Smoking Cigarettes in your home:

 

As we all know smoking is a bad habit/addiction, ok  we are all aware of that, I think anyone whether a chain smoker or a social smoker is completely aware of the damages caused by smoking cigarettes.

But in this post we will find out what are the damages to your home when you smoke cigarettes indoors.

Fire Hazard:

The U.S. Fire Administration estimates that nearly 1000 smokers and non-smokers are killed each year by fires caused by cigarettes. Unattended cigarettes can lead to a full blown fire whose effects can range from a simple smoke damage to a complete loss!. These fires can sometimes be fatal for the smoker and other occupants in the house.

Walls, Ceilings, Furniture and Floors:

 

As we all know cigarette smoke contains a variety of nasty chemicals including :

·         Acetone

·          Ammonia,

·         Benzene,

·         Tar

·         Etc…

Some of these chemicals tend to cling and build up on surfaces that are exposed to, literally anything and everything in your home, cigarette smoke can also build up and stain walls and if there is wallpaper in your home it might cause the wallpaper to curl, walls too can see nicotine stains build up and discolor them, if the smoking goes on for long enough, all these particles can embed themselves in Sheetrock and impossible to remove!

If you have ever been inside one of the smoking huts at Atlanta`s airport or any other airports, it is not hard to notice how discolored the ceiling tiles and walls are.!

Electronics:

Other than ceilings and walls, cigarettes smoke can also cling onto curtains and other household items including electronics (especially computers) and have disastrous effects over a period of time.

In general cigarettes smoke will cling to anything that`s emitting heat (Fans, capacitors, processors, etc.). This heat attracts a good bit of “dust” already, but it gets even worse when you add cigarette smoke to the mix. It is good to know that cigarette smoke carries moisture with it and can lead to both a corrosion of parts and a dangerous build-up of dust.

HVAC:

Your home`s HVAC system is critical to keeping your home comfortable, especially if you live in Southern Ontario, The system works by pulling in outside air through a filter, every so often these filters require changing, smoking in your home adds to all the dust, pet hair and other particulate matter in the air. These particulates have to be caught by the Filter , as you  can imagine cigarette smoke will dramatically shorten the time between filter changes, not changing the filter more frequently while smoking in your home can cause your HVAC system to overwork and possible break down.Always consult with a qualified indoor air quality specialist before moving into a new house.

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10 Things you did not know about dust mites!

 

They can cause itching and scratching! They can also be the main reason for Asthma or allergies!
Their favorite place to live is in your bed where they can get skin flakes, they are so tiny they are almost invisible to the naked eye, a typical house dust mite measures between 0.2–0.3 millimeters (0.008–0.012 in) in length. (10X magnification if one wants to see them!).

 

Here are 10 things you did not know about dust mites!

1. In the US, one study found that 84% of households had a detectable dust mite population.
2. Average length of a dust mite is 0.3 millimeters.
3. Their favorite food is dead skin cells.
4. Their favorite place to live is in your bed.
5. There are on average 100,000 dust mites living in the typical mattress.
6. People who are allergic to dust are actually allergic to the enzymes found in dust mite feces.
7. They do have a weakness! Humidity.
8. They need at least 50% humidity to survive.
9. The dust mite population decreases in colder months when the humidity is lower and comes back again.
10. They can cause wheezing and sneezing

Bottom Line

Dust mites could be in your house and in your bed but these tips could help you get rid of them:

* Wash your sheets and pillows frequently!
* Use polyester pillowcases and mattress covers
* Get rid of any carpets
* Use a vacuum with special filters.
* Hire a professional like us to help you improve indoor air quality.
To obtain more information feel free to visit our website. Join the conversation on our Facebook page. To see some before and after’s follow us on Instagram. Pin us on Pinterest. Read our Blog.
Dust Chasers quality air duct cleaning services and HVAC hygiene.

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 info@dustchasers.ca

Toll Free: 1-855-687-3878 Extension 701.

“We help you breathe better”

Hire  these plants to improve  indoor air quality in your house:

What if we told you there are actually plants out there which could improve the indoor air quality?

Would you hire them to the task for you?

Back in 1980s, NASA did a research to find out which plants were best able to filter the air of the space station! Now think about it, if they are good enough for the space station…

Well you do not really have to be an astronaut to know that plants produce oxygen, but what you might now realize is that some indoor plants can also absorb contaminants such as benzene and formaldehyde, Dr. B.C Wolver ton’s research also proved that plan-filtered rooms have 50 to 60 percent less airborne microbes such as mold spores and bacteria!

So instead of having fake, silk plants that actually do nothing but collect dust, put any of these plans and let them help you improve indoor air quality!

·             Spider plants

·             Peace lilies

·             Snake plants (aka mother-in-law's tongue)

·             Elephant ears

·             Weeping figs

·             Rubber plants

·             Bamboo palms (aka reed palm)

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Frozen AC coil? We might have the remedy!

Frozen AC coil? We might have the remedy!

Furnace Filters

Everyone agrees that you should change your HVAC filter on a regular basis, but there are different opinions on which filter to go with? Don`t let this turn into a nightmare! . Next time you go shopping for a furnace (or AC) filter, here are a few things to keep in mind. These tips can save you money and perhaps even prevent you from inadvertently damaging your HVAC equipment because no one has spare money to spend on these kind of stuff right?! Right!

