AC Now’s Weblog

Duct cleaning generally refers to the cleaning of a variety of heating and cooling system components in forced air systems. Your heating and cooling system should be properly maintained and operated, so the components don’t become contaminated with particles of dust, pollen or other debris.

Cleaning components including the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers, heat exchangers heating and cooling coils, drip pans, fan motor and fan housing, and the air-handling unit housing is important in maintaining efficient operation as well as good air quality.  If you decide you need to have your heating and cooling system cleaned, it is best to make sure the service provider cleans all components of the system.

Most apartments and houses are built in such a way that heating and cooling efficiency depends on airtight environments.  Unfortunately, because air ducts are tight, new air gets inside the house at a very slow rate. What this means is that the new air takes a long time to exchange itself with the stale air. A good duct cleaning should involve the cleaning of all return-air registers, inside the air ducts and the interior of the heating and ventilating system. Some air duct professionals will use a sanitizer to run through the air duct system to make sure all the mold, bacteria and dust mites are destroyed.

I recommend hiring a professional air duct cleaning service to reach air ducts that you won’t be able to reach. If you decide to do it yourself this duct-cleaning project is relatively easy and can be carried out in the following steps:

Get your tools together and inspect the ducts. You’ll require a screwdriver and heavy-duty gloves. You’ll also need a cleaning brush, a rag or paper towel and a vacuum cleaner. Make sure the floor around the air duct entrance is clean—you don’t want any small objects to fall inside when you remove the duct covers.

Once you remove the air duct covers or return-air register plates, check the walls inside. Even if your air duct uses furnace filters, you still need to clean the the walls as best as you can. Use a brush and a rag to wipe out all the dirt because the walls may be covered with dust. Be aware that the sucking force of your vacuum cleaner may be too strong and may damage the walls.

You should be able to reach down a few feet with your vacuum cleaner hose, which is good because, even though the air duct cleaning isn’t thorough—it helps to eliminate some of the problems.

The benefits of duct cleaning

The EPA recommends that if you have a fuel burning furnace, stove, or fireplace, they should be inspected for proper functioning and serviced before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning.  Some research does suggest that cleaning dirty cooling coils, fans and heat exchangers can improve the efficiency of heating and cooling systems.

Ducts may become contaminated with particles of dust, pollen or other debris and related equipment if they are not properly established, looked after, and operated. Typically, a service provider will use special tools to dislodge dirt and other debris in ducts, and then vacuum them out with a high-powered vacuum cleaner. If moisture is present, it increases the potential for mold and spores and such growth may be released into the home’s living space. Some of these contaminants may cause allergic reactions in people if they are exposed to them. If you don’t clean a component of a contaminated system you can re-contaminate the entire system, thus negating any possible benefits.

If you might think duct cleaning is a good idea for your home, but you are not sure, talk to a professional. A good source of advice may be the company that services your heating and cooling system.