Brightwood Solutions

01/17/2025

With all the cold weather we have been having and with more on the way now is the time to check and/or change the batteries in your thermostat and carbon monoxide detectors. It is also the time to check your furnace filter. If it looks dirty, change it.

12/25/2024

"The concentration of VOCs is usually two to five times higher inside homes than outside, and it can be up to 10 times higher in some cases, according to the EPA."

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gaseous chemicals that are emitted by various household items, as well as natural sources.

12/12/2024

With the cold setting in and the holidays coming, we will be spending more time indoors with more people and new things. All of which contribute to indoor air pollution. One component of that picture are VOCs (volatile organic compounds). VOCs are a collection of different gasses and compounds, one in particular that the American Lung Association has idenified is Formaldehyde. There are many different health concerns with VOCs in general and formaldehyde in particular. Brightwood is here to help improve your air quality and we have solutions!

Formaldehyde is a colorless and flammable gas with a distinct odor detectable at very low concentrations. It is a volatile organic compound (VOC) that causes cancer and other harmful health effects.

08/13/2024

Brightwood Solution is offering a new service. I am honestly not quite sure how it fits with everything else so let's call it air quality and safety. Although I did a video about dryer ducting a long time ago I havent really offered the service. Recently, I was asked by family members if I could clean their dryer ducts. Well, I have the tools so I figured I would save them having to go and find someone to do it. After cleaning them I have to say that everyone should clean their dryer ducting at least every year, if you have kids and pets then more often. I will clean and replace ducting as needed...call me for a solution!

08/03/2024

This is a duct going from the return air to outside. In theory this brings in fresh, outside air to the home. This set up was bringing in air from a window well which is already a bad place to do so but when there is a dryer vent above it, it is especially so. This duct and the grill for it are packed with dryer lint...hopefully the furnace filter caught the rest. If the lint made it to the heat exchanger or the A-coil it can and will cause problems. If you have this in your home call me for a solution!

06/17/2024

With the heat dome upon us, now is a great time to change your furnace (air handler) filter and your thermostat batteries. If you can't remember when you did it last it is probably time. Also, check the area around around your exterior A/C (condensor), it should be clear of plants and obstacles.

02/29/2024

With spring around the corner now is a great time to upgrade your landscape lighting. Are there dark areas around your home? Parts of walkways and driveways that just aren't bright enough? Do you have art or architectural features of your home that you want to accent? There are lights for that and Brightwood Solutions has the solutions!

06/08/2023

Air quality concerns from the wildfires

With the current concerns with air quality now is a great time to consider upgrades to your homes mechanical systems such as an energy recovery ventilator and higher quality filtering. In the meantime, a simple solution will help.

The Corsi–Rosenthal Box, also called Corsi–Rosenthal Cube and Comparetto Cube, is a design for a do-it-yourself air purifier that can be built comparatively inexpensively. It was designed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the goal of reducing the levels of airborne viral particles in indoor set...

03/22/2023

With the milder temperatures this week, your furnace will not be running much. While that is good for the gas budget, it can be bad for your indoor air quality. On most thermostats, there is a button that controls the fan. It is usually set to "auto" but changing that to "on" for a few hours will move air around the home keeping the temperature more even and will push that air through your furnace filter which will help to improve your air quality.

03/09/2023

"It's all about the Kelvins baby!" (yes it's 90's hip-hop reference)
I have had many clients and friends say that they don't want LED bulbs because they don't like the blue color. Well good news, it's all about the Kelvins. Kelvins are a measurement of light appearance. Traditional soft white is 2700k-3000k and has a yellowish touch. At 3000k-4500k is considered neutral has a white-ish color which is perfect for task lighting. 4600k-6500k has a white-blue color and is similar to daylight. Which one is right for you and your application? There is no hard, firm answer. The colors and textures of the room as well as personal preferences all play a part. Too much to think about? Call a lighting nerd like me!

Color temperature is the color of light emitted by an idealized opaque, non-reflective body at a particular temperature measured in kelvins. The color temperature scale is used to categorize the color of light emitted by other light sources regardless of their temperature.

03/06/2023

With the springlike weather we are having today, it is a great day to check your dryer venting. I have a dug out an old favorite from the archive as a guide.

02/28/2023

Updating our bling