In March, Samsung released its newest HVAC products at the Mostra Convego Expocomfort (MCE) in Milan, Italy. The MCE is the world’s largest HVAC exhibition and showcases the latest technology in the industry.
Samsung promoted two of its latest products that are environmentally friendly, showing the company’s commitment to staying competitive among stricter environmental regulations in Europe. First, is the Wind-Free (TM) technology that allows the HVAC system to maintain the desired temperature without any direct wind. Instead, it gently disperses cool and still air through micro air holes. That sounds pretty cool! Second, Samsung also introduced residential and commercial air conditioners that contain the environmentally friendly refrigerant R32. Compared to the standard R410A refrigerant commonly used in air conditioners, R32 has only one-third of the global warming potential and is highly efficient in smaller amounts. These are exciting developments in the HVAC and indoor air quality industry. If you have questions on how to make your heating and air conditioning system work as efficiently as possible, call Dapper Ducts today. Ensuring all component parts of your HVAC are free from debris and dust, as well as your ducts and vents is an important way to promote efficiency.
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I suppose it goes without saying that of all buildings we find ourselves in, we would want the indoor air quality in a hospital to be top notch. Do you agree? Hospitals are even trickier when we think of clean indoor air because there are even more variables to consider. The sensitive populations that are present, the fact that many people in a hospital are already sick, the challenges with maintaining indoor air quality in buildings that are 24/7, etc.
From our perspective at Dapper Ducts, Inc. the last thing we would want happening is A) for a sick person to get sicker due to the sub-standard air quality during their hospital visit and B) for a healthy person to get sick at a hospital due to the air quality. Ironically, hospitals often suffer from sick building syndrome (SBS). SBS is when people who work in a building or spend a significant chunk of time in the building report symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, eye, nose, throat irritation, dry cough, itchy skin, nausea etc. Recently, researchers learned that SBS is not linked to the type of ventilation or air conditioning system used. Sick building syndrome has more to do with how well system are installed, managed and operated. As a result of this finding, it is critical that proper operation and maintenance of the HVAC systems, in hospitals in particular, be carefully maintained. Of course, SBS may very well be an issue in your regular office building as well. Having Dapper Ducts or another NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association) certified company perform regular air duct cleaning for your hospital or office, so that all component parts of your HVAC are free from debris and dust, as well as your ducts and vents is a big step toward maintaining proper indoor air quality. all or email Dapper Ducts today for a quote! In the Maryland, DC and Northern Virginia area, we are all very thankful for the signs of Spring after a cold winter. With trees, bushes and flowers blooming and pollen counts starting to rise, you may start to feel a tickle in your nose and throat to signal seasonal allergies are on the way.
With all the plants and bushes coming back to life, it’s a good time to have your air ducts cleaned. We often open our windows during the Spring to let in some fresh air after being cooped up all winter. This is healthy in many ways but also allows pollen, dust, dirt and other debris into our homes. These allergens make their way into our air handling systems when we turn on the heat or air condition and are then circulated throughout our homes over and over again. Cleaning or replacing the air filter in your HVAC system monthly is always a good idea. However, this will not remove the contaminants that are throughout your duct work. This is why you need to hire a NADCA certified air duct cleaning company like Dapper Ducts. This is also a reminder that Summer will be here soon when we want our HVAC systems working as efficiently as possible. Call Dapper Ducts to get an air duct cleaning quote so that you can breathe easily. Well, it’s truly the dead of winter for us in the DC, Maryland and Virginia triangle. These are the days where just dragging yourself out of bed each morning in the dark feels like an accomplishment, let alone getting bundled up to go scrape off your car and make your way to the office.
We can commiserate on that for a few hours or we can chat about ways to save money and not make your HVAC system work constantly just to keep your home at a livable temperature. Speaking of, what is a livable temperature? According to the Department of Energy, it’s advisable to set your thermostat at 68 degrees when you are home and 55 degrees when you are gone for the day. In our humble opinion, that’s insane. There was a time in my life where I was pretty broke living with three roommates and to save money we kept the house at 65 degrees. We literally wore hats and gloves while ‘relaxing’ in front of the TV at night (and you know there is nothing relaxing when your teeth are chattering and your body is shivering). More realistic is probably 69-70 degrees while you’re home and maybe 64-66 degrees while you are out for the day. The take away message here is: Get a programmable thermostat so your system isn’t trying to maintain the same temperature all day. That’s just wasteful. According to the Washington Post, many of us don’t even have a programmable thermostat and those of us who do aren’t using them correctly. Other than using your system settings more efficiently, Dapper Ducts would recommend a couple other options for reducing your energy costs and helping your HVAC system work less.
Feel free to call us anytime with your heating, cooling or indoor air quality questions. Our goal is education, not just booking the job. We want you to breather easier. If you have microbial growth in your home, it is probably a result of water or moisture. While this water or moisture can show up anywhere, it is most likely to be seen in attics, crawl spaces, the insides of walls, or in basements. Places that are dark and wet are mold breeding grounds. Sometimes, an excess of humidity or condensation in your home can also grow mold spores and turn into mold. This is very possible in our humid Mid-Atlantic climate in the metro DC area.
If you have a small patch of mold in your shower, that is something that you can take care of on your own, using a mild bathroom cleaning detergent. Keep in mind, however, that according to the EPA, chlorine bleach is not an approved chemical to remove mold from a residence or building. If you identify that mold in your home has spread well beyond your bathtub or a small, isolated area then it is likely that you would need to hire a mold remediation professional. Some air duct cleaning professionals are also trained and certified in mold remediation; Dapper Ducts is certified in mold remediation. Some mold is non toxic while other mold is toxic. This is the main reason why you need a professional cleaner who is licensed in mold remediation. If you try and remove the mold on your own, there is a chance that you could release the mold spores into the air and contaminate the rest of the house. This can cause serious problems for anyone with allergies or respiratory issues as well as those who are in good health. We often get questions from customers who see mold on an air vent asking if they can clean it themselves. For the reasons discussed above, that is not a good idea. Call Dapper Ducts today if you suspect microbial growth in your heating and ventilation system. |
AuthorThe Dapper Ducts team wants you to know all about indoor air quality. Archives
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