Is My AC Causing Indoor Air Quality Issues?

February 18th, 2013

The Clean Air Act, Inc. is here to serve all of your Beaverton, Oregon air conditioning needs, including AC maintenance to help improve indoor air quality. Whether you have a ductless mini split or central air conditioner, there are many ways in which your AC system can impact indoor air quality. To ensure that your system is not reducing the quality of air inside your home, we’ve put together a list of ways your air conditioner may be causing indoor air quality issues.

Dirty Air Filter

Clogged air filters do not work to trap particles in your home and keep them from getting distributed throughout the home. Even if you have a ductless mini split AC system, you should change air filters at least once a month, especially if you have pets or during times of heavy use.

Lack of Proper Humidity Control

In the summer, you probably know that your home gets more humid that normal. Most air conditioners have a built-in dehumidifier, but if moisture levels are extraordinarily high, then your AC system has to work harder, and indoor air quality is affected as well. Installing a whole-home dehumidifier or air cleaner may be your best option. Indoor air pollutants can get trapped inside homes that are too moist more easily. In addition, air that is too humid is also very uncomfortable.

Older AC Systems

If you have an older AC system, it may not be equipped with the proper type of dehumidifier or effective air filters. Unless you are thinking of installing a new air filtration system, you may want to consider an upgrade for your air conditioner.

Call the Beaverton air conditioning experts at The Clean Air Act, Inc. to provide all your AC and indoor air quality needs.

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When To Schedule AC Tune-Ups

February 11th, 2013

While Beaverton, OR isn’t known for its hot weather, having a good air conditioning system is a critical part of your comfort. For those few days when it’s hot you want to be able to stay comfortable in your home. Getting your air conditioning system regularly inspected and tuned up is a great way to make sure that your AC system works well when you need it. At Clean Air Act, we take our customers’ comfort very seriously. That’s why we offer high quality air conditioning tune-ups throughout the Beaverton, OR area. Here are some suggestions for homeowners in the area about the benefits of scheduling AC tune-ups and when you should do it.

When to Schedule AC Tune-Ups in Beaverton OR

During the fall and winter you likely don’t use your air conditioning system. But when the spring and summer comes around you will likely be using your AC more often. Likely, the best time to get your air conditioning system maintained and tuned up is right before you start using it again. Some companies recommend that you recommend that you get your air conditioning system tuned up in the spring before the cooling season rolls around. Call Clean Air Act if you’re interested in scheduling air conditioning maintenance in Beaverton, OR.

Benefits of Regular AC Tune-Ups in Beaverton OR

Having your air conditioning system regularly maintained, inspected and cleaned has tremendous benefits for homeowners in Beaverton, OR. During regular maintenance visits, your AC technician will inspect and clean every component of your air conditioning unit. This will allow them to find small problems before they turn into larger, more costly repairs. Not only can this potentially reduce the need for air conditioning repairs in Beaverton but it could also improve the efficiency of your system.

If you need air conditioning repairs in Beaverton OR, call the AC experts at Clean Air Act. Contact Clean Air Act today!

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Air Filtration and Indoor Air Quality

February 4th, 2013

During the summertime it is tempting to seal up your home as tightly as possible. Everyone wants to keep their home in Portland cool and comfortable, but they also want to do it efficiently. One of the best ways to achieve that goal is to prevent cooled air from escaping your home. This can have a negative impact on indoor air quality, though. Call Clean Air Act today if you are not 100% satisfied with the indoor air quality in your home. We can help you improve your indoor air quality with an air filtration system.

A mechanical air filter is one of the simplest ways in which you can improve indoor air quality in your home. Mechanical air filters are installed in your air ducts and as the air passes through them they collect pollutants on a filtering material. While your air conditioning system has a built in air filter, it is not highly efficient. It is intended more to protect your air conditioning equipment from dirt and debris than to improve indoor air quality. The addition of a more efficient air filter can help you breathe cleaner, healthier air.

An electronic air cleaner is another great way to improve indoor air quality in Portland. By pulling air into an ionization chamber an electronic air cleaner can give a static charge to pollutants in your air. These electrically charged pollutants then are trapped on a collector plate which can be removed and cleaned off. Other devices operate in much the same way but simply allow the charged pollutants to adhere to the walls and other surfaces in your home. Either way they are removed from the air and will no longer be circulated throughout your home. Air borne pollutants are a real concern for residents with asthma, allergies and other respiratory conditions.

For more information about how an air filtration system can improve indoor air quality in Portland, call the professionals at Clean Air Act. We’ll be happy to help you breathe cleaner, healthier air throughout the cooling season. Do not sacrifice air quality for comfort. A good air filtration system allows you to enjoy both. Contact Clean Air Act today!

