For some of you, this month may have been the first time you’ve used your heater since early last year. The strong winter blast has made a relatively warmer winter into the winter most people expect to see – and feel.

With the chillier temperatures, however, may have also included an unwelcome visitor. In turning on your home heating system, you may also have detected a foul stench coming from the duct work. This odor is common, but it also can be a nuisance.

Growing fungus either within your ducts or actually on the heater is the most common cause of an odor. Fungus, which can grow because of the moisture around a furnace, has an unpleasant aroma when heated. Fungus on the furnace can be an easy clean. Fungus in the ducts, however, is more of an issue.

This is when our Birmingham AL heating experts can be of service to you. Our technicians can properly clean your ducts, in addition to your furnace humidifier, to provide you clean and warm air during the winter months. In addition, the cleaner air will be a major complement for those with allergies.

Contact our Birmingham HVAC company for more information about air duct cleaning and the detection and maintenance for odors within your heating system. Call us, or contact us online today.

Mold is a part of every day life. Believe it or not, we actually need a certain level of mold spores to reduce organisms found in your air. But with all things, there must be a balance. Too much humidity results in too much mold; and then mycotixin, a mold byproduct, can cause rashes and aggravate your allergies.

Our Birmingham HVAC specialists would like to take a moment to inform you about some of your options, should you face such a problem.

Black Mold

Black mold is generally the result of high humidity mixed with low ventilation. Black mold can crop up anywhere in your home, whether it is the drywall, insulation, ductwork, or your floor joists. Black mold can wreak havoc on your property and your health.

Symptoms of Black Mold

The fist sign of black mold may be a decrease in your health. Perhaps you have an unexplained rash, or your allergies constantly bother you. A sure sign of a black mold infestation is a patch of black speckles in a moist area.

Black Mold Locations

Black mold can be found anywhere in your home. Whether it is the duct work, ceiling, walls, or joists; black mold thrives where it is dark and moist.

Black Mold Remedy

Black mold removal requires a trained HVAC professional. You might tear out the affected portion of your home, however, the microscopic spores still exist. You will find yourself locked in a vicious cycle of sickness and repair.

Black Mold Prevention

The first step you can take to prevent black mold is installing a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier will reduce the moisture level in your home. Black mold thrives in a humid environment. Also you can schedule regular air duct services with One Hour Air Conditioning. Last but not least, you can have a HEPA filtration system installed.

If you have, or think you may have a problem with black mold; call your Birmingham HVAC specialists today! (205) 352-4195

When most people think of indoor home air quality, they think of allergies and little air purifiers. However, the issue is much more complex and important than it seems like on the surface. Our Birmingham air purifier experts can ensure a healthy home and a healthy lifestyle.

According to the EPA, your indoor air is typically 200-500 percent more polluted than the air outside. In worst case scenarios, the air inside your home can be up 10,000 percent worse than outdoors – yes, ten thousand percent! Much of this pollution comes from carpet cleaners, building material, paint, stain, bug sprays, cleaning chemicals, disinfectants, and more.

Although we continue to pollute outside air, nature attempts to balance it out with weather, ionization, and UV energy from the sun.  Therein lies the problem – these natural cleansers are not present indoors and our immune system cannot keep up with this over abundance of indoor air pollution.  The American Lung Association estimates that most people spend nine-tenths of their time indoors breathing hazardous ultra-fine particles, germs, and gases that pass through our lungs and enter the bloodstream.  These are the main causes of asthma, allergies and other ailments so, paying special attention to cleaning your indoor air is very important.

Allergies are a popular reason for air purifying. Mold is the number one source for sinus problems and infections – and mold particles can travel through the air when present. One of our certified Birmingham AL air quality experts can come and test your indoor air quality by performing a complete mold testing on your home. We use a service called “infrared testing” that will be able to locate the root of your mold problem, if when it’s inside your wall. We will then provide the steps necessary for mold removal, and perform tests on the bacteria and mold samples taken from your home.

Once the tests are complete, you will be given the correlating remedy advice. If possibly dangerous results are yielded, your disinfection and removal plan should be placed into action immediately.

Replacing an HVAC filter or upgrading an HVAC filter is one of the least expensive things you can do to improve indoor air quality and to keep a clean HVAC system.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency says that indoor air is two to five times more polluted than outdoor air.  If you are suffering from allergies, this would be a great place start and it may even downsize your allergies symptoms by 200% or more!

Here are some easy steps to replace your HVAC system filter…

Step 1

Grab a screwdriver and the new filter.

Step 2

Turn off the power supply to the HVAC unit. Locate the circuit breaker on your main power panel and flip the switch to the “OFF” position.

Step 3

Find the filter cover which located on the return air duct side. Unscrew and remove the filter cover.

Step 4

Pull the old filter.

Step 5

Insert the new filter. Make sure you insert in the direction of the arrows are pointed.

Step 6

Put the filter cover back on and make sure the screws are tight

Step 7

Turn the circuit breaker back on by flipping switch back to the “ON” position.

If you need any help replacing your HVAC filter, call One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, servicing the greater Birmingham area.