Cleaning of the duct’s dust and pollutants is referred to as air duct cleaning. This pertains to the registers and diffusers in each room as well as the supply and returns air ducts. All dust and dirt are removed by robust vacuums, which stop them from spreading throughout the house.
Pros of duct cleaning
The following are the top five advantages of having your air ducts professionally cleaned.
- You’ll raise the standard of indoor air: You and your family breathe the same air that circulates through your ducts. Unfortunately, contaminants including pet dander, dust, volatile chemicals, carbon monoxide, and pesticides are present in indoor air and are drawn into the HVAC system. These contaminants build up in the ducting over time and then re-enter your home. Such toxins have the potential to cause coughing, sneezing, bronchial congestion, and other respiratory ailments every time you breathe them in. Regular ductwork cleaning will help reduce these dangerous particles, enhance indoor air quality, and safeguard the health of your family.
- Duct cleaning will increase the effectiveness of your HVAC system: When dust and other debris in the ductwork build up to a certain point, they obstruct airflow. Due to the poor flow of conditioned air, your home will experience chilly and hot areas. To attempt and circulate enough warm or cold air, your HVAC system will need to work harder. As a result, the device will use more energy, which will be resulting in higher utility bills. Air can move freely through the ductwork once the debris has been removed, allowing the HVAC system to operate at its best and cost-effectively.
- It gets rid of offensive smells: The smells in the house are caused by food, cleaning supplies, cigarette smoke, paint fumes, and tobacco smoke. It’s possible for stale scents to become trapped in the ducting and to keep spreading through the house. Additionally, mold and bacteria can develop in the ducts and produce foul odors. When left unattended, rats and other animals get access to the ducting and deposit some waste there. Others become stuck, pass away, and degrade, releasing foul odors. Such scents persist even after opening the windows or using air fresheners. Clean ducts make it easier to get rid of impurities and dead animals, which deters insects from building their nests because they are less likely to locate hiding places there. Your home will once again smell fresh.
- You’ll keep the environment cleaner: The ducting gets dusty after turning off your HVAC system for a few hours. The particles circulate throughout the house after you turn on the unit. They land on your furniture, floor, bedding, and other items. To keep your house sanitary and tidy, you’ll need to dust the surfaces frequently. You should inspect the ducts if you notice that your home is becoming particularly dusty. By keeping your home clean for a longer period, you can avoid pollutants from repeatedly entering your home by cleaning the ductwork.
- It gets rid of irritants: There may be some dangerous germs in air ducts as well. Recirculation of airborne toxins can have detrimental health effects if you have kids, elderly neighbors, or those with weakened immune systems. Pet dander, animal fur, pollen, mold spores, and other airborne contaminants can cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks when they enter the home. Regular air duct cleaning will help keep allergens from spreading throughout the house, improving indoor air quality. It is also simpler to breathe cleaner air. This will cut down on medical costs, lost work time, and discomfort.
- It makes your house secure: Unclean ducts may start a fire. The ductwork may gather dirt, lint, and other items over time, and if they heat up, they could catch fire and spread. This might result in significant damage to priceless property and endanger the lives of your loved ones. The risk is significantly greater if your HVAC system is older or if your furnace, fireplace, or stove is powered by propane. Therefore, you must perform routine duct cleaning to lower the chance of a fire and maintain the security of your home.
- Duct cleaning can extend the life of the appliance: Your unit must operate for longer to provide a comfortable indoor environment when the ducting is dirty. The system is strained and worn out as a result, which results in frustrating malfunctions in the middle of the game. You will therefore need to call for emergency repairs more frequently than usual. If you continue to operate the unit in this state, you will put a strain on important parts like the motors and compressor and the HVAC system will eventually stop working. The complete unit will need to be replaced sooner than you anticipated. Your HVAC system’s life will be prolonged with frequent air duct cleaning.
- The air filters will endure more time: The air filters capture dust and other impurities in the air within your home. The air filters will clog up more quickly than usual if there is too much dust in the ducting. As a result, you will need to clean or replace them more frequently. This can be very time-consuming, so it’s a good idea to clean the ducts frequently to get rid of the impurities and extend the life of your filters.
- Technicians can identify more issues while cleaning the ducts: When you hire a professional duct cleaner, the expert will search the ductwork for any additional problems. They will look for leaks, rust, cracks, and loose connections in the ducts. When it’s required to increase the effectiveness of your unit, the expert will also insulate the ducting. Any further flaws with your HVAC system that you had not previously noticed can be swiftly found and fixed by a professional. They will lubricate moving parts, change or clean the air filters, and make sure everything else functions properly. Fixing small problems now will help avoid future, more serious damage.
Cons of cleaning air ducts
Among the known drawbacks of duct cleaning are:
- The necessity for duct replacement: cleaning your ducts may not be sufficient if they become wet and moldy. For an efficient fix, you might need to replace a few duct parts. However, situations like this only occur when homeowners neglect to hire qualified duct cleaners for the job. Avoid making cleaning the ducts become a DIY effort.
- Duct damage: Long hoses used for duct cleaning, if not used properly, can cause duct damage. Professionals with training are careful and take every measure to prevent such unfortunate occurrences. However, the true problem is caused by con artists who falsely identify themselves as professional duct cleaners. These con artists are more likely to damage the ductwork because they lack the necessary training. When selecting a duct cleaning contractor, use caution. Instead of relying on a lowball estimate, consider their accreditation, insurance, and reputation. When your contractor scores well across the board, you cannot go wrong.
