After spending more than 30 years in the heating and cooling industry and running his own business where he installed and maintained HVAC equipment as well as provided repairs, in October 2024, James Heller applied his expertise to his current business BreathEasy. With a focus on improving indoor air quality, the company provides services such as air duct and dryer vent cleaning, and installing products that help improve air quality while also extending the life of HVAC equipment.
BreathEasy can install whole home air purifiers such as the REME HALO®, which is an indoor air purifier that’s easily installed in existing air conditioning system ductwork, as well as a variety of purifiers by AprilAire. Other products BreathEasy provides include whole home humidifiers and dehumidifiers, ventilators that bring fresh air into your home without losing heating or cooling, as well as programmable thermostats.
When he sold his original HVAC business, James took an office position at an HVAC equipment supply house. At that time, he didn’t intend to start another business from the ground up and thought thought he’d work in the supply house until he retired. However, working inside the office building began triggering an existing health issue and started making him ill. That experience led him to jump back into entrepreneurship, involving two of his three grown sons in the business and to think about what the business would mean for the future of his family.
“I started BreathEasy to leave a legacy for my kids and family,” James shares.
Healthy air is a necessity
Because we often can’t see the things that are polluting the air inside our homes or businesses with the naked eye, we may assume that all indoor air is equally clean. That’s not the case, and for people with certain health conditions like asthma, allergies, and other health and respiratory issues, the quality of indoor air can have a direct impact on their overall health and the quality of their daily life.
Since James experienced this first hand working at the supply house, that situation reinforced why the air quality in homes and businesses is so important. Starting BreathEasy was a happy side effect of an unfortunate circumstance, but it also underscored statistics that James was already familiar with due to his years in the industry.
“Inside air can be five to 10 times more contaminated than the air outdoors, even on a high allergy day, because that contaminated air is built up and keeps circulating through the home,” he explains.
That’s why the products and services provided by BreathEasy are something that should be installed in nearly every home or business. Over time dust, allergens, mold, pet dander, and other air contaminants can build up and get trapped in the air ducts. Not only are tiny particles forced out every time air comes through the ducts, you and everyone in your home or business is breathing those items in.
The BreathEasy process
If it’s been a while since the air ducts have been cleaned at your home or office, it may be time to call BreathEasy to come out and check them. When James or one of his sons arrives on site, they’ll use a small camera attached to the end of a flexible rod that’s about six feet long to probe inside the ducts. The camera can take pictures as well as video, and allows a potential client to see the full extent of the buildup.
And, there are times when the service isn’t needed, such was the case when on a recent house call where the client had just purchased the home. The camera revealed that the ductwork in the home didn’t have buildup and had likely been recently cleaned.
When it is determined that the ducts need to be cleaned, the pros at BreathEasy have two options to remove the debris. They can use a piece of equipment called The Maintainer, which has a Hepa filter and a dual motor that provides double filtration. For jobs with significant buildup and debris in the ductwork, The Extractor is used. This much larger piece of equipment also has a Hepa filter and dual motor, but it provides triple filter capture.
Depending on the situation, once the ductwork has been cleaned, a BreathEasy tech may recommend other products, such as a whole home air purifier, humidifier, or dehumidifier, to ensure the air quality remains high inside your house. Customers may find peace of mind knowing that the products that are suggested by James aren’t a random selling technique, but come from a knowledgeable expert that has first-hand experience with everything he suggests.
“I don’t suggest products I don’t use, and I use all of them,” he shares.
In the late spring 2025 James inspected the ductwork in my home and found significant buildup. Those findings weren’t a surprise since we’d just purchased the home and it’s nearly 100 years old. Due to the age of the home and buildup, the job required using The Extractor to properly clean the ductwork. After cleaning the ducts, BreathEasy also installed a REME HALO® UV air purifier to work in conjunction with our existing HVAC system.
The team at BreathEasy can also install air filters to provide cleaner air, whole house dehumidifiers to eliminate moisture in places like damp basements, or a whole house humidifier, which is a good option if you notice there’s a lot of static electricity buildup during winter when the heat is on.
BreathEasy provides services to homes and businesses in St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin, and Jefferson Counties. If you’re interested in learning more, contact BreathEasy at 636-875-6767, reach out by email, or visit the company’s website.
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