What a lot of home owners are not aware of is that the primary purpose of a filter is to protect HVAC equipment, not to improve indoor air quality. Many furnace manufacturers recommend that you use a low-cost fiberglass filter, but here at Dust Chasers quality air duct cleaning services and HVAC hygiene we think otherwise!

Perhaps this was because high-efficiency filters that are too good may actually slow airflow across the heat exchanger, reducing the unit’s efficiency, raising your energy bills, and causing furnace damage due to overheating., not good right? Similarly, a high-efficiency filter can freeze the condensing coils on an AC unit. (A dirty filter can do the same thing.)

Even more of a shocker is that furnace filters do relatively little to reduce the number of small particles you inhale. That’s because these particles tend to be in the air wherever there is human activity—and that’s not necessarily where your return registers and ductwork can capture them, according to research by the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CHMC).

In addition, furnaces (and central ACs) run only seasonally. Even during the heating and cooling seasons, furnaces run only part of the time. So it stands to reason they are not filtering the air when the fan is not running.

Maintenance:

At Dust Chasers quality air duct cleaning services and HVAC hygiene in Greater Toronto Area we believe these filters should be rinsed once a month and prior to re-installation, they should be allowed to dry. Some permanent electrostatic filters include carbon filtration for odor removal.

Bottom line:

Keep in mind that electrostatic filters are most effective when new and clean, so they should be washed frequently.

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CRTC Finally Takes Action Against Shady Duct Cleaning Companies

If you live in Southern Ontario you are probably among the not so lucky Ontarians who were receiving harassing phone calls from off shore telemarketers to get their #AirDucts cleaned! CRTC Finally takes action! For more information click here!

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What is Carbon Monoxide? What are Carbon Monoxide Detectors? Here is all you need to know to keep your family safe and sound!
Who needs Carbon Monoxide Detectors?
If you live in a house with ATTACHED GARAGE or if you have a GAS BURNING appliance!
But wait! There is more to it:

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Properties

1. How is CO generated in the home?

CO is a by-product of incomplete combustion of fuel such as natural gas, propane, heating oil, kerosene, coal, charcoal, gasoline, wood, or other bio-fuels. This incomplete combustion can occur in any device that depends on burning a fuel for energy or heat.

Examples of fuel burning devices:

Home furnace
Space heater
Decorative fireplace
Wood stove
Kitchen stove or grill
Gas/charcoal barbeque
Hot water heater
Automobile
Lawnmower

Automobiles left running in an attached garage, a portable generator operating near an open window or in the garage, an outdoor gas barbecue operated inside the house, a grill or kerosene heater that is not properly vented, or a fireplace chimney that is dirty or plugged may create unsafe levels of CO.

When these devices are properly installed, maintained and vented, the CO produced can be prevented from reaching unsafe levels in the home.

2. What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?

Exposure to CO can cause flu-like symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, burning eyes, confusion, drowsiness and even loss of consciousness, without the elevated temperature associated with the flu. In severe cases, CO poisoning can cause brain damage and death. The elderly, children and people with heart or respiratory conditions may be particularly sensitive to CO.

It can poison the body quickly in high concentrations, or slowly over long periods of time.

3. How do CO alarms work?

CO alarms monitor airborne concentration levels (parts per million) of CO over time, and sound an alarm when harmful levels are present. They are designed to sense low CO concentrations over a long period of time as well as high concentrations over a short period of time.

4. How expensive are CO alarms?

CO alarms range in price from approximately $26 to over $100 depending on whether they are hard-wired, battery operated or plug-in and whether they have additional features (i.e. battery back-up, digital display, etc.). The average mid-range plug-in/battery back-up model is between $35 and $40 per unit.

5. Why are CO alarms required to be installed adjacent to sleeping areas in the home?

Proper placement of a CO alarm is important. The CO alarm must be located adjacent to all sleeping areas of the home to increase the likelihood that sleeping occupants will hear the alarm if it goes off.

6. At what height should CO alarms be installed?

Unlike smoke, which rises to the ceiling, CO mixes with air. Hence CO alarms may be installed at any height. However, if a combination smoke/CO alarm is used, it must be installed on or near the ceiling as per manufacturer’s instructions, to ensure that it can detect smoke effectively.

7. Do CO alarms sound different from smoke alarms?

Yes. CO alarms sound different from smoke alarms when they activate. By introducing a new emergency device into the home, it is important that everyone in the household knows the difference between an alarming smoke alarm and an alarming CO alarm.

As well, everyone needs to know the difference between an actual alarm sound versus the low battery or end of life warnings for both their smoke and CO alarms.

Owners should consult their instruction manual to obtain further information on the characteristics of the audible signals for each device.

8. How does a CO alarm signal differ from a smoke alarm signal when it alarms?

According to the CO alarm standard, CSA 6.19-01, a CO alarm signal consists of 4 very quick beeps followed by a 5 s pause and the pattern is repeated. This contrasts with a smoke alarm’s signal as defined by the smoke alarm standard ULC S531, which consists of 3 beeps followed by a 1.5 s pause and then this pattern is repeated.

9. If your CO alarm sounds, and you or other occupants suffer from symptoms of CO poisoning, what should you do?

Immediately have everyone in the home move outdoors and then call 911 or your local emergency services number from outside the building.

10. If your CO alarm sounds, and no one is suffering from symptoms of CO poisoning, what should you do?

Check to see if the battery needs replacing, or the alarm has reached its "end of life" before calling 911.

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