IAQ parameters can be measured with a TSI Incorporated Indoor Air Quality Meter. When using it, please reference an Indoor Air Quality Checklist for actions required to maintain acceptable indoor air quality standards. It is not uncommon for each public school facility to have a specific written Indoor Air Quality Management Plan to handle indoor air quality complaints.

Construct an indoor air quality management plan

IAQ refers to the quality of air inside buildings where people work or live. People who live in apartments will face many of the same indoor air quality problems as those who live in houses. The common most claims pertaining to indoor air quality are usually in reference to temperature, venting, moisture content of the air, and odors. All grievances or concerns concerning indoor air quality in workplaces and other public meeting places ought to be looked into as quickly as possible.

Inadequate Ventilation

Indoor air quality is typically 2-4 times more polluted then the outdoor air even with a clean air conditioning filter. Many times poor indoor air quality is a result of inadequate ventilation. Without proper ventilation built into the design indoor air quality can become almost impossible to achieve. ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning) sets the minimum acceptable ventilation requirements. Your HVAC technician should know what these standards are and be able to help you better understand them.

Hybrid venting brings together natural ventilation systems and mechanical ventilation methods to lessen how much energy is utilized for air distribution. Due to concerns for energy efficiency, some building HVAC systems have unintentionally been designed with insufficient ventilation rates of outdoor air.

When you purchase high-efficiency furnaces, air conditioning units, humidifiers and air cleaners and filters you can drastically cut down your energy costs. The increased price of an energy efficient heating and cooling system might be offset by better airflow, energy efficiency and even air balance throughout various areas of a building. The style of homes these days are dependant on energy efficiency, which doesn’t always accommodate good ventilation or air exchange. Nevertheless, technological breakthroughs in energy efficiency have resulted in houses, apartments and structures becoming increasingly more air tight.

Improve Indoor Air Quality With Regular Duct Cleaning

An unclean air duct system carries polluted air all throughout a home each and every time the heater or air conditioning system kicks on. These systems call for an air duct system that carries the air into the home or office by means of vents located in the floors, ceilings or walls. Don’t let your indoor air quality be compromised by a dirty duct system. Call the duct cleaning pros at CleanMyFurnace.com today at 612-234-4118.

1. Once a furnace has trouble, the odds of having trouble again drastically increase. If dealing with a furnace isn’t your favorite thing, there are 3 preventative maintenance options you can use to dramatically reduce your chances of a furnace breakdown.
   1. Schedule Furnace Cleaning Annually
   2. Replace Your Filter Regularly
   3. Routine Air Duct Cleaning
2. Energy efficiency can mean even more green in your wallet than just the utility savings. Federal tax credits, utility company rebates and manufacturer rebates are often available. When looking at home improvements, be sure to take advantage of these money saving offers.
3. A furnace will last roughly 15 years on average. A furnace’s age is the best predictor of its reliability, depending on the brand and length of heating season. The older it gets, the more at risk you are for a failure. Budgeting for a replacement furnace can be very help avoid unexpected expenditures.
4. A typical HVAC system only delivers about 57% of the equipment’s rated heating capacity. You can improve these statistics by performing annual maintenance and verifying that your system is balanced.
5. When buying a new furnace, it is essential that you know your options. A more efficient heating system may cost more initially, but will save you over it’s lifetime. You should also understand how warranties and maintenance plans vary from the manufacturer as well as the dealer.

While knowing these things about your furnace is helpful, it’s inevitable that at some point you will need to call a furnace repairman. We would gladly take that call and and would appreciate the opportunity to help you in any way we can. CleanMyFurnace services the entire metro area including Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Bloomington, Plymouth St. Louis Park, Anoka, Eden Prairie, Eagan, Apple Valley, Woodbury, White Bear Lake, Blaine and Coon Rapids, MN. Our phones are answered 24/7/365 and we will happily take your call: 612-234-4117.

But how to clean your house furnace, first, you need usual tools used to clean your interior furniture including cotton swab, toothbrush, vacuum cleaner and so on. After that turn off any interrelated power of the furnace. Disassemble parts of furnace and vacuum the interior area of furnace using towel for the larger area and using toothbrush for the smaller area. Then use a large, dry scrub brush to clean all vents and clean the furnace blower thoroughly with toothbrush, toothpick and cotton swab to make sure it is clean. Pay attention to melted or worn wiring, and look for any signs of corrosion. If they are any signs of corrosion like mentioned above, do not forget to replace the broken parts with the new replacements. This should be done at least once a year to make your furnace remains clean and maintained.

In addition, after getting the firm quote, it is recommended that you should check company review. This is good because any company that does a good job should have satisfied clients which can be used as references. Be aware of companies that don’t include this information since it might end up with disenchanting service for you. The information above will help you find the right company and get the best service available of a duct cleaning service.

