When it comes to duct cleaning services, the right tools are essential for a successful operation. Access tools are the devices that technicians use to create entry points into the air conditioning system for inspection and cleaning. Portable HEPA vacuums and wet vacuums are the most popular materials for ducts, while aluminum ducts are often used for cleanroom installations and special exhaust systems. In addition to these tools, there are various brushes, air plugs, pneumatic whips, blowguns, fuel-powered brushes, and nebulizers for disinfectants.
Rotary brushes with firm nylon bristles rotate and clean the sides of the ducts. For flexible channels or to protect ventilation ducts, a more delicate brush head with polyester fibers can be used. The pneumatic whips with plastic rods hit the sides of the ducts hard to remove any type of debris and throw them towards the control structure. If you or someone in your family has asthma or allergies, you may want to consider having your home's heating and cooling ducts professionally cleaned. Even if you don't have special health problems, cleaning the ducts can be attractive from an intuitive point of view.
However, Environmental Protection Agency researchers measured dust levels and the efficiency of HVAC systems in test homes over a one-week period during the cold season and found that duct cleaning did not significantly improve dust levels or system performance. A successful duct cleaning operation typically involves the use of several different types of equipment. These include various brushes, air plugs, pneumatic whips, blowguns, fuel-powered brushes, and nebulizers for disinfectants. Only consider using these products after you have mechanically cleaned the ducts by shaking and vacuuming them. Although not always part of their basic cleaning services, many duct cleaning companies often also clean heating and cooling equipment (heat exchangers, cooling coils, condensate collectors, fan motors, fan blades, and fan housings).In this current environment, duct cleaning services are outperforming those of most service companies.
Duct cleaning companies often advertise health benefits or suggest that duct cleaning will reduce their energy bills by improving system efficiency. Studies conducted by the governments of the United States and Canada and health professionals who have investigated duct cleaning fail to recommend its use against it, but neither do they support it as a routine measure. Participating in air duct cleaning is a very lucrative business with low overhead expenses and between 50 and 70 percent of net profits. After testing 33 homes in Montreal before and after cleaning the ducts, the study found that there had been no significant improvement in air quality and that duct cleaning alone did not improve airflow or energy efficiency. Before you decide to invest in professional duct cleaning services, start by identifying if the ducts are part of the problem (they probably aren't) and if cleaning them will help (probably won't). Again, if you suspect you have a mold problem, consider asking a service company to inspect the duct system for leaks. This sector has great potential but it is very important that you choose the right air duct cleaning equipment and that you receive the right support and training.
While duct cleaning operations may insist that duct cleaning is essential to health, evidence doesn't support these claims.
