Everyone can easily imagine the clean, fresh smell of a new car – can a house give us that same wonderful feeling? Cleanliness maximizes the fresh air quality at home, but a critical part of the home cleaning process is often overlooked because it’s “invisible”- the duct work system. Could now be the time to consider duct cleaning?
There are several factors that will influence scheduling of your duct cleaning service. What goes on inside your home? Do you have pets, smokers, lots of candles burning? Have you remodeled lately? While the dust may have settled and the smoke may have cleared, chances are there are deposits sitting in the duct work right now. A quick look inside the return registers will tell a part of the story. But entire duct systems are difficult to visually check, so look out for these other, tell-tale signs:
AIRFLOW “NOISES”
Large objects will make unusual noises inside your duct work, much the same way a reed inside a saxophone does. Chances are you’ll detect it right away and be alerted to the problem area. However, if your ducts have been accumulating small amounts of debris over time you may not have noticed the change in sound. Duct cleaning on a regular basis can help correct the debris build-up. Noises are unpleasant, but blocked duct work can also build-up dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in your home.
UNUSUAL ODORS
When guests walk into my house, I want them to notice my hospitality, not my pet smells! Animal fur and even sloughed-off human skin cells go into the return ducts continuously. It doesn’t take long for build-up of this “fungi food” to occur. The next time you are away for a few days, take a deep breath upon first returning home and see if your nose detects musty or unusual odors.
“HOT SPOTS”
Blocks and/or kinks in flexible duct work cut airflow, reduce effectiveness, and cause uneven “hot spots” in your overall home temperature. Consider having professional duct cleaning on a regular basis to help detect and alleviate problems that are costing you money and compromising your comfort.
As an Oregon homeowner, did you know that there are both tax credits and cash rebates available to you for high-efficiency heating and cooling installations? Let’s go over what is available.
Energy Trust Incentives
The Energy Trust of Oregon, a nonprofit dedicated to helping Oregonians benefit from saving energy, offers cash rebates for installing high-efficiency heat pumps, furnaces, and boilers. For qualifying heat pump installations, you could get up to $450 for your heat pump, $150 for heat pump optimization, $435 for duct testing and sealing, plus a $300 bonus for doing all of that – that’s $1,335.
Federal Energy Tax Credits
If you purchase a qualifying heating and cooling system before December 31, 2010, you may qualify for a tax credit of 30% of the total purchase price up to $1,500. Green solutions like geothermal, solar and wind may qualify for a tax credit equal to 30% of the total purchase price with no cap. Check www.irs.gov for complete details.
Oregon Residential Energy Tax Credit
If you install a high-efficiency central air conditioner, heat pump, furnace, boiler, or air handler, you may qualify you for an Oregon Residential Energy tax credit. The tax credit is calculated based on the amount of energy saved above standard models, and equals either the amount listed on the unit or 25% of the net purchase price. As of August 2010, you must deduct any Federal tax credits and Energy Trust incentives before calculating your Oregon Tax Credit. Also, you must have a tax liability to use this credit.
With the proper installation of a high-efficiency system, not only will you see an immediate return on your investment in the form of cash and tax credits, you’ll be spending less on your energy bill for years to come.