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How Often Should I Change My Air Filters and Which Type Should I Buy?

January 28th, 2013

Changing the air filters in your heating system is an important part of maintaining the heating system in your home. It also helps improve indoor air quality. How often you change it and what type to get really depends on your heating system. Consult your owner’s manual if you aren’t sure, but most filters should be changed once a month, especially during times of heavy use. Contact The Clean Air Act for all HVAC services, including indoor air quality in Beaverton.

Some heating systems have a removable filter that you can clean instead of throwing it away. These are better for the environment and also tend to be slightly more effective, but only if you clean them often. You should check them at least once a month if not more often. If you have pets or allergies, it’s probably a good idea to check them as often as you can.

Some disposable filters are designed to last up to three months. When you buy your air filter, it should have the instructions on the package. You’ll also need to make sure you know which size and type to buy before you purchase it. Some furnaces or heat pumps will have the instructions on the door to the filter, or you can check the owner’s guide. You can also take in the old filter to the store with you so that you know exactly which type and size to get. Most air filters can be purchased at your local hardware store, but it might be a good idea to call first to make sure they have the right kind.

Call the Beaverton indoor air quality and heating specialists at The Clean Air Act if you have further questions about air filters or air cleaners.

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Which type of heating system is right for your home?

January 21st, 2013

Here in Portland, having a good heating system is absolutely critical to your comfort. But which heating system is right for your home? At Clean Air Act, we’ve been providing complete Portland heating services for many years. We thought it would be helpful if we put together a quick list of some of the heating services and products that are available in the greater Portland metropolitan area. Contact Clean Air Act today!

Traditional Heating Systems: Furnaces vs. Boilers

Furnaces and boilers are two of the most popular and common heating systems in the entire country. They provide relatively cheap heating and, if your unit is less than 5 years old, it probably is fairly efficient. Whenever you need any kind of heating services, it’s always best to call a local contractor. Getting professional heating installation in Portland is the best ways to make sure that your furnace or boiler work well for many years.

Geothermal Heating and Air Conditioning Systems

For those that are interested in renewable energy, geothermal systems are a great way to heat your home using the energy that is stored in the ground. Geothermal systems use an underground loop to gather heat from the earth and heat your home. Like your central air conditioning system that moves heat from inside your home to the outside—geothermal systems work in reverse by bringing heat from the ground into your home. They can also be used to cool your home very efficiently as well.

High Velocity Systems

High velocity systems are another great option for homeowners in Portland, OR. These types of systems don’t need large, cumbersome ductwork. Instead, high velocity systems use small tubes that can fit between walls and under floorboards. They deliver high velocity heated and cooled air to each of your rooms. The high velocity of the air allows these systems to evenly distribute the air throughout your entire home.

If you have any questions about heating installation or heating repairs in Portland, contact Clean Air Act today!

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Maintaining Indoor Air Quality This Heating Season

January 14th, 2013

During the winter, most of us try to keep our homes sealed up pretty tightly in order to keep as much of the heated air inside as possible. While this is a great way to improve the energy efficiency of your home in Oregon City, it can potentially cause the air quality in your home to suffer. With no ventilation, the contaminants that enter your air just get recirculated through your home. In fact, the EPA estimates that indoor air quality is one of the leading threats to respiratory health in the U.S. At Clean Air Act, we offer friendly and honest indoor air quality services in Oregon City. If you’d like to learn more about how to improve the indoor air quality in your home this winter, read below. Give us a call today if you’d like to speak with one of our indoor air quality technicians.

Clean Your Home

A great way to make sure that the air quality in your home is as good as possible is to regularly clean your home. Vacuuming and dusting are especially important as dust is one of the most common air contaminants. If you have pets, vacuuming can really help to eliminate some of the pet dander that is likely accumulating in your air.

Control Moisture

If you get dry skin during the winter, using a humidifier is a terrific way to add some more moisture to the air. The winter is notoriously dry which can lead to itchy and irritated skin. Make sure that areas that typically collect moisture, like your bathroom or the basement, are able to dry out so that you don’t get mold infestations. If you use a humidifier, always use fresh water and regularly clean it.

Increase Ventilation

Another good way to improve the air quality in your home is to properly ventilate it. Opening windows is a great way to let in fresh air—as long as the temperature permits it. You can also turn on attic, kitchen and bathroom fans to get more fresh air into your home.

Consider a Whole Home Air Quality Control System

Perhaps the best way to make sure that the air in your home is clean is to invest in a home air filtration and purification system. There are many different types and brands of air filtration systems available on the market. Some of them just sit in your room filter the air while other more effective models are actually installed in your ducts and air handler to filter the air as it passes through.

