Tips for Cleaning Your Home’s Air Ducts

Cleaning your home’s air ducts can improve indoor air quality. You may want to add this to the list of regular maintenance of your HVAC system. If anyone in your home suffers from allergies, clean air with the least amount of pollutants is very important.

Some basic ductwork cleaning can be done by the homeowner, such as cleaning the registers and sealing leaks that are easily accessible, but a complete ductwork cleaning should be handled by experts. Professional cleaning equipment used by experts include long vacuum hoses with brushes that are capable of reaching all sections of the air ducts. An inspection of your HVAC unit can be done at this time. Signs that your air ducts need cleaning

• Obvious leaks – streaks of dirt near connection points may indicate a leak that allows pollutants to enter the ductwork.
• Dust buildup in your home – A covering of dust on furniture that quickly reappears after cleaning may be a sign of dirty air exiting the supply vents throughout your home
• Increase in allergy symptoms – Allergy sufferers in your home may feel increased symptoms in recent months due to the excess dust buildup of pollutants.
• Visible mold growth – The ducts should be cleaned as quickly as possible if mold growth is visible. This presents a serious health risk to anyone in the home.

What to expect from a professional cleaning

• Cleaning of the entire ductwork system – A professional will open access doors to reach all areas. If an access hole is required, it will be sealed when the job is complete.
• Dirt will exit your home – The professional equipment will have an outside exhaust to remove pollutants during the cleaning operation.
• Soft-bristle brushes – Any fiberglass panels in the ductwork will be cleaned with soft-bristle brushes to avoid damage.
• Inspect for asbestos – Materials that carry asbestos will be handled according to government regulations.

At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

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