If you live in a managed community you know you need to get your dryer vent cleaned every 2 or 3 years to avoid a fire. I routinely have to submit proof to some of these communities on behalf of my customers showing that the work was in fact done. But what if you live in a private home with no one to remind you or force the issue, the consequences can be devastating. Many of the people who call me for dryer vent cleaning are already sold on the idea because either they had a fire or know someone who did. The cost to clean a dryer vent is minimal and if you ever talk to anyone in your local volunteer fire company you will find it is well worth the cost. Whats really exciting is a new product called LIntAlert. After cleaning your vent LIntalert will monitor your dryer vent for you. A few simple leds will let you know if it is time to clean the vent. It will also alert you if another problem arises such as a bird nest in the vent or if it were to  freeze shut in the winter or the critter guard begins to clog with lint. Catching these problems early will not only avoid a fire but will save you energy. As the vent becomes partially clogged the machine has to run longer to dry the clothes. With Propane and Electricity at an all time high it can add up quickly and invisably in your overall energy cost. LIntAlert will not only tell you when it is clogges but the 5 lights will one by one illuminate as restriction develops and efficiency is lost. Don't learn the hard way like many already have. Clean your dryer vent today. ...read more

When you think of a bathroom exhaust fan you probably think of the small fan in your home that goes on when you turn the bathroom light on. Large multiple dwelling buildings are quite different. Large buildings have to remove a high volume of air efficiently. In most cases large exhaust fans located on roof pull air up a vertical duct (sometimes over 200') with shorter ducts on each floor connecting to the bathroom or kitchen vent. Over time the once smooth sheet metal walls that the air flowed through become encrusted with inches of dirt and debri. This causes the fan to work much harder and cuts down on the air flow and use more electricity. As if that were not enough balancing dampers that are located behind the vent become blocked to the point that exhaust air can no longer flow through them. Excessive moisture in the bathroom ,mold as well as odors and pre-mature rusting of metal bathroom componants are all symptoms of restricted air flow . Exhaust fan motors run hot, since the motors are relying on the air thats flowing over them to keep cool. When Motors run hot they fail or fan belts dry out and begin to crack and eventually break. Often buildings maintain the fans but not the ductwork. Motor and belt failures are a symptom of another problem, restricted air flow. So now that you know what the problem is what is the solution? simple, Call Ductz  for a free stimate on cleaning your building exhaust systems. 570-421-2930    ...read more

http://www.merchantcircle.com/r?a=6a911dd9d7fe82924cc8921e099ecebeMS-NBC will expose duct cleaners baiting the elderly with low ball coupons then ripping them off for thousands of dollars. It will be near the end of the show. The above link will take you to MS NBC for more details.Please spread the word as this country ages we need to watch out for the elderly as much as we do our childrenMS-NBC Sunday at 9pm EST near end of programAl ...read more

I wish I worte this but it was passed on to me in an e mail and it is worth sharing. Please read this and try it on just one product this week. OneLight Bulbat a TimeA physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American ..Good idea ... one light bulb at a time . ... . .Check this out . I can verify this because I was in Lowes the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments . They were all made inChina. The next day I was inAce Hardwareand just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there. They were made in USA . Start looking ..In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else - even their job . So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track . Let's get behind her!My grandson likes Hershey's candy . I noticed, though, that it is marked made inMexiconow... I do not buy it any more.My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico ..... now I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything ... This past weekend I was at Kroger. I needed 60 Wlight bulbsand Bounce dryer sheets . I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off-brand labeled, "Everyday Value. " I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the price ..  The GE bulbs were more money than theEveryday Valuebrand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA in a company inCleveland, Ohio..So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here ..So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets .. .. . yep, you guessed it, bounce cost more money and is made in Canada . The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA ! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies!(We should have awakened a decade ago .. . .. .)Let's get with the program .. . . ... help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the U . S . A ..I Passed this on ......... will you ??????? ...read more

