Air Duct Cleaning
What is Air Duct Cleaning?
Duct cleaning generally refers to the cleaning of various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems, including the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers, heat exchangers heating and cooling coils, condensate drain pans (drip pans), fan motor and fan housing, and the air handling unit housing.
Do I Need To Clean My Air Duct?
Knowledge about the potential benefits and possible problems of air duct cleaning is limited. Since conditions in every home are different, it is impossible to generalize about whether or not air duct cleaning in your home would be beneficial.
If no one in your household suffers from allergies or unexplained symptoms or illnesses and if, after a visual inspection of the inside of the ducts, you see no indication that your air ducts are contaminated with large deposits of dust or mold (no musty odor or visible mold growth), having your air ducts cleaned is probably unnecessary. It is normal for the return registers to get dusty as dust-laden air is pulled through the grate. This does not indicate that your air ducts are contaminated with heavy deposits of dust or debris; the registers can be easily vacuumed or removed and cleaned.
The EPA states that "Duct cleaning has never been shown actually to prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts or go down after cleaning.
EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned except on an as-needed basis because of the continuing uncertainty about the benefits of duct cleaning under most circumstances".
Do not hire duct cleaners who make sweeping claims about the health benefits of duct cleaning — such claims are unsubstantiated. Do not hire duct cleaners who recommend duct cleaning as a routine part of your heating and cooling system maintenance.
So what next? Should I clean my air duct or not?
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SafeAir Services recommended conducting indoor air quality testing before paying for air duct cleaning is a wise and essential step in the process. This monitoring procedure involves the measurement and analysis of airborne particulate matter within the ductwork and surrounding indoor environment.
Here are several important reasons why it is necessary to employ a particle counter aerosol dust monitor before committing to air duct cleaning:
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Baseline Assessment: A particle counter aerosol dust monitor provides a baseline assessment of indoor air quality (IAQ) and the level of airborne contaminants within the building. This initial measurement helps establish a clear understanding of the existing air quality issues, which is essential for making informed decisions regarding the need for duct cleaning.
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Confirmation of Contamination: Before investing in air duct cleaning, it is crucial to confirm that the air ducts are indeed contaminated with dust, allergens, debris, or other harmful particles. A particle counter helps identify the presence and concentration of these contaminants, ensuring that cleaning is necessary and justifiable.
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Quantitative Data: Unlike visual inspections, which can be subjective, a particle counter provides quantitative data on particle counts and sizes. This data offers a more accurate and objective assessment of IAQ and contamination levels, which is particularly important when negotiating services and determining the effectiveness of the cleaning process.
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Assessment of Cleaning Efficacy: After the air duct cleaning is performed, the particle counter can be used again to assess the cleaning efficacy. By comparing the pre-cleaning and post-cleaning particle counts, you can determine if the cleaning process successfully reduced the level of contaminants in the air ducts and improved indoor air quality.
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Cost-Effectiveness: Utilizing a particle counter allows you to make an informed decision about whether air duct cleaning is cost-effective. If the initial particle count is within acceptable limits or if the cleaning doesn't significantly improve the IAQ, you may save money by avoiding unnecessary cleaning services.
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Documentation: Having quantitative data from a particle counter provides documentation of the IAQ before and after air duct cleaning. This documentation can be valuable for verifying the quality of service provided by cleaning contractors and for regulatory compliance purposes.
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Peace of Mind: For building occupants, homeowners, or facility managers, knowing the precise level of contamination and the effectiveness of the cleaning process brings peace of mind. It ensures that they are investing in services that will genuinely improve the air quality in their environment.
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Negotiation and Accountability: Armed with data from a particle counter, you can negotiate service terms and pricing with air duct cleaning contractors more effectively. It also holds contractors accountable for delivering the promised results.
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In conclusion, conducting indoor air quality testing before paying for air duct cleaning is a prudent step to assess the necessity of cleaning, evaluate the current IAQ, and provide objective data for decision-making. It ensures that you are investing in services that address genuine contamination issues and can lead to improved indoor air quality and cost savings in the long run.
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Indoor Air Quality testing
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Are you aware that indoor air pollution is an issue of growing concern and increased visibility?
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Concealed behind your walls and mostly ignored, your air ducts serve as vital pathways that deliver warm and cool air throughout your home during the year.
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While they may be unseen, your air ducts are working nearly year-round, whenever you have your air conditioner or heater running. Attached to your HVAC system, air ducts transfer the air from these systems throughout your home. What many homeowners don’t realize, though, is that your air ducts, in nearly constant use, continually accumulate dust, grime, debris, pet dander, and allergens throughout the year. In fact, according to National Air Duct Cleaners Association, the average American home produces 40 pounds of dust per year!
While vacuuming and dusting may be a part of your weekly cleaning routine, these basic methods invariably leave dust and dirt behind, and no amount of regular cleaning can capture every dust mite your home produces. As such, much of that dust and dirt ends up in your air ducts. What’s worse is that this same dust continues to recirculate over and over again, with the dust continuing to accumulate inside your ducts even while it’s redistributed throughout your home.
This constant cycle of dust accumulation and redistribution can have serious effects on your home’s cleanliness and your family’s health.
Constantly re-circulated allergens will irritate allergy sufferers throughout the year, even when their allergies are not in season (like pollen and weed allergies). Additionally, people with compromised respiratory systems may experience difficulty breathing in homes with high dust quantities. With Sears Air Duct Cleaning, you can significantly reduce the amount of dust in your air ducts, which can lead to better indoor air quality throughout your home.
Professional duct cleaning services use specialized blowers, vacuums, and brushes to clean out the supply, intake, and return ducts throughout your home. Duct cleaning should also involve a thorough cleaning of the air handler, registers, grilles, fans, motors, housings, and coils of the HVAC system. Research had proven that routine duct cleaning improves air quality and reduces dust indoor dust. There is also evidence that dirty heating and cooling coils, motors, and air handling units can make your HVAC unit less efficient. While duct cleaning doesn’t seem that necessary, it is really a very important part of your Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and your health.