Duct cleaning caught the attention of people and media way back in 1976 when people started falling sick due to inhaling impure air. This is when people started noticing the accumulation of dirt in the air duct work. Thus, they quickly learned the importance of cleaning the ductwork on a regular basis. The best way to improve the quality of air in your home or office is to clean the air ducts regularly. Annual air duct cleaning may help improve air quality and lengthen the life of your heating and cooling equipment.

The technology used for duct cleaning has seen good improvement over the last few years. The equipments used for cleaning ducts use the latest technology to clean and extract the debris and dirt from inside the building out to a waiting truck which is ready to haul it away. The latest technology includes a robot and this new method has become a big hit with many of the companies that offer duct cleaning services. This new technology, while effective, is generally quite expensive too and may be more for show than anything else.

In a conventional method to clean the duct, all the debris and dirt is sucked into a suppressed container using a large vacuum hose. The hose is either mounted on a truck or is portable and works off your electric power. The cleaning process using robot technology also uses vacuum hose, however, the size of the hose is much smaller. The robot carries the hose down the duct. This way, you and the company can save on labor expenses. Unfortunately, the robot itself is quite an investment and is usually reflected in the price charged by the duct cleaner.

New equipments are developed on a regular basis for cleaning ducts. Moving cameras and rotating brushes have made the process easier. Using the cameras, one can actually see what is actually inside the ducts. Again, cameras and the time to set them up and show the client is expensive and time consuming, so be prepared to spend more.

When it comes to duct cleaning, it is necessary to clean the entire heating and cooling system. You will find it very tough to do the cleaning all by yourself and most who have attempted it agree that it’s better to hire professionals to get the cleaning process done correctly. They will have equipment manufactured using the best in technology to do the cleaning task to meet or exceed industry standards. It is also safer to get the duct cleaning done by professionals, as they have good idea about the safety precautions. While cleaning the entire system is of the utmost importance when it comes to protecting your furnace and air conditioner, it is also necessary to change out the filters regularly. A clean duct and vent system means you get safer environment to live in. The air around you will be much pure to inhale. Inhaling the contaminated air will cause several diseases including lung cancer. Hence, it is very important that you pay enough care to the duct cleaning process.

They duct cleaners who work for CleanMyFurnace.com are very skilled in their work and you don’t have to worry about the quality of their workmanship. They understand that the contamination of your ductwork depends on individual usage; the more you use your furnace or A/C, the more contaminated it will be. The technicians are trained to help you determine the level and frequency of duct cleaning your home or office may require. The best way to ensure maximum safety is to have your ducts cleaned once every 2-5 years. This way, you will be able to stay away from the various diseases caused by inhaling impure air. In Minneapolis call 612-234-4117 to discuss your situation and how we can help.

Going Clean & Green – American Profile
by Sharon H. Fitzgerald
Maintaining a CLEAN and healthy home is easier with these simple, cost-effective tips:

1. Leave your shoes at the door. “It will prevent you from tracking in road oils and other contaminants,” says Dan J. Shapley, an editor of www.thedailygreen.com. It’s also a good idea to place a doormat at each entrance to your home, and to keep a towel at entrances to wipe grimy pet paws.
2. For everyday cleaning, use natural products that don’t contain harsh chemicals. Make your own inexpensive cleaners using safe, household ingredients such as baking soda, salt, vinegar and lemon juice. See recipes at www.thedailygreen.com.
3. Kill mold and mildew with a solution containing tea tree oil or citrus seed extract, available in most health-food stores. Combine two cups of water in a spray bottle with two teaspoons of the oil or 20 drops of the extract. Use on tiles, grout, shower curtains, rugs, fabric-covered furniture, and in musty bureau drawers and cabinets.
4. Decorate your home with air-purifying houseplants such as the peace lily, Warneckii, English ivy and elephant ears.
5. Use “draft snakes” at the base of doors to keep pollutants out and heated or cooled air in.

Going green for most people focuses on what’s practical: saving money and staying healthy. “Many of these common-sense, practical steps are things our parents’ and grandparents’ generations did as a matter of course,” Shapley says.

If you are ready to improve the quality of your indoor air and are in need of air duct cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, furnace cleaning or any of our other HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) cleaning services, we would love to hear from you. We service the Greater Twin Cities Metro area including Minneapolis and St Paul, MN.

CleanMyFurnace.com, 1299 Promenade Place, Suite 11A, Eagan, MN 55121 – (612) 234-4117

Photos of a dirty and a clean “A” Coil

According to the EPA, “Accumulated debris can restrict the air flow in your air ducts, making your system work harder to heat and cool your home. A build up of .042 (1/20) inches of dirt on the heating or cooling coil can result in a decrease in efficiency of 21% increasing your monthly utility and fuel bills.”

