DuAll Heating & Cooling Blog : Posts Tagged ‘Indoor Air Quality’

Is the Humidity in Your Home Balanced?

Monday, July 10th, 2017

happy-family-outdoorsWe need to have some moisture in the air that surrounds us, right? Otherwise, we’d all be dealing with the ill effects that very dry air can have on our bodies, our health, and our properties. You can always have too much of a good thing, though, and having too much humidity in the air surrounding you in your home can lead to all sorts of problems. So how does one ensure that the humidity in his or her home is optimized? The answer is by using a whole-house humidifier and/or dehumidifier in Bolingbrook, IL.

In the following post, we’ll be looking a little more closely at the warning signs that humidity levels in your home may be less than ideal. Remember, with whole-house humidifiers and dehumidifiers, professionals services are required. When you are ready to schedule service, it is our IAQ technicians that you’ll want to work with for a job well done.

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When to Use a UV Air Purifier

Monday, May 29th, 2017

UV-lightIf you think that just keeping your home cool in the summer and warm in the cold winter season is enough to live in the comfort that you deserve, think again. It is also very important that you are able to maintain great indoor air quality in your home, in addition to comfortable temperatures. This can have major benefits not only for your overall comfort levels, but for your health as well.

In many homes, the use of pollutant removal based systems, such as air filters and electronic air cleaners, may be enough to maintain sufficiently high indoor air quality. In others, though, dust and dirt are not the only pollutants of concern. There are also biological pollutants, including viruses, mold, and bacteria to deal with. For such pollutants, simply removing them from the air is not enough. They must be destroyed, and UV germicidal lights are the right tool for the job.

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Improve Indoor Air Quality Effectively

Tuesday, March 7th, 2017

happy-family-outdoorsWe totally understand that homeowners throughout the area are getting anxious waiting for the warmer weather to arrive. Well, it’s going to a number of weeks yet before warm temperatures are here to stay for a while. Anxious as you may be after the harsh winter season, though, this really is not bad news. It gives you time to ensure that you’ll be breathing clean, pure air in your home once the warmer weather arrives.

There are a lot of ways in which your indoor air quality can suffer, and that can make it difficult to resolve problems successfully. In many cases, a multi-pronged approach is the only way in which to effectively boost the air quality in one’s home with lasting effect. Here are a few tips on some ways in which to clean up the air in your home. Let us help you to enjoy better indoor air quality in Bolingbrook, IL.

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Is Dirty Ductwork Hindering My Heater?

Monday, February 8th, 2016

*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.

A lot of homeowners use forced air heating systems in order to warm their homes effectively and quickly. The problem is  that the ductwork that these systems use can sometimes wind up with considerable amounts of dirt, dust, and other pollutants therein. This can lead to a number of problems within the household, including the spreading of those pollutants throughout one’s living space. This can make life tough for those with allergies and respiratory issues, as it can aggravate their symptoms. It can also hinder the performance of one’s HVAC system, though. That is why professional duct cleaning in Bolingbrook, IL is worth your consideration. 

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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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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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Why Use an Energy Recovery Ventilator?

Monday, October 29th, 2012

If there was a way for you to use less energy to heat and cool your house would you be interested in learning about it? Most people would say yes. An energy recovery ventilator, as its name suggests, is able to capture energy from the air that is entering and leaving your home. It provides a number of other benefits to your home in addition to energy savings. Below are a few reasons to consider installing an energy recovery ventilator in your home in Bolingbrook.

How Does an Energy Recovery Ventilator Work?

An ERV is an additional component of your heating and air conditioning system that, at its most basic level, pre-heats or pre-cools the going into your heating and AC system. Here are the steps in the process for heating season:

  • Cold air from outside and warm, stale air from inside are drawn into the energy recovery ventilator.
  • The two air streams are not mixed but heat energy from the exiting stale air is transferred to the cold air coming in.
  • The now-cooler stale air is exhausted and the now-warmer outside air is filtered and pumped into the heat exchanger to be fully heated.

Efficiency Benefits

One of the main reasons for an ERV is the increase in energy efficiency. With warmer air coming into your furnace or heat pump, your heating system doesn’t have to work as hard. This allows your system to consume less energy and potentially save you money.

Health Benefits

Many energy recovery ventilators also provide air filtration and humidity control features that can increase the air quality in your home. During cooling season, moisture and heat from the outgoing air is added to the cold, dry air coming in. Using a ventilating system to bring in fresh air to your home might be able to reduce the pollutants in your home’s air. Some ERV systems also have filtration components to actively filter incoming air. Not only can indoor air quality and humidity contribute to your comfort levels, but it can also impact how quickly your furniture wears out.

If you have any questions about energy recovery ventilators or if you’re interested in having one installed in your home in Bolingbrook, call the experts at DuAll Heating and Cooling. We have years of experience working with these types of systems. One of our trained technicians can walk you through the process and determine if an energy recovery ventilator is right for you.

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Check Out Our Blog for the Latest in HVAC Technology

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

Be sure to bookmark the DuAll Heating & Cooling blog for updates on the latest advances in HVAC technology.

We’ll feature money saving promotions here as well.

Call DuAll Heating & Cooling for all your Heating, Air Conditioning, Indoor Air Quality, Duct Cleaning, Water Heater, and Light Commercial HVAC needs.

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