Last November I received a call from an live in aid who was working for an elderly woman in my area. She would not let the woman use the drier anymore because she felt it was taking too long to dry and knew something was wrong. When I arrived I noticed there was no lint screen in drier and asked where it was. She looked at her employer then back at me and shrugged. I found the drier vent completely plugged from the outside opening all the way back and into the drier. I mean plugged solid. I dont normally take apart the drier but in this case could not just stop at end of drier line as clog kept going. When I took off the back of drier I found lint had backed up to within inches of the fire tube. They were literally a few loads away from a full blown fire. Keep in mind this was in a complex for the elderly, many of whom required assistance to move around. A fire in this building would have been catastrophic. Add to the fact drier was in closet at far end of apt meaning it would have been going for a while before anyone even knew where it was coming from. In the end I still would not turn drier back on because I could feel lint built up in blower wheel. I helped find an applience repair person who explained the cost to take apart and clean would be more then a new drier so she opted for a new unit. Thank god the aid had some great intincts. Now I want anyone who has an elderly person they love living at home to go and make sure the lint screen is still there. Then if it has been more then a few years since it was cleaned schedule it today.Last week I was hired by Servpro to clean ductwork on a house that had a kitchen fire. In talking with the owner I said I thought he was pretty lucky as no one was hurt and the damage was not as bad as many I had seen. He agreed and said 3 blocks away the next day someone had a fire and lost the whole house. what caused it? I asked  - clogged drier vent. ...read more

If that comment makes the hairs on your back stand up and you get the urge to do a Captain Kirk double leg drop kick to the nearest builder I feel your pain. For those of you fortunate enough not to know what I am talking about let me explain. The Westward progression that seemed to emanate from Brooklyn and split East toward Long Island and West toward PA surged in the late 80's. We left our hot apartments and headed for the country and met that nice builder who would take care of everything and in many cases he did. But many of those I talked to, even those who loved their builder, and would use him again said there was one regret. They trusted the builder when he said you don't need Air Conditioning in the Poconos. Now maybe it's a cultural thing. Maybe the cost of central air meant a cut on the more profitable tile in the kitchen. I don't know I'm not a builder. I only wish he could have spent a few 90 degree, 90 percent humidity, summer days in the house with my wife. I would have paid to see that! So after building a home with baseboard hot water heat we needed to add A/C. Not wanting to give up closet space or bump out any chases for duct work we opted to just cool upstairs with one unit and use ceiling registers. So far it was been acceptable on all but the hottest of days. Now its winter and I am looking at those open vents and picturing my heat in form of dollars floating through the register and eventually disappearing forever. I thought of covering them with plastic but it just looks too cheesy and I know I will end up pulling some paint off when I take it down in the spring. Finally there is a solution. AC-Draftshields are inexpensive, Easy to Install in seconds with no tools, and look neat as a pin and will save $money$ on your heating bill. There is also a second benefit. If you have a cooling only unit in the attic and the registers to that unit are open in the winter the warm air from the home rises into the attic ductwork. When it cools any moisture in air condenses out. I never thought that was a problem since winter air is so dry. Recently I have been seeing homes with dripping vents in winter. This creates a perfect area for mold growth in spring when attic warms up but ac is not running yet. It happens more when there are long runs of R4 or R6 flex and the main trunk line is single wrapped. Draftshields will keep that moisture out of the ductwork so it stays dry until you are ready to turn it on in summer. They also make them for window ac units as well. If you are interested in ordering Draftshields you can call me at 570-421-2930. For more info you can also visit Draftshields website atwww.acdraftshields.com . ...read more