Here is a “before” picture of a dirty evaporator coil (“A” coil):

Here is the A-coil after it has been cleaned:

Here is an example of a typical”dirty” air duct before we clean it:

This is what it looks like after a thourough air duct cleaning:

Think of your Cold Air Return as a low pressure vaccuum, which runs day and night. Every air-borne form of dirt and debri will eventually make it into your air ducts. Once in your air ducts it can become a breeding ground for germs and bacteria.

What is a Green Cleaning Product?

There are many brands which boast their products as environment friendly, but are they actually what they claim? That is for the consumer to decide. Looking at the positive aspect, we can easily assert that shopping stores are loaded with environment friendly cleaning products however we are often left wondering which one to pick from the heap. Most of these products would have terms like ‘green’ or ‘environment friendly’ or earth picture on it still there are no standards or guidelines defined for labeling the product as green. As a result any manufacturer can term his product as green. One exclusive US nonprofit organization – Green Seal, has developed comprehensive standards for such certification, ironically none of the manufacturers have sought this assertion as of now. In nutshell we can say that it is for the customer to think and make a suitable choice while choosing a green cleaning product.

Homemade Green Cleaning Products

It is a daunting experience to buy an item without having complete knowledge or trust on it. Since none of these green cleaning product follow the standards, to prepare your own green cleaning agents at home is a far better choice both from environment and monetary point. Some of the most common ingredients required for preparation are borax, baking soda, white vinegar, olive oil and washing soda etc. Most of these items are generic and there are wide chances that they may be already available in your house. These items are easy and effective in use, saves you from toxic chemicals which adversely affect the environment.

Commercial Green Cleaning Products

However if you are still picking a commercial green cleaning product then you should opt and use them wisely, bearing in mind the false claims of ‘Green’. Here are few tips:

• First, while using a disinfectant we should not forget that they are harsher cleaner. They sterilize the surface and so can be harmful if not applied adequately. Pick hydrogen peroxide bleach instead of chlorine or oxygen bleach as this does not contains harmful chemicals and can be certified as green cleaner.
• Secondly, choose for brands which enlist all the ingredients used in manufacturing of green cleaning products on the package. This would help you in opting for product which is most environments friendly.
• Third but most important, is to restrain using products which are toxic in nature, as these may harm the environment and your personal health to a great extent. These products are most tempting as they give best result as far as cleaning is concerned but should be judged according to their damaging side effects too.

Above are some tips for cleaning your home in healthy and green way. Saving our environment and health is becoming the prime most concern for all individuals. Green home cleaning is a tiny but important step in balancing and preserving our nature. Air duct cleaning, furnace cleaning, chimney cleaning and dryer vent cleaning are all forms of green cleaning since there are generally no chemicals used in any of the cleaning processes. Referred to by duct cleaning companies as source removal, duct cleaning is a means of extracting dirt, pet dander, construction debris and other microbial organisms from the heating and cooling systems of both businesses and homes.

A good second step might consist of a combination of education and communication in regards to an air quality management program. When everyone from building owners, company executives, maintenance personnel and the rest of the staff fully understand the importance of indoor air quality a solution is more likely to be found.
In addition to recognizing the problem and getting everyone involved, combinations of the following measures may also prove helpful:

Filtration and good ventilation:

One cost-effective means of reducing indoor pollutant levels, is increasing ventilation rates and air distribution . Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems must be designed to meet ventilation standards in local building codes. The system should also be operated and maintained to ensure that the design ventilation rates are attained. The HVAC system should be operated to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 62-1989. The HVAC equipment should also be maintained according to the manufaturers reccommendations. If there are strong pollutant sources, air may need to be vented directly to the outside. This method is especially recommended to remove pollutants that accumulate in specific areas such as restrooms, copy rooms, and printing facilities.

Clean-up of known pollutants:

When practical, the most effective approach to solving a known source of an indoor air quality problem is in the removal or modification of the pollutant source. Steps to achieve this might include:

• Routine maintenance of HVAC systems
• Replacing water-stained ceiling tiles and carpets
• Banning smoking or providing a separately ventilated room
• Venting contaminant source emissions to the outdoors
• Using and storing paints, solvents, pesticides, and adhesives in closed containers in well-ventilated areas
• Using those pollutant sources in periods of low or no occupancy
• Allowing time for building materials in new or remodeled areas to off-gas pollutants before occupancy.

Indoor air cleaning:

Air cleaning has some limitations, but it can be a useful addition to source control and ventilation. Air filters are only effective at removing some, not all, of the pollution. Air duct cleaning and a thorough cleaning of all the HVAC components with in the ductwork has also proven helpful. Application of a mild sanitizer should also be considered during the cleaning process.