Should You Hire An Air Duct Cleaning Service? | Richardson, TX
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One new service that is starting to grow in popularity is air duct cleaning service, but in reality, this type of service has been around for many years. It is just gaining more notoriety now because individuals are beginning to offer air duct cleaning services and so advertising is increasing. With that in mind, you may be wondering what exactly it is and whether or not your home would benefit from hiring an air duct cleaning service.
The process actually involves cleaning out the air ducts in a home from top to bottom, which isn’t a bad idea when you think about it. Take a look at the top of your wall decor, unless you happen to be a regular cleaner, there is probably more dust up there than you expected. Now consider the small amount of dust on your photo frames, and consider how much dust is probably lining your air ducts. It is pretty safe to say that an even coat throughout the air ducts in your home will add up to a pretty decent amount.
Now consider the fact that every time you turn on the AC in Richardson, TX it blows through the air ducts and into your home. Given the fact that your AC is probably on for months at a time during the summer without any break, all of that dust has the chance to be blown out into the air that you breathe. At this point, it is probably getting a bit easier to see why air duct cleaning service is useful, and that it may just be time to call and book your own air duct cleaning service in Richardson, TX.
What Is an Air Duct Cleaning Service?
Before calling to schedule your air duct cleaning service, it may be useful to learn a little more about what air duct cleaning is and what it is not. Air duct cleaning service is designed to help address the effects of indoor air pollution, which is becoming a growing problem. It is easy to see why if you consider how summer usually goes in Richardson, TX. Once the temperatures hit 80 degrees they keep moving upwards for almost four months if not more. During that time, most people keep their homes sealed tight and never open their windows. That means the only air in the house comes from the AC, and if it is polluted air it gets recycled over and over again.
Air duct helps to solve this problem by cleaning out the heating and cooling components of your HVAC system so that you can ensure the air that flows through your home is clean and fresh. Some of these components include registers, grilles, air ducts, heat exchangers, and heating and cooling coils. Pretty much every surface where the air touches is cleaned thoroughly.
If you decide to hire someone for an air duct cleaning service who you hire is very important to the overall success of the service. A lot of people are offering services a la carte like a neighborhood handyman, but if you want real results it is usually best to go with a trained HVAC technician. Your HVAC system is worth thousands, you don’t really want someone taking it apart who learned how to clean out air ducts on YouTube. Failure to properly put back your HVAC system could result in a costly failure and at the very least result in less than stellar results.
One of the largest obstacles of air duct cleaning is that every single thing must be clean because if one component is not cleaned then it will still be contaminated and in one cycle will re-contaminate every other piece. Therefore, the only way for air duct cleaning to work is if you hire a qualified HVAC professional who follows a set of standards and an identifiable process to ensure that every single area of the air duct system and your HVAC machine is spotless by the time he or she is done.
Who Should Consider an Air Duct Cleaning Service
While most homes can benefit from an air duct cleaning service in Richardson, TX, some homes will benefit more than others. For instance, if you have recently purchased a home and there is a foul odor or cigarette odors hanging around then an air duct cleaning service is probably the best way to remove these odors. A lot of times professional home cleaning only gets what you can see, and the smells are still lingering in the air system. Once the complete air system is cleaned out the smell dissipates leaving you with a home that you are proud to walk into once again.
Another good reason to consider regular air duct cleaning service is if someone in your family suffers from asthma or allergies. Air quality is a very important consideration in this case, and keeping your air ducts clean is one excellent way to improve the air quality in your home. You may also want to think about adding a whole-home air purifier to your HVAC system which is something that you should talk over with your HVAC technician during the actual visit.
If you suspect mold is growing in your ductwork then you need to take action to clean out your ducts as mold can cause a variety of health problems. While you cannot see mold buried deep down inside of your ductwork, you may smell it. That old, musty smell that is coming out of your ductwork when the AC cycles in your Richardson, TX home is a very clear sign that mold is probably present.
