Air Duct Cleaning

Does it pay to have your heating and cooling duct system cleaned ? I can speak from experience when it comes to this question. I have cleaned the  HVAC duct systems in many homes in the past and most homeowners were shocked at the amount of dust and dirt that had been removed. This is especially the case in older systems. Since it is hard to physically see the inside of you heating and air conditioning duct work you have no idea how much dust, dirt, mold and fungus is getting by your air filter and ending up through out your system. One way to get some idea of how your system looks is to remove a cold air register and inspect the duct behind it. If this area has a large build up of dirt and dust, odds are your entire duct system is the same or worse.

Some people will claim that the half to one inch of dust build up in your duct is a benefit in that it acts as a insulator for the heated and air conditioned air passing through the ducts. I don’t believe that the downfalls to this including allergies, mold , bacteria build up and dust mites are worth the insulation value. Check out a blown up picture of a dust mite some time and you may have trouble sleeping at night. Dust mites are live insect type critters that thrive on dust in you hvac duct system.

There are many different techniques to proper air duct cleaning and each will claim theirs is the most effective. Most will connect some type of large vacuum to your duct system and then run brushes, balls or wires under air pressure down each duct knocking the dust free. All the dust and dirt is then sucked into large air filter bags were it can be seen by the home owner. It’s nice if they can show you what the removed so you know you got your money’s worth. After words any openings cut into your duct system are patched and can be used for future cleaning.

The frequency that you should have you air ducts cleaned has many factors including how much and the type of activity in your home. Do you have just two people living in your home or six people two dogs and three cats. Another factor is how often your heating and air conditioning system cycles. If you use a quality air filter in your heating and cooling system that catches more dust and dirt it goes with out saying that it will not end up in your duct work. Replace your furnace/air conditioner air filter on a regular basis to prevent dust from bypassing it.

My advice if your looking for a contractor to provide this service for you is to talk to two or three of them and ask what their procedure is. As with every thing else chances are if they charge more they probable spend more time doing a quality job. Some contractors will include a furnace or air conditioner maintenance check with their program, just make sure they are qualified to do handle this and not just blowing the dust out of your furnace. Hope this answered more questions than it created.

Information provided by Terry Manlick of HVAC Maintenance & Supplies were other informational articles as well as air filters, humidifier filters, V-belts and A/C coil cleaner can be found. www.mainsupplies.com.