East Tennessee Mountain Views - April, 2008 Edition

	Did you know the air ducts in your home act as your home’s lungs? If you are suffering from allergies, your air ducts probably need cleaned! In fact, one out of six people suffer from allergies because of the fungi and bacteria that are in their air duct system. Most homes these days are built air tight. This means you are inhaling the same contaminated, re-circulated air over and over.
Scott Abbes, owner of Clean Air Solutions, made the following points about the air inside homes and said, “The EPA tells us that the air inside a home can be 5 times more polluted than the air outside. Having your air ducts cleaned gets to the source of your home’s indoor pollutants. Room air purifiers do some good, but most of the air we breathe indoors is re-circulated over and over again through our air duct system. As it circulates, it passes through spider webs, dust, dust mites, pollen, rodent droppings, dead insects, sheetrock dust, etc. And that’s just in the average home! Some homes contain mold, dead rodents, fiberglass insulation, smoke and pet dander in their duct systems. Not only do these contaminants increase the airborne dust and odors in our homes; many of them are also allergens that make us sick.” Those who live in newly constructed homes may think their air ducts are clean and healthy. Think again! Abbes said owners of newly constructed homes should have their air ducts cleaned and explained, “The ducts in new houses are coated with construction debris, sheetrock dust, sawdust, etc. Once the dust is in the ductwork, it blows out for years to come, making the house dusty and the indoor air quality unhealthy.”
How can you know if your air ducts need cleaned? One sign is if you wake up in the morning with allergy symptoms. If this sounds familiar, the chances are high that you have been breathing dusty, contaminated air while you were sleeping. Yet, to know for sure, have an air specialist like Abbes come into your home. Clean Air Solutions offers free video inspections of your ducts. You won’t have to take anyone’s word for it, you will see for yourself what is inside your home’s lungs. “We offer free video inspection of the ductwork, as well as free estimates,” said Abbes. “We will insert a tiny video camera into the ducts and show a home owner on a TV monitor what they look like. Then they can decide whether or not they want their ducts cleaned. Our website shows the cleaning process and the equipment we use. In fact, we have a special link set up on the site with exclusive specials just for the readers of East Tennessee’s Mountain Views at www.wecleanyourair.com/etmv.” Abbes and his wife, Jen, have been cleaning the air ducts for home owners in Rarity Bay and Tellico Village for years. “We also sell electrostatic filters, room air purifiers and duct system UV lights. Another service we offer is dryer vent cleaning which prevents fires, saves electricity and speeds up drying time,” said Abbes.