- Duct cleaning is expensive because it needs specialized industrial-grade equipment. Additionally, it is a task that requires time and cannot be finished in a short period. The delicate nature of the operation involved also makes it difficult to protect the ducts from damage. These factors contribute to the expense of duct cleaning. The good news is that you only have to pay this fee every few years, so it won’t put a big dent in your finances.
Can you clean your air ducts?
You can indeed clean your air ducts. On-Time Home Services advises scheduling routine air duct cleaning services from a qualified HVAC specialist to maintain the best possible condition for your system. However, you can clean them yourself in between expert maintenance visits.
- When you follow these instructions, cleaning your ac ducts by yourself isn’t that difficult.
- Wash the vent covers after removing them. With your screwdriver, remove the vent covers.
- To clean them, you can either put them in the dishwasher or just give them a hand rinse. To dry, set them aside.
- Paper towels should be used to cover vent openings. A few paper towels might be used to cover the supply register apertures. When you clean ducts in other areas of the HVAC system, dust won’t blow out of them and drop on your walls and floor. When cleaning, you will need to remove the covers, however, it’s a good idea to put them back on after you are done.
- Clean up the dust. To loosen the dust stuck to the walls, tap the handle of your brush against the ductwork’s sidewalls.
- Vacuum it up. To remove all the debris within your reach, use the nozzle and brush attachments on your vacuum hose. After that, use paper towels to wipe down the walls if any dust is still there. Repetition is necessary for each ductwork opening.
- Replace the air filter. Now that you have been able to successfully remove some of the dust from your ducts, maintain even cleaner indoor air by switching out your air filter. Change the vent covers. Make sure to reinstall all of your vents covers after washing them.
Does cleaning the air ducts increase airflow?
When material accumulates inside your ductwork system, airflow can become restricted. Your ducts can become clogged with debris such as dust, grime, pet dander, and many other things. These impurities are gathered in filters, vent surfaces, and duct interiors. Airflow decreases as more material accumulates.
Your HVAC system is therefore using a lot more power than it ought to. Because it will take more time and effort to effectively cool or heat your home, you can anticipate higher prices and decreased comfort. For better airflow and decreased utility costs, we therefore strongly advise that you have your air ducts cleaned. If your airflow is restricted, at least one of the following three components of your HVAC system is probably at blame: the ducts, the vents, or the filters. Below, we’ve included further information on each of these topics:
- Ducts
There is an accumulation of dirt, dust, and other debris that results in restricted airflow because of the vents. Your ducts typically have a smooth surface that allows air to flow smoothly over them. Any form of debris interferes with that fluid motion and limits airflow. The purpose of air duct cleaning is to increase airflow while removing all types of debris from your ducts. Your ducts’ corrosion or leakage may also result in a lack of ventilation. Air loss may be a result of a ducting hole or damaged seal. These problems cannot be resolved by air duct cleaning, but an HVAC contractor may find the leak or damage and repair it.
- Vents
Your registers or vents are another areas that could limit ventilation. The plastic or metal grating will gradually accumulate visible dirt and dust. The airflow will be worse the more accumulation there is. Using a brush or washcloth, you may quickly and easily clean your registers and vents by yourself. But a significant accumulation of material is frequently a clue that your air ducts also require cleaning. Your air ducts, including the vents and registers, can be cleaned by an expert in the field, such as the fresh air team. The ideal technique to improve airflow is a thorough cleaning, but you can clean vents at home with a few basic tools.
- Filters
Two filters are normally found in every home with an HVAC system. Every three months or every 90 days, these filters should be replaced. As air passes through the filters, it picks up debris like dust, grime, bacteria, and other impurities. Your entire system probably requires cleaning if you are changing your air filters more frequently or if they are dirtier than usual. However, if you don’t replace your filters frequently, airflow will be constrained. Your HVAC system has to work harder than it has to because of the heavy buildup of junk, which reduces the amount and speed of air going through. Ensure that you replace your filters every 90 days, or else get the air duct cleaning you require.
The study tested 33 residences in Montreal before and after duct cleaning and discovered that neither the air quality nor the airflow or energy efficiency had significantly improved. In some instances, observed particle levels rose right away following cleaning. In other instances, particle levels dropped right away after cleaning but soon went back to normal. Duct cleaning is not a long-term fix for problems with airflow, hot or cold patches, or inadequate heating or cooling in your house. Only tiny particles that have accumulated over time in your duct system are removed by duct cleaning.
Which duct cleaning method is perfect?
Through the years, duct cleaning has changed, with each new technique making specific promises about how thoroughly it will clean your ducts. There are primarily two types of duct cleaning tools. Two well-known systems are primarily used by reputable duct cleaning businesses to clean your ducting. Either a push/pull vacuum system or a rotary brush system. Both systems are effective at clearing out dirt and debris from your ducting, but they achieve quite different things.
Feature | Rotary brush system | Push/pull method (this is what we do) |
Negative air pressure produced | Typical vacuum airflow is around 150-300cfm | Typical vacuum airflow is around 2000cfm |
Size of debris that can be removed | The size of the nozzle is the limiting factor here. Larger debris can block the vacuum | Larger toys, construction debris, dead rodents, and more can be dislodged and removed from the ductwork |
Integrated coil cleaning | Not typical and limited at best | Yes |
Recommended for systems with dampers | The brush cannot pass through dampers | The air hose is small enough to pass through dampers |
Ability to handle sharp turns in smaller diameter ductwork | The vacuum hose is usually 3-inch in diameter and is prone to get stuck | Air sweep and brush are less than 1 inch in diameter |
Recall that these two methods are typically regarded as the most palatable duct cleaning options on the market right now. However, as you can see, these acceptable systems are highly dissimilar from one another.