Different duct cleaning methods are used in cleaning commercial and home ducts. Cleaning the ducts helps in improving the air quality in the building and creates a safe environment for people with allergies. Different cleaning companies use different tools such as negative pressure devices, hand-held vacuums, air whips, among others, are some that are commonly used.
It is always prudent to know which tools your duct cleaning contractor uses and the cleaning technique involved. That way, you have confidence in the type of service you receive. View this location.
Source Removal
It involves mechanical agitation and extraction. When cleaning your HVAC system, mechanical agitation works by loosening sticky debris and dust from the walls of your duct. Because the industry has set standards for cleaning ducts, extraction removes dust and debris and help in meeting them.
Point of Contact Duct Air Cleaning
This cleaning method involves a hand-held HEPA tool. It is safe and efficient. The tool has a vacuum and spinning brush to help in the cleaning work. It has a high velocity that helps in preventing cross-contamination.
However, since technology keeps evolving, better cleaning techniques keep emerging to ensure efficient cleaning for ductwork.
Truck Mounted Air Duct Cleaning
Although some technicians prefer using a portable vacuum, one mounted on a truck is also an excellent option. Most of these vacuums operate within a radius of 30 miles and are perfect for removing dirt and allergens. This cleaning method is also called air sweeping.
The carrying truck should be large enough to carry the machine and stable to support it when the work is in progress.
The Cleaning Process
- Professional technicians start with a video inspection inside your duct. They assess the presence of animal droppings, dirt, mold, debris, and moisture. Once they have a clear picture of the inside of your ductwork, they move to the next step.
- Register covers are all removed. The technicians uncover and clean them individually.
- Duct cleaning begins. A rotating brush head and a hose are inserted into the ductwork to clean dirt and debris.
- Once the ducts are completed, the technicians head for the supply and return air plenums. They clean them thoroughly to prevent re-contamination to the cleaned parts. The filter housing is also cleaned at this point.
- Technicians take care of your house’s scent by fogging a sweet-smelling disinfectant when they are done cleaning your HAVC system. The disinfectant also helps in controlling the growth of microbes in your ductwork.
Proper Methods
There are specific methods that are used in duct cleaning. These are the methods certified cleaners use, and they include:
1. Breaking Contaminants Loose
One or more agitation devices are used in loosening contaminants. This step is important to allow proper cleaning for your ducts. Compressed air, brushes, and air whips are the most common agitators used.
2. Collection of Contaminants
It can be a messy situation when dirt particles are released to your home during the duct cleaning. These particles can cause health issues when inhaled. So, when professional cleaners are working on your ducts, they ensure that these particles do not escape from their cleaning system.
A negative pressure vacuum is used. Because it works by loosening debris into fine particles, it ensures they are properly contained in the collecting device. Additionally, when you start using your device after the duct cleaning, you can be sure that it will not bring the particles inside the house.
3. System Access
Different house architectures have different set-ups for their HVAC systems. So, certified technicians use different points to access your duct’s interior. They can use the supply registers and cold air returns.
Where they can’t access, they use accessing tools such as drills and saws. Using their special skills, they make access points. These points cannot be made by everybody, and wrong positioning can lead to a whole lot of problems for your entire ductwork.
When considering duct cleaning, do not be in a hurry to have the job completed. Take time to differentiate services between different cleaning contractors. It will save you from ending with unskilled persons. Additionally, you will protect your ductwork from getting damaged by people training to work under no supervision. This mistake can be costly in the long run, but preventable if you are keen.
How Often Should You Clean the Ducts?
It is hard to give the price answer to the question from the subtitle. Some people claim that people should do that once in 3 years. On the other hand, other professionals recommend it would be enough to clean the duct once in 5 years. However, both answers are not perfectly correct. Because of that, you should check if certain signs show you will need to clean the ducts. Keep in mind that each home deals with different amounts of debris and dirt.
The first sign you should look for is visible dust in the ducts. If that’s the case, be sure that you will need to decide on this move. Despite that, a bigger amount of dust in the home is another sign that people with unclean ducts deal with. In the end, certain health problems can tell you more about the quality of your ducts. For instance, the increase in respiratory discomfort and allergy symptoms are two most common signs. If you feel like you can’t breath, be sure that your ducts require cleaning as soon as possible.
Groups of People that Should Clean the Ducts More Often
As we said, certain rules say people should clean the ducts once in 3 to 5 years. However, certain groups of people may need to do that more often. Different factors influence how regularly you should decide on that move.
People that live in the new houses probably won’t need to do that more often. On the other hand, living in an older home requires active duct cleaning. We recommend you follow the signs we listed above. Despite that, having a pet can be another reason why you should decide on that move. Pets usually release unpleasant odors and removing the smell is only possible with clean ducts. That especially is important if you live in a small apartment where pets spend the most of their day.
People that have the problem with dust should also decide on more frequent cleaning. As we said, people with certain health problems should clean their ducts more regularly. That especially counts for those people that have respiratory problems or certain problems with allergies. The dust is one of the common reasons why people have to deal with allergies.
In the end, we need to say that people that smoke cigarettes should decide on duct cleaning more actively. Even if there is only one smoker in the house, you should decide on regular duct cleaning.
Benefits of Duct Cleaning
We will positively end this article. Cleaning the home or commercial regularly will pay off because of multiple reasons. Before everything, living in a cleaner environment will ensure a more comfortable life. Despite that, you will start to breathe easier. We previously mentioned that being in a living environment full of dust will be tough especially for people that have respiratory problems. However, the same rule counts even for the healthiest people. For instance, dust can enter your lungs through your nose which can cause coughing and sneezing. If that happens all the time, you may start suffering from bronchial and sinus congestion.
In the end, pet owners will also get certain benefits. They will remove all the odors that dogs or cats release and ensure a fresh-smelling house.