Envirotech Air Quality Services Blog : Archive for November, 2014

10 Facts You Should Know about Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 27th, 2014

Thanksgiving has been celebrated as an official holiday in the United States for over 150 years, so you may think you understand all there is to know about this family feast. Most of us have heard the story of the pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving in 1621 after arriving in North America on the Mayflower. But did you know that only about half of the people on this ship were actually pilgrims? This fact is one of ten things that may actually surprise you about the Thanksgiving tradition!

  1. Although we often consider Thanksgiving a holiday unique to the United States, many other countries and cultures celebrate their own set of harvest-time and thanksgiving traditions. In Korea, Chu-Sok (or “fall evening”) is put on in remembrance of forefathers on August 15th of every year. Brazil celebrates a contemporary version of the U.S. holiday. Chinese, Roman, and Jewish cultures all have a history of harvest celebrations as well.
  2. President Harry S. Truman began the tradition of a ceremony held before Thanksgiving during which the president receives a turkey. George H.W. Bush was the first to pardon the turkey instead of eating it.
  3. In Minnesota alone, farmers raise over 40 million turkeys a year. In fact, U.S. farmers produce about one turkey for every one person in the country.
  4. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the average American will gain about one to two pounds every year during the holiday season.
  5. On the other hand, turkey is naturally high in protein and has been known to support and boost immune systems to protect against illness and speed up healing. So feast on!
  6. Abraham Lincoln issued a “Thanksgiving Proclamation” in 1863, but a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale can be credited with the idea. While Thanksgiving had been celebrated at different times of year in many areas of the U.S. for years, it was Hale, prominent magazine editor and author of the rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” who urged Lincoln to finally establish the national event.
  7. President Franklin D Roosevelt once tried to change the date of Thanksgiving to the second-to-last Thursday of the month in order to extend the holiday shopping season and boost the economy.
  8. Only about half of the people on the Mayflower were what we would consider today as “Pilgrims.” The other (approximately) 50 people were simply trying to find a way over to the New World.
  9. Gobble, gobble! Click, click? While male turkeys make a gobbling noise, females (hens) do not; it’s often described as a clicking.
  10. Even though we celebrate Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November, the month of June has been declared National Turkey Lovers’ Month by the National Turkey Federation so you can continue the celebration in the summer as well!

From our family here at Envirotech Air Quality Services, we’d like to wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Continue Reading

How Mold Can Start to Develop in Your Homes

Wednesday, November 19th, 2014

Mold is not a word any homeowner wants to hear in connection with their living space. It’s gross, it’s tenacious, and in some cases it’s a threat to your health. The best way to combat mold is to understand how it thrives in a home environment. With that in mind, here are things you should know about domestic mold growth.

Moisture

There are two things that mold needs to grow more than anything else: moisture and darkness. Moisture is by far the more important of the two, which means that you should immediately deal with any leaks or other water problems you have around the house. Some strains of mold can grow incredibly fast, within a day or two of moisture being present. If you see any sort of water leak, call a professional to fix it as soon as possible.

Darkness

As mentioned above, darkness is also a large factor in getting mold to really thrive. Without moisture, mold can’t really spread in darkness alone. Darkness tends to serve as an accelerating factor, however, especially since some mold strains are sterilized or killed by prolonged exposure to UV light. What does this mean for you? Check dark places in your home for mold on a regular basis, especially in places close to water (such as under the sink.) Homeowners tend to avoid the perpetually dark areas of their home, which gives mold the perfect opportunity to spread unnoticed.

Lack of Air Flow

Mold spores are microscopic airborne contaminants, and are pretty much impossible to completely eradicate from your indoor air supply. Though these spores are circulated through your house by air flow, such as from your heating or air conditioning unit, they cannot take root unless they are a little more sheltered. For this reason, areas like bathrooms can be host to particularly tenacious mold colonies. If you are having a mold problem in a particular area, and it keeps coming back, try increasing the air flow by turning on a fan or opening a window.

If you’re having a mold problem, call Envirotech Air Quality Services to schedule an appointment today. We provide professional mold removal services in the Lake Worth area.