While you may think that mold growth is impossible, it is actually quite easy for mold to grow in dark places like your ductwork. It only requires a little moisture for mold to grow, so if a child in your home spills juice down an open register, the door is open for future mold growth that you won’t be able to see. This is just one example, but there are many more that can easily lead to an overwhelming amount of mold that needs to be addressed promptly before it starts causing breathing issues. An air duct cleaning service can quickly address the problem for you.
Any signs of mice, insects, rats, or any other vermin in your ductwork means that duct cleaning should not be an option- it is something you need to do now. Unfortunately, vermin leave behind droppings everywhere they go, which means that you could be breathing air right now that has been tainted by vermin droppings. In addition, rats and mice build nests in ducts that can clog the passage of air while also contaminating it. If you are extremely unlikely, an equally unlikely mouse or rat may fall into your ductwork and get stuck. The result is that it will die and then stink up your home. At this point, the odor is probably a dead giveaway, and the choice to call schedule an air duct cleaning service will probably be easier.
Even if the pest doesn’t die, you still want to get your ductwork cleaned if you suspect that small pests are using it to travel around your home. A lot of people see one mouse and think well it is just one, but if you see one it is usually a safe bet that there are at least half a dozen more, if not a dozen in your home already. In addition to calling an HVAC technician to clean out your ducts, you also may want to consider calling an exterminator to take care of your issues once and for all.
What to Expect from an Air Duct Cleaning Service
If you have never hired an air duct cleaning service before, you may not be sure what to expect when they come out to your home. While the process may change slightly from company to company, the basic ins and outs of the process should be the same. To start with, the duct cleaning service should open all access doors and ports so that every area of your HVAC ductwork can be properly cleaned. However, before any cleaning actually starts the technician should carefully inspect the system and send a tool with a camera on it through the ductwork to ensure that asbestos is not present in any of the insulation or the register boots. If asbestos is found then the service cannot be finished, as this needs to be properly handled by certified asbestos removers.
On the other hand, if everything looks good, then the technician will likely get started by using a special high-powered vacuum that can be inserted into your ductwork to pull out all particles. If the exhaust of the system is within the home, then you want to ask that only HEPA vacuuming equipment is used. This is actually a good question to inquire about before you hire a company so you can ensure they are going to use the proper equipment since the point of air duct cleaning is to improve the air quality in your home.
The company should also cover and protect carpet and furniture throughout the process, but if you have any concerns you may want to move furniture items away from the ductwork. Any dust that is stirred up within your vents will be immediately vacuumed by a vacuum cleaner that is attached to the brush so that as dust and particles within your ductwork are dislodged they fall into the vacuum. This helps protect the rest of your home from getting any kickback from the process. All brushes should be either soft-bristled or fiberglass depending on what type of material your ductwork is made out of. In some instances, both may need to be used. As part of the process, the technician will reseal and insulate any areas that he or she may have had to create a small slit ni to access the ductwork to ensure when they leave your entire system is airtight again.
How to Prepare for an Air Duct Cleaning Service
The HVAC company should take care of most things when they come to your home for the duct cleaning service, but there are a few things you can do along the way to help expedite the process. To start, if your outdoor unit is near your driveway you will want to move your vehicles so that the HVAC technician has a clear pathway to it. They will also need space to work while cleaning, so you will need to ensure that all yard debris like mulch bags, kids’ toys, etc are out of the way.
Inside of your home, you will need to ensure that the HVAC technicians have clear access to the HVAC system since they will clean this out too. Keep in mind they will have equipment with them so most technicians suggest you make them a six-foot pathway to the system and then to every major register return and supply air duct in your home. Keep in mind that they will need to remove the grille or grate to clean the inside of the duct so if you have furniture sitting on the edges of the gate you will need to move it before the HVAC technician arrives. As a general rule of thumb, you will want to move furniture away from the registers anyhow to protect it during the process and create enough space for the tech to work.
If you are ready to take the plunge and hire an air duct cleaning service to purify the air in your Richardson, TX home, give One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas a call today to get on our calendar.