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Does Air Duct Cleaning Work?
The air duct has become popular recently with many commercial cleaning services and HVAC companies everywhere. But does the air duct cleaning work or not? Here is some information to help you decide whether air duct cleaning is worth trying.
What is the Purpose of Duct Cleaning?
Cleaning every 3 to 5 years can help homeowners from many problems. Having proper air duct cleaning can result in a huge amount of dust being pushed out from your HVAC system. If you notice your place getting too dusty quickly or more often, and it’s been a long time since you had your air duct cleaned, this could be a great solution. If one of your family members suffers from allergies, calling the professionals for proper air duct cleaning can relieve the severity of their symptoms. When a person comes from the outside, they bring dust, allergens, and harmful particles into your air ducts and circulate your home through the HVAC system.
Deciding to have your air ducts will help you get rid of those harmful particles. In addition, if there are mold spores in your ductworks, a professional air duct cleaning will remove the mold and keep those from spreading around your home. The concerns about indoor air quality are rapidly growing; thus, many professional cleaning companies and HVAC companies offer air duct cleaning. EPA recommends cleaning the air ducts if it’s dirty or contaminated.
Here are other situations where you need to consider cleaning your air ducts.
- Renovation– Did you have a recent home remodeling project? Did your project include woodcutting, use of asbestos abatement, lead paint removal, or a lot of dust? You need to consider having your air ducts cleaned right away. If you have an upcoming home remodeling project, it is also wise to seal your ducts off to prevent dangerous dust and debris from lodging inside your air ducts.
- Animals –some air ducts nest in your air ducts or HVAC system. Make sure to have the animals removed and clean your units.
- Mold- Do you have visible mold growth in your air ducts? Have them professionally cleaned right away.
- Illness – If one of your family members is suffering from an unexplained allergy, dirty air ducts might be the cause. Contact a professional air duct cleaning or HVAC company to check and clean your air ducts.
- Contaminants – Some homeowners claim that they see pets’ hair, debris, and other contaminants released into the room through the ducts. Some also notice an odor coming from your air ducts. If you experience any of these, have your air ducts cleaned.
Air Duct Cleaning Services
If you wonder how professional air duct cleaners clean your air ducts, they use special tools and cleaning solutions to clean your air ducts thoroughly. Professional cleaners have undergone extensive training and have enough experience to provide you with a thorough cleaning. They are knowledgeable in handling the HVAC system’s registers, air handlers, grills, fans, housings, motors, and coils. Professionals clean your air ducts by following these steps:
Step 1: Inspecting the Air Ducts
Professional air duct technicians can also do air ducts repair and replacement. Once the technician comes to your home, they will conduct a simple visual inspection of your air ducts using a camera to probe inside the air ducts. This is to assess the level of dirt buildup in your air ducts and see the full extent of buildup to confirm the difference before and after they’ve been clean. Inspecting the air ducts will also let them know to check if there are things that need to be addressed, like leaks.
Step 2: Hook the Vacuum hose to a Duct close to the air HVAC System
The cleaning technician will cut an access hole in the duct, insert the vacuum hose, and seal it tightly.
Step 3: Seal Each Register with Adhesive Cover
This step is crucial in cleaning your air ducts. No matter how powerful a vacuum you have, it will be ineffective in cleaning if the registers in each room of your place are uncovered.
Step 4: Turn the Vacuum Unit
Professional air duct cleaners use large and portable or truck-mounted vacuums to suck dust and debris out of your air ducts. Once they finish connecting the vacuum in your air ducts, they will turn the vacuum unit on, and it will create a negative pressure to suck all the particles inside the air duct.
Step 5: Agitate the Dust
A registered and professional cleaning contractor spends a good amount of time per register to ensure cleanliness and in good condition. Once the technicians create negative pressure, they will uncover each register and clean the ducts one by one. Professionals also use rotating brushes, compressed air tools, and other high-quality tools to ensure that the contaminants are dislodged and sucked into the vacuum collection device.
Step 6: Clean the Rest of the HVAC System
It is not enough to clean the air duct system alone. It is essential to include the air handler blower motor, coil, drain pan, and evaporator. You must also consider changing the filter to improve indoor air quality.
The Bottom Line
Air duct cleaning works. But in order for you to achieve the benefits of a clean air duct, you must hire only professionals. DIY or hiring someone without experience could result in a bigger and more expensive problem. Improperly trained technicians or a homeowner who tries to DIY air duct cleaning will have a big chance of damaging your air duct and spreading contaminants around the home. Make sure to hire a professional that offers a full service with certifications, licenses, and references. Don’t settle for just air duct cleaning; a professional will also do a full cleaning of your HVAC system. Ask for an estimate and ensure that they will do an inspection. Consider the benefits of having your air ducts clean and call your local HVAC company or an air duct cleaning company!