Air Duct Cleaning $39 One thing I can't stand is misleading advertising. Recently I received one of those coupon envelopes that contained an ad from a supposed duct cleaning company offering to clean your whole house for $39. There was some fine print so I put on my glasses. I still could not make it out so I t took out the old magnifying glass. "includes one cold air return and main trunk" but wait a minute every system has at least two main air ducts called trunk lines and all but the smallest systems have multiple air returns. More fine print "additionalreturns are $15, additional furnace components are extra". Extra, it's amazing what a difference one little, and I do mean little, word can make. So exactly what is this going to cost me? Wait more fine print "$50 minimum charge on all appointments", $50 minimum on a $39 job I am no math whiz but this does not add up. Since you have more important things to do then play Indiana Jones in search of the lost Duct Cleaning Price I have composed a list of questions to ask your $39 Air Duct cleaner to get to the real price. 1- Does this price include all supply and return trunk lines? If not how much extra? Trunk lines are the two main pieces of duct work that run across the basement ceiling or in the attic. One is the Supply trunk line and one is the return trunk line. Sometimes the return trunk line changes direction to form a second return trunk line. 2- Does this include all branch lines? If not how much extra?   Branch lines are the ducts that run from the trunk line to the register. Sometimes they are flexible and sometimes they are metal but they are always smaller then the trunk lines. The average 4 bedroom home contains 20 – 30 branch lines 3- Does this price include all duct-work in the attic?If not how much extra?    If you have ceiling registers on the second floor you probably have ductwork in the attic 4- Does this price include an extra unit if there is one in the attic? If not how much extra?Again if you have ceiling registers on the top floor you may have a second unit in the attic. If so you will usually have a separate thermostat for upstairs and downstairs. 5-Does this price include cleaning BOTH sides all the registers?If not how much extra?Registers are the only part of the system you actually see. They are the covers that lay in the floor or are attached to the wall. 6- Can you provide me with a copy of your insurance certificate?If not run.  They should have a minimum $1,000,000 occurrence and, 200,000 aggregate insurance. If you hire someone call the insurance company on the day they start working to verify that the policy is still active. They may not have paid the last premium or it may be cancelled between when they do the estimate and when you actually do the work. 7- Are your employee's bonded?If not hide the silverware    This covers you if anything is stolen by that employee. 8- Do you do criminal background checks on your employee's?I had an applicant who said on his application that he had no criminal record. After doing a back-round check I found out he was on Megan's List! 9- Do you have references? On line formats such aswww.Servicemagic.comandwww.merchantcircle.comare a great source for references because the customer adds them after the service has been performed. 10- Is there anything else you can think of that might cause the price to change?It's his business not yours and he should know the potential problems that might arise. An honest contractor will tell you up-front. Good luck in finding the right contractor for your work if you have any questions or would like a free estimate do not hesitate to call. Al Gallucci Ductz Indoor Air Professionalswww.ductz.comhttp://activerain.com/blogs/indoorairpro ...read more

Air Duct Cleaning $39, HMMMMMM One thing I can't stand is misleading advertising. Recently I received one of those coupon envelopes that contained an ad from a supposed duct cleaning company offering to clean your whole house for $35. There was some fine print so I put on my glasses. I still could not make it out so I t took out the old magnifying glass. "includes one cold air return and main trunk" but wait a minute every system has at least two main air ducts called trunk lines and all but the smallest systems have multiple air returns. More fine print "additionalreturns are $15, additional furnace components are extra". Extra, it's amazing what a difference one little, and I do mean little, word can make. So exactly what is this going to cost me? Wait more fine print "$50 minimum charge on all appointments", $50 minimum on a $39 job I am no math whiz but this does not add up. Since you have more important things to do then play Indiana Jones in search of the lost Duct Cleaning Price I have composed a list of questions to ask your $35 Air Duct cleaner to get to the real price. 1- Does this price include all supply and return trunk lines? If not how much extra? Trunk lines are the two main pieces of duct work that run across the basement ceiling or in the attic. One is the Supply trunk line and one is the return trunk line. Sometimes the return trunk line changes direction to form a second return trunk line. 2- Does this include all branch lines? If not how much extra?   Branch lines are the ducts that run from the trunk line to the register. Sometimes they are flexible and sometimes they are metal but they are always smaller then the trunk lines. The average 4 bedroom home contains 20 – 30 branch lines 3- Does this price include all duct-work in the attic?If not how much extra?    If you have ceiling registers on the second floor you probably have ductwork in the attic 4- Does this price include an extra unit if there is one in the attic? If not how much extra?Again if you have ceiling registers on the top floor you may have a second unit in the attic. If so you will usually have a separate thermostat for upstairs and downstairs. 5-Does this price include cleaning BOTH sides all the registers?If not how much extra?Registers are the only part of the system you actually see. They are the covers that lay in the floor or are attached to the wall. 6- Can you provide me with a copy of your insurance certificate?If not run.  They should have a minimum $1,000,000 occurrence and, 200,000 aggregate insurance. If you hire someone call the insurance company on the day they start working to verify that the policy is still active. They may not have paid the last premium or it may be cancelled between when they do the estimate and when you actually do the work. 7- Are your employee's bonded?If not hide the silverware?  This covers you if anything is stolen by that employee. 8- Do you do criminal background checks on your employee's?I had an applicant who said on his application that he had no criminal record. After doing a back-round check I found out he was on Megan's List! 9- Do you have references? On line formats such as Servicemagic.com and merchantcircle.com are a great source for references because the customer adds them after the service has been performed. 10- Is there anything else you can think of that might cause the price to change?It's his business not yours and he should know the potential problems that might arise. An honest contractor will tell you up-front. Good luck in finding the right contractor for your work if you have any questions or would like a free estimate do not hesitate to call. Al Gallucci Ductz Indoor Air Professionals     ...read more