If you’re concerned about the air quality in your home, contact Clean Air Act today. If you or one of your family members has a sensitivity to a particular contaminants or if they suffer from asthma or allergies, a whole home are filtration system could potentially make them more comfortable. If you’d like to talk with one of the professional Oregon City air quality technicians at Clean Air Act, just call us today.

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Why Choose a Whole Home Dehumidifier?

January 7th, 2013

If you want to be truly comfortable in your Portland home you must do more than just maintain comfortable temperature levels. You must also do all that you can to improve and maintain the quality of the air that you breathe. A big mistake that many homeowners make when it comes to the indoor air quality in their homes is to convince themselves that a certain problem with their air quality is too minor or unimportant to do anything about. Other times they simply choose the wrong tool for the job. At The Clean Air Act we want to help you make your home a more comfortable, safer place to live.

Excessively moist air is one great example of a serious problem that many homeowners do not handle in the most effective way possible. A lot of homeowners will purchase a standalone, single room dehumidifier in order to resolve the humidity problem in their homes. A whole home dehumidifier, though, is a much better solution for your humidity problems.

Excess moisture in the air that you breathe is a more serious issue than many people realize. Yes, it does lead to stuffy, uncomfortable air. Overly humid air can also cause wood rot, though, as well as promote the growth of biological pollutants such as mold.

There is simply no way for a single room dehumidifier to remove enough moisture from your home to eliminate these risks if you have too much humidity in the air. It may make the room that it is in more comfortable, but chances are that if one room’s air is too damp there are other points in your home that suffer from the same issue.

A whole home dehumidifier is installed directly into your home heating and cooling system. That means that you do not need to have multiple dehumidifiers littering your home. Not only are whole home dehumidifiers much more convenient than single room devices, they are much more effective.

If you are concerned about humidity levels in your Portland home, contact the indoor air quality experts at The Clean Air act. Our whole home dehumidification systems and services can help you breathe better, higher quality air. Contact The Clean Air Act to schedule service today.

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Happy New Year’s Eve!

December 31st, 2012

Everyone at Clean Air Act Inc. wants to wish you a very happy New Year! We hope you have a fun (and safe!) time saying goodbye to 2012 and welcoming in the New Year!

If you are a person who makes resolutions, why not try to make your home more environmentally-friendly next year? Upgrading your heating and air conditioning system can reduce the amount of energy you need to keep your home comfortable. You can also save energy by adding insulation and sealing any air leaks. A greener home is not only better for the environment, but it also saves you money by reducing your utility bills. Contact Clean Air Act Inc. to learn more about the benefits of upgrading your HVAC system.

Have a Happy New Year!

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Happy Holidays from your Heating and Cooling Specialists!

December 21st, 2012

Everyone at Clean Air Act Inc. wishes you a very happy holiday! We would like to take a moment to thank all our wonderful customers who make it possible for our business to thrive. We look forward to working with you in the New Year. Have a wonderful celebration, and enjoy this time with friends and family!

As a quick reminder, if you haven’t yet scheduled your heating maintenance yet, you could be losing money this winter. Annual maintenance will not only cut down on repair costs, but it also ensures that your home’s heating system is running as efficiently as possible, which lowers utility bills. A comfortable, efficient home is a gift that everyone can appreciate.

Happy Holidays from Clean Air Act Inc.!

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Will an Air Cleaner Work with My Heating and Cooling System?

December 17th, 2012

Comfortable temperatures are a great luxury and necessary to maintaining the quality of life that you deserve in Beaverton. The heating and air conditioning professionals at The Clean Air Act, though, believe that comfortable temperatures are just the beginning to the total comfort that you deserve. We know that the quality of the air that you breathe is just as important as the temperature, which is why we offer great indoor air quality products such as air cleaners for installation in your home. Contact us today for more information about improving the quality of your indoor air.

An air cleaner can be easily incorporated into most any forced air heating and air conditioning system. Whole-house air cleaners, including mechanical filters and UVGI devices, are installed directly into the ductwork of a forced air heating and cooling system. Because all of the air that your system heats and cools is dispersed throughout this system an in-duct installation allows all of this air to be filtered or otherwise cleaned.

These types of air filters and cleaners are really necessary with forced air systems for a few different reasons. To begin with, while all houses have a certain amount of dirt and dust within them, homes using forced air heating and air conditioning systems have this dirt and dust stirred up the circulating air. Once the pollutants are airborne they can be pulled into the ductwork and redistributed throughout the house. If they are allowed to settle within the air ducts they can cause efficiency problems with your heating and air conditioning system.

If you use a forced air heating and cooling system in your Beaverton home you should have some sort of air cleaner in place. To learn more about the integration of an air cleaner into your heating and cooling system call The Clean Air Act. We will be able to answer any questions that you may have.

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