Continue Reading

How Professionals Perform Duct Cleaning

Wednesday, November 12th, 2014

Duct cleaning is a necessary part of maintaining an efficient HVAC system in your home, as well as keeping your home clean and protecting its indoor air quality. The ductwork inside your home’s walls and floors will gradually collect dust and dirt that enters through the return ducts. It only takes a year for a significant amount of dust to accumulate along the walls of the ventilation system and start to interfere with airflow. This will cut into the efficiency of your central heating and air. If the accumulation continues without receiving cleaning, it will begin to blow pollutants into the air of your living space, potentially affecting the health of the people inside.

The solution to this problem is regular duct cleaning from professionals. It’s important that you not attempt the cleaning yourself: it requires training and special equipment, and you may end up damaging your ducts if you try cleaning them on your own. For quality duct cleaning in Wellington, FL and the surrounding areas, call the experienced team at Envirotech Air Quality Services and schedule service.

The Methods of Professional Duct Cleaning

The main step in professional duct cleaning is for the technicians to use a power vacuum to alter the pressure inside the ventilation system first to agitate dust and other contaminants from the walls of the interior of the ducts, and then to suction them up. The duct cleaning team will seal off all the vent registers in your home to close up the ventilation system; then they will cut a hole into the main duct the leads from your central heating and air conditioning cabinet into the rest of the ductwork and seal the mouth of the power vacuum over the hole. This vacuum is able to alter the pressure of the ventilation system and then remove most of the contaminants. The professionals will also use powered rotary brushes on long lines to reach inside individual vents and provide spot cleaning for areas with heavier congestion.

For most homes, the process takes approximately an hour to complete. Once it is done, you will have ducts in the cleanest condition possible. If the technicians locate unusual contaminants or breaks and holes in the ductwork, they will inform you of the situation and offer suggestions for what you can do to fix the problem.

At Envirotech Air Quality Services, we offer duct cleaning in Wellington, FL as well as other ductwork services, including duct sealing and duct repair. To help you with indoor air quality, we also supply mold remediation services and installation of air cleaners, filters, and purifiers. Contact us today for whatever work you need done for your ventilation system.

Continue Reading

Ways to Tell You May Need Mold Remediation

Wednesday, November 5th, 2014

In West Palm Beach, FL, we have to deal with humid conditions quite frequently, which can be a nuisance outdoors and inside of the home. Humidity makes people feel warm, even when the temperature outside is ideal, because the moisture in the air keeps their bodies from properly evaporating sweat. But another, more dangerous result of high humidity in a home is the growth of mold.

Mold can grow in the corners of your home, in carpets, on the walls and ceiling, or in the ductwork. It’s certainly not a pleasant thought, but mold is an issue you need to take seriously in your in order to keep your family members from developing illnesses or aggravating allergies and respiratory problems. You should call a professional to assess the state of your home and discuss which steps to take for mold remediation for any of the following reasons.

  • Visible Mold Growth: It may seem pretty obvious that you should call a professional when you notice mold growth in the home, but some homeowners put it out of their minds or believe that they can wait to schedule service. However, mold spreads very quickly and needs to be taken seriously.
  • After a Flood or Plumbing Leak in Your Home: If there is any flooding in your home, mold growth becomes a grim possibility. A flood increases the humidity levels in your home even more, which means mold may not only grow in the areas that the flooding occurred, but also on surfaces hidden from view. You should always call an expert for mold assessment after a major flood.
  • Health Troubles: When members of your family suffer from poor health, it’s easy to believe it’s due to a temporary cold or flu. Persistent coughing or sneezing can be a result of allergies or a respiratory illness irritated by mold spores in the air.
  • Odors: Finally, if the conditions in your home seem stuffy or if you notice a musty odor, it often reveals a mold problem. Professionals can determine the exact location of mold and recommend the proper services.

Call the experts at Envirotech Air Quality Services as soon as you notice any of the telltale signs that you need mold remediation in West Palm Beach, FL.

Continue Reading