PA Counties get failing grade in air quality fromAmerican Lung Association The American Lung Association has released its2009 State of the Air Report. The document reports air quality by state listing both ozone and particulate pollution days. It is further broken down by county. Each county was given a grade as to the level of air quality Click here to go directly to PA results Unfortunately, by the EPA standards, we received failing grades in both ozone and particulate air quality. You canTake Actionto tighten regulations on pollution producing industries. Another action you can take is to letDuctz Indoor Air Professionalsevaluate your Heating and Air Conditioning system and make suggestions for improving the air quality in your home. Call Ductz Indoor Air Professionals today for a free evaluation 570-421-2930 "Creating a Healthy Indoor Environment, It's What we do" ...read more

Many of you know me as the owner ofDuctz Indoor Air Professionals. I purchased my Ductz franchise because I believe Ductz offers the highest Quality HVAC Air Duct Cleaning and Restoration in the world.   Just recently,Ihave obtained a dealership for a technology company that is one of the fastest growing in America –EcoQuest International.We provide compact state-of-the-art electronic air and water purification equipment for commercial, industrial and residential applications along with a host of other appliances for healthier indoor living. The primary air purification technology is so advanced that even the Pentagon used it after 9-11, the Red Cross used it during the California wildfires and now many schools as well as many major companies across the country are using it to purifier the air indoors.   You may have seen the first product on the news on TV or read about it in business magazines. If you listen to the radio, most likely you have heard it advertised in a big way by major radio talk show hosts such as Dr. Laura and many others from around the country. (The original product is called the Living Air Classic and the new improved model is called Fresh Air.)   The second product I am excited to tell you about is called Ductworx and uses your central blower to send ActivePure technology through each vent. From the basement to the attic, each room will stay fresher with even more germ-killing, mold-reducing benefits. Plus, DuctwoRx will keep your duct work, a breeding-ground for bacteria and mold, cleaner and healthier   The reason for this company's extraordinary growth is because the product helps solve a huge common problem, and it solves it fast! Because of my past experience with facilities management as well as being the owner of your local Ductz franchise I was not surprised to discover that allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems are on the increase, with nearly 60-70 percent of the population suffering to some degree. According to the EPA, indoor air can be up to 5-10 times more polluted than outside air, even in cities like Los Angeles! They also report that indoor air pollution is a major contributing factor to allergy and asthma type symptoms and one of the leading environmental health threats in America. In addition to the chemicals, airborne dust particles, pollens, pesticides, bacteria, dust mites, and mold spores that plague our homes and offices, many people additionally pollute their own air with chemical-laden furnishings, hair spray, cigarette smoke, pet dander, kitty litter boxes, and household cleaning products. This amazing technology can literally reproduce mountain-fresh air indoors!It has improved the air quality for millions of people and to date over 5,000,000 purifiers have been sold worldwide. Our most popular product is a microprocessor-based technology which is designed so thatthe air never has to be sucked to the purifier. Unlike an air filter, this purifier actually goes out and attacks pollutants at their source!One purifierwill treat up to 3,000 sq. ft.This electronic marvel, about the size of a small bookcase stereo speaker, replicates the cleansing power of a thunderstorm to purify and sanitize indoor air and surfaces throughout your home. It is the only purifier to be officially Space Certified by the Space Foundation, in conjunction with NASA, as containing the same type of technology used to scrub and purify the air inside spacecraft! Although not a medical device, many allergy, asthma, and sinus sufferers rave about this technology and the relief they experience from breathing the clean air that it produces. I am currently looking for a few individuals to test drive the equipment in their home or office. Preferably someone with a problem. Something concrete, so that their will be no question that the product works.. If you are one of those people please contact me to set up a free evaluation of the equipment. On the other hand if you just want the best for yourself and family then feel free to call me with any questions on any of the products in ourcatalog.   Sincerely   Al Gallucci ...read more

