If you came home one day and saw a thick layer of dust, dirt, and debris covering every visible surface, you would probably freak out, right?
Where did all this dirt come from? And how can you get rid of it as fast as possible and make sure it never returns?
For the majority of homeowners today, this is exactly what it looks like inside their air duct system. But since the air ducts are hidden in the inner structure of the home, away from any place that is easy to see into, it is common to simply forget they are even there.
This is what permits dirt, dust, debris, dander, pollen, and other allergens and irritants to slowly build up over time, until your air duct system is literally clogged with packed-in pollutants.
In this post, learn what to do to assess the state of your indoor air duct system and how to take action to return it to a clean, serviceable state.
How Your Air Ducts Get Dirty
Ducted HVAC systems are still the norm for the majority of homes and offices today. Having a ducted system simply makes sense if you need to deliver an even amount of cool or hot air to each individual room in a multi-room structure.
You may be extremely diligent in ensuring your HVAC system is clean, well maintained, safe, and efficient. Perhaps you’ve scheduled annual or biannual inspections and maintenance appointments. Maybe you’re timely about changing the air filters to reduce wear and tear.
But as outside air is pulled into your home or workplace and temperature-adjusted for your comfort, small amounts of dust, dirt, debris, pollen, and pollutants get pulled in with it. Your air filters remove as much as they can, but some stays stuck inside the air ducts.
Then, as stale indoor air is pushed back outside to make way for fresh incoming air, some airborne matter such as pet hair and dander, dust mites, and bacteria, get stranded inside your air ducts. These never make it back outside, but stay stuck in your air ducts.
Also, especially during the notorious Canadian winters, small critters can sneak into your home under eaves or through cracks in attic crawlspaces and make their winter home inside your air ducts, leaving debris and droppings behind. This also piles up along with the dust and other pollutants.
Over time, as more and more dust, dander, rodent detritus, and other unwelcome pollutants get packed into your air ducts, your HVAC system has to work harder and harder to push and pull air through your ducts. Your filter works overtime to strain out debris and your indoor air gets thicker with irritants and allergens.
And this is going on EVEN IF you have been carrying out a five-star HVAC maintenance and inspection plan.
But the moment you become aware of what has been going on inside your air duct system, all of this starts to change.
What Happens During an Air Duct Cleaning
Having your air ducts professionally cleaned and sanitized is like pushing the “reset” button on your home or workplace air quality.
In less than a single day, you go from air loaded with impurities to fresh, clean, breathable, healthier air.
There are a number of ways to approach having your indoor air ducts professionally cleaned. How you choose to proceed will depend on the age of your home or workplace, whether or not the ducts have been cleaned previously, the estimated amount of matter stuck inside your air ducts, and your air quality goals.
Here is a full-spectrum look at the most complete method of having your indoor air ducts cleaned:
- First, conduct an indoor air quality test. This 72-hour test is completely silent and unobtrusive. A monitor is placed in a strategic area to take air samples and aggregate results. The final report shows all detected pollutants and their concentrations and makes recommendations for cleaning up your indoor air.
- Next, schedule your air duct cleaning appointment. During the appointment, your air ducts will be professionally vacuumed out, cleaned, and sanitized, leaving them spotless, clean, and clear.
- Schedule your professional dryer cleaning appointment. Many of the same toxins that are trapped inside your air duct system also get trapped inside the deep vents in your clothes dryer. Having both cleaned out at the same time ensures the longest-lasting and best air quality results.
- Have your air registers cleaned. The air registers (the points where air gets pumped out into each room in your home or workplace) can become clogged with dirt, grime, and filth. Cleaning each register and grill maximizes the results of your efforts.
- Schedule an inspection and maintenance appointment for your HVAC. This is an excellent time to have your HVAC system inspected, cleaned, maintained, and repaired, paying special attention to the fan system and A/C coils. The interior and exterior should be thoroughly cleaned and tuned up to maximize efficiency and air purity going forward.
- Change all air filters. Be sure to change your air filters regularly from this point forward. Upgrading to HEPA-rated filters can ensure an extra level of air purity.
When this process is complete, you will have clean, pure, healthy air!
Questions About Duct Cleaning?
Don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re happy to answer any questions you have about duct cleaning and how our process will do the best job possible.
