Duct Cleaning – 3 Things to Remember
If you are wondering if air duct cleaning is worth the money, the answer is yes … but only if you remember three things when hiring a duct cleaning company.
FIRST, don't waste your money cleaning the air ducts if you are not going to have the entire AC system cleaned.
The air that you breathe not only passes through the air ducts, it also passes through the blower fan, across several rows of cooling coils (evaporator coils), and over the condensate pan. The evaporator coils are what actually take the heat and humidity out of the air. The coils, which are cold due to the chilled refrigerant flowing through them, pull the heat out of the air that passes over them and cause the excess moisture in the air to condense on them and run into the condensate pan. The coils are of particular concern in a humid climate like we have here in Houston Texas. Duct cleaning alone will not address the coils, which are especially susceptible to a build up of dirt and debris because they are wet most of the time the system is in operation, particularly in a humid climate. If you do not have the entire system cleaned, in addition to breathing air that has passed over wet dirty coils, you will have a less energy efficient AC system. The dirt actually insulates the coils, reducing the amount of heat and moisture they can remove from the air. Also, since the coils are several rows thick, the dirt also reduces the air flow through the coils. Your AC has to work harder and longer to cool the air. Duct cleaning is worthwhile, if it is done while cleaning your entire system.
SECOND, make sure you find a company that is licensed to clean your entire system.
In several states, including Texas, only a company with a HVAC license (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) can access and clean your entire system. This is required to ensure that only people who know what they are doing can access the inner workings of your AC system. In Texas, a company that doesn't posses an HVAC license can only clean what they can reach from the registers in the walls and ceiling. Not only can't they access critical parts of the system like the coils, they can't even clean the plenum, the box you see at one end of your AC unit, through which all of the air being supplied to your home flows. That would be like cleaning the dirty floor in your living room, but not the entryway. The dirt would just get tracked right back into your living room. It's the same with duct cleaning. Houston, for example, has many companies advertising air duct cleaning, but many of them do not have Texas HVAC licenses and cannot clean the entire system. Beware of who you hire to clean your AC system.
THIRD, only use a company that follows the industry-wide accepted standard process of using mechanical agitation along with vacuum collection devices to safely remove debris from your AC system.
This is very closely related to the previous point, but is a separate issue and is important. The vacuum devices must be strong enough to capture the debris and keep the system under negative pressure to ensure that none of the debris escapes into the indoor environment or migrates to other parts of your AC system. Did you ever notice how hard it is push open some restaurant doors when you are leaving? That is because the large kitchen exhaust fans are sucking air out of the building to insure that any fumes from the kitchen go up the vent instead of into the dining room. This "negative pressure" in the building is trying to pull the door closed while you are trying to push it open. In much the same way, a vacuum collection device puts parts of your AC system under "negative pressure" while it is being cleaned, to insure that none of the loosened debris gets into the environment or other parts of your system. This is another reason why you need a licensed company that can access all parts of your system, keeping them under negative pressure while they are being cleaned. It is also why just putting a vacuum hose with a rotating brush up into your air ducts is not only inadequate, but can also contaminate the air in your rooms and the parts of the ductwork that have already been cleaned. Keeping the system under "negative pressure" is critical to safe and effective cleaning.
Just to recap, if you are considering hiring a company to clean your air ducts, remember:
1. Make sure they are cleaning the entire AC system
2. Make sure they are HVAC licensed to legally access and clean your entire system
3. Make sure they keeping your AC system under negative pressure while they are cleaning it, to prevent cross contamination of the system and the air in your rooms
Air duct cleaning is definitely worth the investment and can help you save energy and breathe easier, if the entire system is cleaned by a licensed company using proper methods that include keeping your AC system under negative air pressure while it is being cleaned.
FIRST, don't waste your money cleaning the air ducts if you are not going to have the entire AC system cleaned.
The air that you breathe not only passes through the air ducts, it also passes through the blower fan, across several rows of cooling coils (evaporator coils), and over the condensate pan. The evaporator coils are what actually take the heat and humidity out of the air. The coils, which are cold due to the chilled refrigerant flowing through them, pull the heat out of the air that passes over them and cause the excess moisture in the air to condense on them and run into the condensate pan. The coils are of particular concern in a humid climate like we have here in Houston Texas. Duct cleaning alone will not address the coils, which are especially susceptible to a build up of dirt and debris because they are wet most of the time the system is in operation, particularly in a humid climate. If you do not have the entire system cleaned, in addition to breathing air that has passed over wet dirty coils, you will have a less energy efficient AC system. The dirt actually insulates the coils, reducing the amount of heat and moisture they can remove from the air. Also, since the coils are several rows thick, the dirt also reduces the air flow through the coils. Your AC has to work harder and longer to cool the air. Duct cleaning is worthwhile, if it is done while cleaning your entire system.
SECOND, make sure you find a company that is licensed to clean your entire system.
In several states, including Texas, only a company with a HVAC license (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) can access and clean your entire system. This is required to ensure that only people who know what they are doing can access the inner workings of your AC system. In Texas, a company that doesn't posses an HVAC license can only clean what they can reach from the registers in the walls and ceiling. Not only can't they access critical parts of the system like the coils, they can't even clean the plenum, the box you see at one end of your AC unit, through which all of the air being supplied to your home flows. That would be like cleaning the dirty floor in your living room, but not the entryway. The dirt would just get tracked right back into your living room. It's the same with duct cleaning. Houston, for example, has many companies advertising air duct cleaning, but many of them do not have Texas HVAC licenses and cannot clean the entire system. Beware of who you hire to clean your AC system.
THIRD, only use a company that follows the industry-wide accepted standard process of using mechanical agitation along with vacuum collection devices to safely remove debris from your AC system.
This is very closely related to the previous point, but is a separate issue and is important. The vacuum devices must be strong enough to capture the debris and keep the system under negative pressure to ensure that none of the debris escapes into the indoor environment or migrates to other parts of your AC system. Did you ever notice how hard it is push open some restaurant doors when you are leaving? That is because the large kitchen exhaust fans are sucking air out of the building to insure that any fumes from the kitchen go up the vent instead of into the dining room. This "negative pressure" in the building is trying to pull the door closed while you are trying to push it open. In much the same way, a vacuum collection device puts parts of your AC system under "negative pressure" while it is being cleaned, to insure that none of the loosened debris gets into the environment or other parts of your system. This is another reason why you need a licensed company that can access all parts of your system, keeping them under negative pressure while they are being cleaned. It is also why just putting a vacuum hose with a rotating brush up into your air ducts is not only inadequate, but can also contaminate the air in your rooms and the parts of the ductwork that have already been cleaned. Keeping the system under "negative pressure" is critical to safe and effective cleaning.
Just to recap, if you are considering hiring a company to clean your air ducts, remember:
1. Make sure they are cleaning the entire AC system
2. Make sure they are HVAC licensed to legally access and clean your entire system
3. Make sure they keeping your AC system under negative pressure while they are cleaning it, to prevent cross contamination of the system and the air in your rooms
Air duct cleaning is definitely worth the investment and can help you save energy and breathe easier, if the entire system is cleaned by a licensed company using proper methods that include keeping your AC system under negative air pressure while it is being cleaned.
