An Air Duct Cleaning Guide

Air duct cleaning is a misnomer. In fact, the entire HVAC system is expected to be cleaned. Failure to clean all areas of the system can cause recontamination of the entire system, hence diminishing the benefits of cleaning.

And you would not mop only half the floor of your living room, would you? Therefore, you would not clean a component of your HVAC. Through NADCA, it is recommended that the entire system needs to be cleaned when air duct cleaning exercise is carried out.

• It Is Desirable to Loosen Contaminants Free

HVAC systems cleaning ought to be carried out in a proper manner, implying that the sources of contamination have to be removed. The procedure of source removal begins with the application of one or more agitation tools, which assist in the loosening of the contaminants which are on the surfaces of the heating and air conditioning system.

• Concentration Of Contaminants

During cleaning, the entire HVAC system is placed under permanent negative pressure (a vacuum) to prevent the release of contaminants. Continuous negative pressure makes this possible because very fine particles are able to be filtered out of the system when they become airborne so that when the system is turned on after air duct cleaning, these particles are not released into the living space. 

This negative pressure also removes the loosened contaminants and they are collected and removed out of your home.

• Equipment Requirements

Air duct cleaning Toronto companies possess numerous pieces of equipment. Truck-mounted vacuums and portable vacuums can be used to stop the spread of contaminants and have the system cleaned to the NADCA Standard.

• Antimicrobial Chemicals

Antimicrobial chemicals, deodorizers as well as disinfectants may be used on the nonporous surface areas in the ductwork to deal with microbial contamination and help manage odours. Only the chemicals registered with the United States Environmental Protection Agency need to be used. Such products may be resorted to after surface cleaning is done and only when it is felt that such kind of treatment is necessary.

• When To Clean Your Air Ducts

In the case of seasonal HVAC systems, that is, HVAC systems that are only operated at certain times of the year, clean the air ducts about a month before you plan to start using the HVAC system again. Air duct cleaning can assist people who are experiencing severe allergies since the process will reduce the concentration of allergens.

Otherwise, clean air ducts when necessary. Have the air ducts cleaned at the first instance of a musty smell in the house upon switching on the HVAC system or when you suspect rodent droppings.

Have your own ducts cleaned, too, after an infrequent event, such as a new HVAC system installed, or extensive repairs, or a dust-producing home renovation. The dust and debris which had not been disturbed previously may be disturbed by running the blower at higher volumes.

Mold and mildew should also prompt the air ducts to be cleaned. With mold, it is best to call a professional HVAC service, as they will do the job using the appropriate cleaners and will remove all instances of mold in the system.

• How HVAC Ducts Work

HVAC air ducts are made in a closed loop way. The supply ducts bring the air in the centrally located AC or furnace to the rooms. This air is now carried back to the central unit via the return duct.

• Supply Ducts

Supply ducts blow either warm air or cold air into the rooms. Most of the rooms in the house should have the registers of the supply ducts, but not every room will be served.

Supply registers are plastic or metal grills and they are found on the floor, exterior wall, ceiling or under windows.

Supply ducts tend to be cleaner compared to the return ducts. This is because the air is filtered first and then directed to the various supply registers within the house.

• Return Air Duct

Large return air vent opens the air out of the rooms back to the AC or furnace system. The refund is most usually in the wall, close to the floor.

The supply ducts are by no means as dirty as the return air duct. This occurs because the dirty air which is contained in the house is being drawn down the return duct on its way back to the HVAC system.