Sometimes it is not an easy decision whether or not you should maintain or pay for services on household appliances and equipment.  When times are tight it seems that people cut back on maintaining certain appliances to save some money.  This can be a risky move  considering that your furnace and air conditioner perform at their best and safest when cleaned regularly (annually).  Scheduling furnace tune-ups and air conditioner tune-ups are the best way to prevent costly repairs in the middle of a cold winter or hot summer!

When we are at your home performing a tune-up, ask for our FREE RotoVision Ductwork Video Inspection.  We can show you what the inside of you ducts look like and you can decide if you would like to schedule a RotoBrush Whole-House Duct Cleaning.

If you never have had your ducts cleaned before, chances are that there is dust and debris in your ductwork.  It is also a good idea to have the ducts checked for mold and mildew growth which can cause sickness.

Possible Reason to have your Ducts cleaned:

1.  Either you or someone in your family has symptoms of allergies or asthma.

2.  Most household dust contains mites, mold, mildew, pollen, and animal dander and you don’t want to breathe that!

3.  If you see dust on your registers and around your house in general.

We Proudly Serve these and locations and more:

In Wisconsin: Hudson, River Falls, Somerset, Baldwin, Roberts, Prescott, New Richmond, and Hammond.

In Minnesota: Lakeland, Stillwater, Afton, and Woodbury.

Call now to set up the FREE RotoVision Video Inspection!

What is Whole-House Duct Cleaning?  How Often should your Ducts be Cleaned? How do you choose the right duct cleaning company?

Heating and air conditioning companies (including Valley Services) suggest cleaning and tuning-up your furnace and air conditioner yearly.   Duct cleaning is another service that should be done if it is determined that your ducts have mold, dust, or other debris in your duct work.  There is no need for a routine maintenance schedule to be set up, duct cleaning should be performed on an as needed basis.

At Valley Services we use RotoBrush Duct Cleaning equipment.  We use the RotoVision Video Inspection system to do just that.  We insert a 1-1/8″ camera with LED lights into the ductwork and with a 35′ cord view the inside of your duct system.  We can show you on the 10″ Color LCD Screen what your ducts look like and whether or not you would like to proceed with the cleaning and what we suggest as well.

I believe that the video inspection is the most important step in the process for our customers.  Valley will never suggest to clean the ducts if it is not needed.  It is the trust that we build and stand by with our customers that keeps them coming back!

So we answered one question so far, how often should your ducts be cleaned (asnwer: as needed and can be determined by the Video Inspection).

What is duct cleaning?

Duct Cleaning is a service that is performed (should be performed) by a heating and cooling company.  It is a process that starts with (after the video inspection of course) removing all of the grilles and registers of your return and supply ducting.  We then insert the air brush and vacuum hose into the duct and slowly work our way towards the main trunk line.  After we finish vacuuming each line of duct, we vacuum the inside of the furnace and check and clean the blower motor as well.

Don't let your air filter look like this! Get your ducts cleaned!

After vacuuming the inside of the furnace, we turn on the fan and spray a Anti-Microbial Solution into the duct system.  We then replace all the grilles and registers.

The final and most important step is letting the furnace run for 15-20 minutes after the cleaning is complete.  There are many duct cleaning companies out there that will not even start your furnace before they leave.  We make it a point to ensure everything is in perfect working order before we leave.  This leads me into the final sections of this blog.

How do you choose the right duct cleaner?

There are a few things that are important to consider before deciding on the company that is right for you.  There are some companies that are not heating and cooling companies that are cleaning ducts.  They are strictly cleaning companies and their work ends with the ductwork.  Anything that happens with the furnace they will not inspect.

This is something that is important to us as a company.  We want our customers to know that we will check your furnace operation before we begin and before we leave.  We believe that the ductwork and the furnace work together and it is key that your duct cleaning company understands this as well.

This should help you in your search for duct cleaning information.  There will be another article coming soon!

Thanks!

Yuck! You could be breathing this!

You don’t want to breathe this!  Change your Filters Regularly and get your furnace maintained and cleaned  and duct work cleaned!

Dust and dirt can ruin blower motors and cost you money!

715-386-7131

New Construction is a slow industry right now but it is still there and needs great quality HVAC installs.  With our estimating and sales team, we love looking at blue prints figuring out ways to make your system work right, for the right price too!

We can give you prices on in-floor heating, boilers, furnaces, air conditioners, and humidifiers.  We run custom ductwork for the most efficient use of the furnace and condensing unit.  We also can install your boiler heat system the way you want it (cast iron or radiators)!

We install Day and Night Heating and Cooling Products because we stand by their product quality, price, and top of the line warranties.

We can install your water heater fast and easy too!

Please Call us or Visit our Website.

715-386-7131

There are a variety of sizes, styles, and prices of furnace filters, but changing each of them is similar.

1. Before you start, turn off your furnace fan.  Either switch off at your furnace, or on the thermostat, switch to off.
2. Locate your filter. It should be located near the bottom of your furnace where the ductwork meets with the furnace.  This is where the air comes from your home, to be filtered and then sent back as warm or cold air through the top of your furnace.

It might be hidden behind a slot of sheet metal that can be moved.  If you cannot find it, consult your furnace manual or call a service technician.

3. Grasp the edge of the filter and pull out of slot.

4. Take the new filter, look at which way the arrow points, have it pointing toward furnace, the direction of air flow.  Putting in backwards decreases efficiency.

5. Close up slot, if needed. Change filter as recommended, for the 1 inch pleated filter, usually 2-3 months, depending on how much usage.

6.  It only filters the air if your blower is running.  If you have a variable speed blower, keep it running at a low speed all the time for the best air quality.

Other questions concerning your furnace? Click here.

Thanks again!

Bryan Corbett

This session will be shorter but no less important.  It focuses on your furnace not producing enough heat.  Now one of the reasons for this could be your furnace filter needs to be changed.  It may be clogged with debris, dust, hair, and whatever else you are attempting to remove from the air.   If this is the case, you need a new filter.

To find the old filter and remove it, you may need a screwdriver depending on how you furnace is set up.  Most filters are located between the return air duct and your furnace blower motor.  If you are able to do this, find the correct size and put your new filter in and off you go!  Your air will be cleaner and your furnace running more efficiently!

Hint:  Most thermostats have a setting that will alert you when a filter needs to be changed.  This depends on what type of filter you have.  View Valley Services Filter Page  and the FAQ Page for more!

Another possible problem if your furnace is not producing enough heat is that your gas burners are dirty and need to be cleaned.  This is something that should be done by a professional technician, so click here or call now!   715-386-7131

Hope this helped you get a little more heat in your life!

Until next time!

Bryan Corbett