Air ducts are integral components for most cooling and heating solutions. They manage your airflow across the home or living area and distribute across the different rooms. However, the downside is that over time, debris, residue, and other components build up and hinder air flow. Often times it can make the air hazardous, or it can limit the amount of air being moved, just to name a few hinderances. For this reason duct cleaning services are very common in the HVAC world. It is the makeover for your system without needing a new installation or repair of the actual unit. A majority of illnesses come from poor indoor air quality, directly correlated to the ducts.
When & Why Do We Need Duct Cleaning?
From pet hair to dust, pollen, mold spores, and many more harmful substances, vents certainly see a lot. Not only can they lower your HVAC unit’s efficiency, but can bring harmful air to your living spaces. Cleaning out your ducts is the best way to combat these situations and keep you comfortable and safe. It is important to be observant of your surroundings not only for odors, but also air quality. Some individuals will go a long time before they notice that their ducts are due for a cleaning, because they aren’t aware of the harm it can cause. Nevertheless, it isn’t like a day or two of lesser air quality can be fatal, so you do have time to take action. For a deeper look into signs you need duct cleaning, check out our post here.
The Process
Before we go into the actual process of duct cleaning, it is important to distinguish that commercial & residential locations have different cleaning processes. Due to the difference in the strength and durability of commercial vents, they utilize tools too strong for residential cleaning. Commercial buildings also require many more HVAC technicians to work with the size. Let’s look further into the steps associated with duct cleaning:
1. Duct Inspection
Understanding the mapping of ducts and how they’re funneling air to your rooms is the first step in duct cleaning. This allows the technician to get an idea of how air is flowing and the main problem areas to assess. This also helps them figure out where the air leaks are, if there are any to be addressed. As with any main problem, the assessment is the beginning to the process.
2. Preparation
Before the actual cleaning process commences, there is prep on how the job is going to be handled. The next step is to open the protective layer on vents and registers. After opening the vents, the equipment needed to clean the vents gets connected, and we can proceed with the next step of the process.
3. Utilizing A Negative Pressure Vacuum
A negative pressure vacuum is an extremely effective method of cleaning, and often the go-to for most duct cleaning jobs. Since this is not accessible to most homeowners, this is a big reason most duct cleaning jobs require professional attention. They must attach the long nose of the vacuum collection unit to the duct by the air handler. Once the technician finishes these steps, they’ll turn on the vacuum unit and create negative pressure, where the loose particles will be sucked into the collection unit.
4. Agitate The Dust
Cleaning of the individual registers and ducts then commences from the negative pressure. NADCA-certified duct cleaning contractors spend more time per register, ensuring quality of work. Hiring a random (and possibly unqualified) contractor leads to the possibility of poor work done. This looks like uncaulked finishes or not thoroughly cleaned registers. We feel that quality of contractor matters not only overall, but this step specifically. For example, tools such as rotating brushes, compressed air tools, and simple vacuum cleaners clear out dust and debris more effectively. These are tools that professionals will normally equip.
5. Cleaning Other Components
Cleaning the rest of the HVAC system is the final phase of a thorough duct cleaning. This includes the blower motor, evaporator coil, and drain pan. Cleaning these components, combined with a filter change will greatly improve the air quality at home and improve the performance/lifespan of your HVAC unit. The thoroughness associated with cleaning additional components in addition to the process is what separates a good job from an average one. It is important to hire quality contractors for this reason, as it directly relates to the long term life and quality of your HVAC unit in addition to ducts.
Conclusion
Now that we have gone over the duct cleaning process, homeowners have a clearer picture on what happens during a duct cleaning. Providing knowledge on the process and what quality work looks like will give them the ability to hire and oversee quality work. Understanding what makes a duct cleaning job thorough or not will help you take care of your HVAC more effectively in the long run. Providing our users with knowledge to make better decisions for their HVAC unit is what we hope to achieve. Understanding what separates good work from bad is going to help them get the most out of their unit. If you wanted to look further into our duct cleaning services, take a look here. We are always available to help your heating and cooling needs, and thank you for continuing to support us.