Cleaning Tips - The Airtek Blog

Homeowners who take the time to clean airducts save money in the long run and improve air quality in their home. Well maintained heating and cooling systems are more efficient and last longer than those that are only cleaned when something breaks. This also ensures cleaner air and a reduction in airborne contaminants.

• Inefficient air flow. Your air ducts can become so dirty if left alone that certain parts can become blocked. This can impede air flow causing the system to become less effective. This may cause increased energy consumption as the system may need to work harder to move the air to the desired spaces in your home, which in turn will cause your energy bill to go up.
• Decreased air quality. All of the debris inside your air ducts could potentially be pushed out and circulated with the other air in your home. As this is the air you breathe, you may be breathing in that debris unknowingly. This is of increased concern for those dealing with breathing problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and so on.
• Fire. While this is less likely to happen than the aforementioned situations, some debris can accumulate and start to burn when heat is applied to them. Hair is a common perpetrator that builds up over time in your air ducts and can burn when the heater or furnace is on. In rare cases, it can cause a fire. More often than not, it will only cause a burning smell to become circulated throughout your house.

In the case of air ducts 'out of sight, out of mind' does not apply. This is something that needs to be cleaned on a regular basis to prevent any of these situations from occurring. Winter air duct cleaning is a simple solution to get your system ready for the cold season.

It is important to find and contact a company you can trust. Asking friends and neighbors is a great place to start. Make sure they are a member of NADCA ( National Air Duct Cleaning Association) Checking their standing with the BBB is also a great tip. If you're satisfied with their work, a helpful idea may be to schedule your next cleaning so that it is already scheduled without you having to remember months from now. Winter air duct cleaning is something that should be at the top of your to-do list to keep your home in tip top shape year round.

• Stop that leak! First and foremost, you need to stop that water if it is still leaking into your house. That doesn't mean repair the pipe, appliance, hole, or whatever it is that is bringing unwanted water into your home or business. It simply means stop the water.
• Call your insurance company. Call in your claim as soon as possible. The earlier you can start the claim process, the better.
• Take pictures. Take pictures of everything and then take some more. You may or may not get an adjuster coming out to take their own pictures as well, but you still want to document everything for yourself. This also means keeping all of your receipts.
• Get the water out! To help speed up the drying out process, the air needs to be dry and circulating. Air movers and de-humidifiers are the normal pieces of equipment used by water mitigation companies.

If you follow these helpful tips, you can reduce some of the stress that goes along with a water damage emergency. There are two parts to your water damage emergency in most cases; mitigation and restoration. Mitigation is the first part of the process where you stop the leak and prevent further damage to your home or business, or mitigate your damages. Restoration is the part where you rebuild your damages to make your home or business like it was before your water damage emergency. Some damages only need a small amount of mitigation and no restoration if you're lucky. There are many companies out there who specialize in water mitigation, restoration, or both.

Don't be afraid to ask questions during the process so that you always know what the next step is, whether it is with your insurance, water mitigation, or restoration company. The more you know, the better equipped you will be to handle the water damage emergency while keeping your sanity in tact. Staying in the know and on top of the mitigation and restoration portions of your water emergency is the best way to ensure that things are completed according to your own personal preferences.

• Water extraction. 
  
• Drilling holes in the drywall or the bottom 2 feet when the drywall is saturated beyond repair. 
  
• Removal of baseboards.  
  
• Removal of carpet and underlayment. 
  
• Removal of wood flooring. 
  
• Mold remediation. 
  

• Protect Your Property: Act quickly! Stop that leak as best as you can from preventing further damage. If you're concerned about insurance coverage, take pictures along the way. There are clauses in most policies that can negate coverage if you don't protect your property from further damage. So don't wait for an answer on insurance coverage before you stop that overflowing washer or leaky pipe. That doesn't mean repair the problem, just stop that water from making any further damage.
  
• Document Everything: Take pictures, keep receipts, take notes, and take more pictures. When in doubt, take a picture. Insurance adjusters love pictures.
  
• File Your Claim: Call your insurance company or agent as soon as possible and take notes. It's very common for claims to be handled and transferred to different adjuster during the length of your claim. Don't be afraid to ask questions and always ask,'what is my next step' or 'what can I expect next'.
  
• Don't Jump the Gun: Be wary of signing up with an attorney or public adjuster just yet. While they can help in some situations, a call to your state insurance regulation agency is a free and easy way to get advice if you're having a problem with your claim without signing over a percentage of your payout. 
• Act Normally: Even if your claim is not covered, that swimming pool you used to call your basement will still need to be drained. Act as a reasonable and prudent person would. Don't let that flooded basement turn into a mold jungle because your claim wasn't covered. You've been taking pictures and documenting everything and can consult with your state agency without putting your health in danger.
  

Many water damage cleanup claims can be quite stress and hassle free with the right strategies. There are many water mitigation companies out there who provide emergency services and do the restoration and rebuild. Whomever you choose, make sure you research their reputation and don't be afraid to ask questions often.

• Wheezing
  
• Stuffy nose
  
• Eye and throat irritation
  
• Allergic reactions (possibly severe)
  
• Lung problems
  

• Reduce your home's humidity to between 30% and 60%. Use a dehumidifier if necessary.
  
• Never install carpeting in bathrooms, or anywhere else where there is constant moisture.
  
• When cleaning carpets with a machine that uses water, ensure the cleaned area dries thoroughly.
  
• In the event of a spill or, worse, flooding, the affected area must be dried within 24-48 hours to avoid mold in carpet.
  

Insulation can of course aid greatly in keeping your home as energy efficient as possible - not to mention in keeping you comfortable. Insulation which has become wet, however, can cause many problems in terms of lessened efficiency, structural damage and potential damage to the health of a home's occupants.

Have you ever entered a home which smelled...unpleasant? Even though everything looked clean and neat, there was still a musty odor which you couldn't quite put your finger on, but which pervaded the home nonetheless. It's likely that the basement of the home was where the smell originated from.

Summer is finally winding down, and your air conditioner is probably happy to get a rest! But with the onset of fall inevitably comes the need for the heater to wake up from its summer slumber - and with that comes the need for system upkeep before the heat gets cranked up.