A Brief Guide to Air Duct Cleaning

According to NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association) “Dirty air ducts lead to health issues for people with respiratory problems, immune disorders, asthma and allergies”. The Environmental Protection Agency says that “homes are 2-5% more polluted than the outdoors”.

Why are we mentioning this? Well, simply because we tend to install everything in our house to make our lives convenient and comfortable, but don’t really do much about its maintenance, and in turn risk our health the most. The house which may appear to be clean, may actually be the breeding place for a number of infections and diseases. One of which is unclean or dirty air ducts. Air ducts contain contaminants such as dirt, dust, hair, dander, allergens, mites, rodents and their droppings, which can lead to serious health issues.

Cleaning the Air Ducts

Cleaning of the air ducts is done, by highly trained and skilled professionals, who are experts in handling some of the most sophisticated machines and equipment. The entire dirt is vacuumed out with the help of the powerful suction done by the attached vacuum pipe to the duct. Before beginning to clean the duct, all the vents are covered with plastic sheets. This helps in restricting the air flow and creates maximum vacuum needed for proper cleaning. A spinning brush is used to clean the boot and the connected duct. All the dirt and debris is vacuumed straight into the vacuum truck, leaving your duct clean.

A High pressure hose is also used to clean off the vent diffuser. With time a lot of dirt and grease tends to sit on the diffusers, which is cleaned with chemicals and water spray to remove stains and dirt.

Coils are the most important part of HVAC air duct cleaning. Dust and dirt needs to be vacuumed well, so that there is no ice freezing outside the coil as a result of any potential damage caused due to improper cleaning.

High pressure air hose with a ball attachment can be used to clean flexible air ducts without causing any damage to the duct. The furnace motor and coils are cleaned with utmost care and prevention.

Once the cleaning process is over, every duct is sanitized and deodorized, leaving behind fresh and clean air.

Air duct cleaning may be necessary if there is visible mold growth inside the ducts, if there are excessive amounts of dust and debris, or if there are vermin infestations. Additionally, if you notice reduced airflow from the vents, strange odors when the HVAC system is running, or if occupants experience respiratory issues, it may be time to consider cleaning the ducts.

Regular maintenance of the HVAC system, including changing filters regularly and keeping the components clean, can help prevent the buildup of dust and debris in the ductwork. Additionally, addressing any moisture issues in the home can help prevent mold growth in the ducts.

 

Types of Cleaning

 

  • Residential Air Duct Cleaning: Whether it’s a single apartment, condo or duplex its ducts would not remain to be a breeding ground for debris or dirt.
  • Commercial Air Duct Cleaning: Office spaces are most often neglected the most. Employees spend a good amount of time in the office, not realizing that the comfortable looking office is probably causing more harm. Offices have supply diffusers and return grades. Supply diffusers are often cleaned with chemical and then rinsed to get rid of the grease.
  • Hospital Air Duct Cleaning: A place where people go to get healed, must at all times remain clean, and that’s when we come in action.

Airport Air Duct Cleaning: One of the busiest places have our attention too. A timely maintenance is crucial for the smooth running of the airports and cleaning of its air ducts is one of them.