Cleaning air ducts can cause significant damage that can be costly to repair. The ducts are made of various materials. You or an unqualified duct cleaner may not know how best to clean ducts made of certain materials. In addition, you could damage them if you use the wrong cleaning materials and procedures.
Duct cleaning is a service offered by most HVAC companies. However, cleaning the air ducts can do them more harm than good. Most Houston residents choose to clean their air ducts because they have old ducts that have been in the attic or inside walls and that have collected dust for more than ten years. Most air conditioning companies will promote duct cleaning as a solution to improve indoor air quality, but they don't mention that this service can cause significant damage to duct systems that will need to be repaired in the future.
Experience the difference with Smart Air: Our Houston HVAC team puts the best interests of our customers first. We offer alternative solutions for indoor air quality without jeopardizing the integrity of your air duct systems. You may consider cleaning air ducts simply because it seems logical that air ducts get dirty over time and should be cleaned from time to time. As long as cleaning is done properly, there is no evidence to suggest that such cleaning could be harmful. The EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned routinely, but only when necessary.
However, the EPA recommends that if you have an oven, stove, or chimney that burns fuel, they be inspected to make sure they are working properly and serviced before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. A heating and air conditioning professional can thoroughly check the ducts to determine the type of ducts and the condition of the different hooks and safety points. Failure to do so could damage the ducts, reducing efficiency and, in addition, could cause premature system failure. For example, the rotbrush can quickly become trapped in flow dampers and break or disconnect poorly secured or protected ducts. Damaged ducts are often the result of air duct cleaning, especially when done by an inexperienced contractor.
Whether or not you decide to clean your home's air ducts, it's essential to commit to a good preventive maintenance program to minimize duct pollution. There is a great risk that the fragile plastic layer will break when moving these air ducts to clean them years after installation. However, there is little evidence to indicate that simply cleaning the duct system will increase the efficiency of your system. Local air conditioning companies or service providers often promote the idea of cleaning air conditioning ducts as another way to prevent indoor air pollution and improve air quality. Some cases in which it may be appropriate to use sealants to encapsulate duct surfaces include repairing damaged fiberglass insulation or combating fire damage to ducts.
So why do some local air conditioning companies offer duct cleaning services? How can you remove unwanted allergens and contaminants from your home and air conditioning system?This is because much of the dirt that can accumulate inside air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space. However, even though air ducts get dirty, air quality experts agree that cleaning ducts doesn't provide any measurable benefit, even if residents suffer from allergies or asthma. The brush cleaning method involves inserting a brush into the duct and trying to collect or release the dust. You've probably seen an advertisement, received a coupon in the mail, or been contacted directly by a company offering to clean your home's air ducts to improve indoor air quality in your home.
When service providers arrive at your home, ask them to show you the contamination that would justify cleaning the ducts. In most cases, dust is harmless and, in fact, cleaning air ducts could cause major problems, such as duct damage. You can also contact professional duct cleaning service providers and ask them about the services they offer. While many of these products can legally be used inside uncoated ducts if all instructions on the label are followed, some of the instructions on the label may not be suitable for use on ducts.
