Duct cleaning is a service that can be very important for the quality of the air inside your house but not many homeowners are all that familiar with it.

What is the purpose of air duct cleaning and why might you need to have it done? Simply put, it means having the ductwork of your air conditioning and heating system checked for mold, dust, debris and other things that shouldn’t be in there and having those things removed. Duct cleaning includes the floor registers, the fan motor (as well as the fan motor housing), the supply air ducts and return air ducts and the air handler unit and housing.
    
The buildup of dust over time is the most common condition that requires duct cleaning. It’s important to note that the air that is breathed by everyone in your home comes directly from those ducts. If dust, pollen or other foreign matter has contaminated the air ducts you are breathing unclean air. In some cases, allergic reactions are brought about due to the particles of foreign matter found in the air of a home where the duct work was dirty.

In some cases that are more severe there is a smell of mustiness coming from the air conditioning system. We notice it immediately when we enter the house, even though the homeowner has become adjusted to it and doesn’t really notice it any more. If it has gone on this long a duct cleaning is almost certainly needed. Our technicians can let you know if a duct cleaning is required by checking all components of your AC and heating system.

Whenever called out to do duct cleaning (whether commercial or residential), there are certain things that we look for:

1. Excessive dust – dust (and other debris) does more than just contaminate the air you breathe; it can also affect the operation of your air conditioning system by clogging up the components. The AC then cannot operate efficiently and this may eventually lead to more costly repairs.
2. Creatures – small vermin like cockroaches, insects or mice can sometimes find their way into the ductwork. Mice love ductwork because it gives them access to various points all around your house and they don’t need a very big crack or hole to gain access to the ducts either – they can squeeze themselves into the tiniest of access points.
3. Mold (especially if it is visible) – mold can grow throughout your AC/heating system by attaching itself to the inside of the ducts. We can usually spot it pretty easily there. However, mold that is seen on the sheet metal often means that we will find mold on other parts of the system also.

     At every duct cleaning performed, there are a couple of important steps that are fundamental to success:

First, we remove the problem at hand. This means that whatever found in the ducts (any debris that does not belong there such as vermin, pollen, mold, etc.) has to be taken out. We remove more than just the debris that is immediately visible when we first inspect the ductwork. Foreign debris must be removed from the air handler unit and the fan motor (including the housing). We also inspect and clean all registers.

The second step (which is just as important) is eliminating the actual source of the problem. Mold needs certain conditions in order to grow, we locate the issues allowing those conditions. Usually there is moisture coming in at some point and that provides a perfect opportunity for mold to grow. We locate the source of the moisture and eliminate it. Same thing if there is a small hole somewhere that is allowing mice or rats to get in – that has to be closed up. There’s no point in performing a duct cleaning unless we also get rid of the cause of the problem.

We are authorized dealers of all major brands: Trane, Carrier, American Standard, Lennox, Amana, Goodman, Payne, Bryant, York, Rheem, Rudd and many more.