Advice on duct cleaning, dryer vent safety and HVAC maintenance from the Home Pros Group team.
Hold a square of toilet paper against the grille. If it falls, your fan is noise without airflow — and every shower is leaving its moisture in your house. How to test it, where the duct should actually go, and why a duct cleaning won’t fix it.
Read MoreCanada is having fewer wildfires than in the 1980s and burning more than twice the land. Why the smoke keeps coming, what it does to your body, whether water bombers can stop it — and the filtration that actually protects your home.
Read MoreThat thirty seconds of gym-bag air when the A/C kicks on is biofilm on a wet evaporator coil — “dirty sock syndrome.” Why an Alberta July grows it, why your ducts are the reservoir and not the source, and the one vent smell that means leave the house now.
Read MoreWildfire smoke is forecastable up to 72 hours out, and the maps are free. FireSmoke.ca’s hourly animation, Environment Canada’s FireWork model, the AQHI, PurpleAir’s live sensors and Alberta’s wildfire map — what each shows and the 5-minute morning routine.
Read MoreBefore you assume a four-figure repair: most warm-air calls end at the thermostat, a filter-frozen coil, a fluff-choked condenser or a tripped breaker — all checkable in fifteen minutes. The six causes, in the order a technician would check them.
Read MoreEdmonton has 30+ mosquito species, and our common summer biter goes from egg to adult in about five days. The City treats the ditches — nobody treats your yard. Here’s the standing-water walk-around, starting with the eavestrough nobody ever looks in.
Read MoreWinter condensation is normal. Summer condensation is a message. Which side of the glass is wet tells you whether you have a humidity problem, a perfectly good window, or a failed seal — and only one of the three needs a cheque.
Read MoreSmoke slips straight past ordinary furnace filters. What actually works for Alberta homes: a MERV 13 filter, a true-HEPA cleaner sized by CADR, the right fan setting, and how the AQHI tells you when to seal up.
Read MoreStored wrong, paint and chemicals are a fire and air-quality hazard. Three simple rules for Alberta homes — cool and above freezing, sealed and labelled, far from any flame — plus how to dispose of the old stuff free.
Read MoreA central AC should last 15–20 years — or fail by year 10 without care. The simple Alberta habits that add years: filter changes, a clear condenser, clean coils, smart settings and an annual tune-up.
Read MoreWarm air, weak airflow, short cycling, strange noises, smells, leaks and rising bills — the seven signs your AC needs a pro, why refrigerant is never DIY, and what to check yourself first.
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They look alike — but one carries hantavirus and one doesn’t. How to tell a deer mouse from a house mouse, why it matters if they nest in your ductwork, and how duct cleaning plus Benefect disinfection fixes it.
Read MoreYour favourite pillow is likely home to millions of dust mites — one of the top asthma and allergy triggers there is. What they are, why Alberta homes are at risk, and the fixes that actually work: allergen covers, hot washing and humidity control.
Read MoreYou can’t see carbon monoxide, radon or wildfire-smoke particles — testing turns them into numbers you can act on. What to measure, DIY monitors versus a pro, and the Health Canada targets to aim for.
Read MoreIt’s 28 °C out and your AC is a block of ice. A frozen coil is a symptom — of starved airflow, low refrigerant, a cool Alberta night or a dirty coil. The four causes, what to do right now, and when to call a pro.
Read MoreAlberta is Canada’s hail capital, so should you cover your AC when a storm rolls in? Why wrapping a running unit backfires, the one hailstorm exception, and what actually protects your condenser.
Read MoreCold basement, hot upstairs, one thermostat. The stack effect, ducts sized for heating, the 20–30% of air lost to duct leaks, and why closing vents in unused rooms makes it all worse — with the cheapest fixes first.
Read MoreThe Alberta thermostat argument, settled. Why setting back beats leaving it running, what Natural Resources Canada actually recommends, and the one situation where “it costs more to cool it back down” is half right.
Read MoreOn a 32°C Alberta afternoon, long run times are normal — running all day without ever cooling the house is not. Eight real causes, from clogged filters and frozen coils to closed vents, and what to check before you call anyone.
Read MoreYour air conditioner uses the same filter as your furnace — and Alberta’s wildfire smoke fills it far faster than dust ever will. Why a clogged filter freezes your A/C coil, and the interval that actually applies here.
Read MoreA big chunk of a summer power bill is pure waste — cold air leaking away, a dirty system straining, a thermostat set too low. Here are ten Edmonton-tested ways to cool your Alberta home for noticeably less.
Read MoreDry weather, nesting birds and busy months ahead make summer the smartest time to clear your dryer vent. Here's why — plus what a clogged vent quietly costs you in drying time, dollars and fire risk.
Read MoreIn the Edmonton area's clay soil, a hot dry summer makes the ground shrink and pull away from your foundation — the start of cracks, settling and leaks. Here's how to water it the right way and protect your home.
Read MoreWhen Alberta's heat lands, your air conditioner earns its keep. A clean filter, a clear outdoor unit and good airflow keep it cooling efficiently — and most of it you can do yourself in an afternoon.
Read MoreAlberta winters don't just get cold — they lurch. Those rapid warm-ups and refreezes quietly crack foundations, build ice dams and burst pipes. Here's how freeze-thaw damage works and how to stop it.
Read MoreA burst pipe can flood a home in minutes — but frozen pipes are one of the most preventable winter disasters. The temperatures that matter, how to protect your home, and exactly what to do if one freezes.
Read MoreAlberta sits in Canada's Hail Alley — the 2024 Calgary storm caused $2.8B in losses. How to spot hail damage on your roof and siding, what to do in the first 48 hours, and how to protect your home.
Read MoreAlberta summers bring damp basements, sweating windows and mould risk. The ideal indoor humidity range, the warning signs, and practical ways to control moisture all season.
Read MoreWhat the 1–16 scale means, why the highest number isn't the best buy, and how to match a filter to your furnace, A/C or media cabinet — plus when whole-home HEPA makes sense.
Read MoreRadon is the #1 cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and 1 in 6 Edmonton-area homes is over the guideline. What it is, how it gets in, how to test — and the fix that cuts it by 80%+.
Read MoreWildfire smoke is now part of every Alberta summer. The real health risks of smoke PM2.5, how it gets into your home, and the layered fixes — from filters to Sanuvox UV to duct encapsulation.
Read MoreA straight answer on duct cleaning prices in the Greater Edmonton Area — what’s fair, what drives the cost up or down, and how to spot the $69 bait-and-switch.
Read MoreTeaser rates, per-vent fees, square-footage pricing — Edmonton companies quote in very different ways. Here is how each one works, and why we use simple flat-rate pricing instead.
Read MoreYour ductwork moves the same air through your home day after day. Here is what builds up inside it, the signs it is due for a clean, and how often it should be done.
Read MoreA clogged dryer vent is a leading cause of household fires. Learn the warning signs, why it matters for safety and efficiency, and how often to clean it.
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