homeowners try to remove lint with a powerful blast of air with a leaf blower. This doesn’t remove the lint. All it does is push the debris towards the opening without actually expelling the lint. This creates a clog that slows the clothing’s drying process.

When homeowners use a leaf blower, they disconnect the dryer and insert the leaf blower’s nozzle into the vent line. The air blast is supposed to force the lint out of the vent to the outside. This sounds simple enough. Unfortunately, the results usually don’t work as anticipated. Continue Reading →

Occasionally, when servicing a client’s ventilation system, our team finds cables inside the air ducts. This is becoming fairly commonplace since the ducts provide an out-of-sight location for the tendrils of lengthy cords. However, is this a clever hack or can it cause hidden damage?

The Issue with Running Cables Inside the Air Ducts

Air ducts are meant as a conduit for air, not wires. Inserting cables inside the ductwork may even violate building codes.

The reason we don’t advise this is because a technician can damage the cables during an air duct cleaning. This could render your phone line, Internet, and cable television out of service. When we clean ventilation shafts, we use a commercial rotary brush. The brush spins rapidly in a single direction. This can tangle, twist, mangle, and shred the cords, causing serious damage—both to the cables and the rotary brush. Continue Reading →

The air is beginning to dry up in the Pacific Northwest now that autumn is here. This can hamper your breathing if you have allergies. A humidifier inside your home can improve the indoor air quality and keep allergen levels in check. As a homeowner, should you consider whole-house or portable humidifiers for your residence?

Whole House or Portable Humidifiers: The Pros and Cons

Whole-House Humidifier

A whole-house humidifier is a permanent fixture mounted to the home furnace or HVAC unit. Continue Reading →

Air conditioning odors may indicate a number of problems. In most scenarios, there’s no need for alarm. Even so, you may need to clean the HVAC and air duct system. We’ll go over some of the common odors and what they mean.

Types of Air Conditioning Odors

Musty Odor

Do you detect a musty smell not unlike sweaty body odor? This may be a sign of mildew or mold inside the HVAC. During the dehumidification process, moisture collects in the air filter and duct-work. Mold can grow in as little as 24 hours if the moisture does not completely evaporate.

Address this problem by calling in a professional to change the filter and inspect the drain pan to make sure it’s draining properly. Continue Reading →

Many homeowners blame indoor pollutants on mildew, mold, cigarette smoke, and pet dander. Indeed, these are all conventional forms of pollutants. However, typical household clutter may also negatively impact indoor air quality.

How Clutter Contributes to Poor Indoor Air Quality

A cluttered space provides more surface area for pollen, dust mites, and other airborne particles to cling to. Excessive clutter also leads to more hard-to-reach areas. Homeowners often ignore these spots, thus allowing more particles to accrue over time.

A cluttered room also has limited airflow. A clean air duct is obviously vital for ample circulation. However, even a clean ventilation system can only do so much if the room is littered in dust-covered junk.

Air quality aside, researchers have linked clutter to numerous other health problems. Neuroscientists at Princeton University, for example, discovered that clutter diminished one’s ability to concentrate on cognitive tasks. If you follow feng shui, some say that clutter also disrupts chi energy flow. Continue Reading →

Here’s a fact most homeowners are unaware of: the home requires a regular chimney cleaning – even if it doesn’t have a chimney. Confused? Let us clarify: more precisely, you need a flue cleaning. The flue is similar to a chimney, and it needs routine maintenance much like the air ducts in your home.

What is a Flue?

Modern chimneys have a flue. This is an interior metal lining that transports soot, gas, carbon monoxide, and other toxic byproducts out of the home. Flues aren’t just found in chimneys; they’re also a mainstay in furnaces, boilers, and HVAC units. Continue Reading →