With all she's done for you wouldnt it be great to let mom breathe a little easier this Mothers Day. We think so and Thats why we are offering $50 off for any AirDuct Cleaning job that books between now and Mothers day and mentions this blog. Maybe the ducts have never been cleaned and the home was built in 1940. Maybe an up-graded filtration system would help Mom with a less dusting and easier breathing. Perhaps one of our portable Medical Grade air purifiers would be just right for the bedroom to help Mom get a good nights sleep or our whole house portable Air Purifier for the Mom who never stops moving. This Mothers day why not give her a gift she can feel ( and doesnt have to bring back). Give her a breath of Fresh Air from Ductz Indoor Air Professionals ...read more

On the trail of more roadside garbage: Late April brought together residents and members of the Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce's Environmental Committee, among them Jim Becker (Access Office Technologies); Al Gallucci (Ductz Indoor Air Professionals); Ed Cramer (Stroud Township Supervisor); and others. Shown is Al Gallucci on the hunt. Al Gallucci of Ductz Indoor Air Professionals states "At Ductz we believe that being part of a community means giving back whenever possible, Please remember that whatever you throw on the ground ends up in the water or piles up on roadway so please Bag it And CanIt !”. ...read more

Many times a room that is too hot or too cold in comparison to the rest of the house is due to duct leakage or missing duct insulation. Instead of the energy in the form of hot or cold air being applied to your room it is being applied via leaks or un-wanted heat transfer to an un-used part of the house, attic or basement.Duct leakage can reduce efficiency by 20%.Leaks on the return air side of the system can pull hot air from the attic in the summer or cold air from the basement in the winter. Either way you have to re-condition this air and that cost $$$.From an Air Quality standpoint those same leaks on the return side of the system can pull dirt and other un-wanted particulate back into the ductwork and distribute it to your home. Last month we were cleaning the ductwork on a very high end condo, the kind that rents for $30,000 per month! I was astonished that although they had lobster tanks in the kitchen and a wine cooler bigger then my garage, they were getting all the return air for all "7" air conditioning systems from the space between the ceiling and the roof. Essentially the dirtiest place in the building. Go figure. I guess as long as the lobster are fresh and the wine is cool everybody’s happy.Let me say that if you’re more concerned with saving money then spending it (I know I am) callDuctz Indoor Air Professionalsfor a Free Estimate on sealing your system. I recently inspected a woman’s home who had said for 15 years her living room was the cold room in the house. Well when I went under the house I found that one of the ducts which connected to the living room vent had been disconnected and she was blowing heat into the crawlspace. I can't calculate how much money she threw away in the 15 years she was there but it was a heck of allot more then what I charged her.When I left she was happy but the squirrels they had to go shopping for winter coats.You can find more info for this onEnergy Starswebsite.Or Give us a call at 570-421-2930"Creating a Healthy Indoor Environment, It’s what we do" ...read more

Thanks to Ductz Headquarters for painstakingly listening to the needs of our customers as well as the 100 + offices throughout the US to create the best indoor air quality website on the web. Designed to let our commercial and residential customers get the info they need as easily and efficiently as possible. Please let me know what you think. www.ductz.com ...read more

Growing up in Bensonhurst Brooklyn in the days of Mayor Koch and the Italian American Organization I dont think the thought of marching in New York's St Patricks Day Parade ever crossed my mind. Fast forward 30 years and here I am, the school chaperone accompanying my son's Jazz band (from PA) to march in the parade. Not being raised in NY my son nor any of his classmates realize what an honor it is to be invited. The first parade was held in 1766, ten years before the Declaration of Independance was signed. School colors are purple and white so we should clash nicely with the green. I am going to try to grab some pics from the inside of the parade looking out to post later in the week. Luck of the Irish to ya ! Al Gallucci Ductz Indoor Air Professionals ...read more