Rebholtz Mechanical, Inc.

Duct Cleaning

The increased sensitivity among homeowners to their indoor air environment has made duct cleaning the fastest growing segment, by far, of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) industry. In fact, many duct cleaning companies using ineffective equipment are seemingly popping up overnight, taking advantage of the fact that the inside of ducts can't be readily examined by the consumer.

Interestingly enough, at the request of some customers, Rebholtz Mechanical has checked the quality of other companies' work with a unique duct-viewing camera, revealing ducts that were filthy. That's why when it comes to duct cleaning, the consumer needs to be wary and knowledgeable to make sure that this important service is truly being performed with the thoroughness that all consumers should demand.

A well-designed system of ducts is an integral part of a central heating or air conditioning system because it distributes warm or cool air evenly throughout your home. Typically, a furnace has about eight duct "runs" spreading out from it, and one "return air" grille located near the furnace (usually in a hallway), from which air returns back to the furnace to be re-circulated. Larger homes have multiple furnaces, each with their own separate closed system of ductwork. In terms of circulating air, therefore, the furnace and ductwork work as one complete system.

In most cases when considering air duct cleaning, it is advisable to clean both your ductwork and your furnace. Clean ducts will be of little value if the inside of your furnace is filled with dust. Likewise, neglecting your ducts enough to allow layers of dust and debris to form will, over time, degrade the quality of air in your home, even if your furnace has a filter. As a rule of thumb, your furnace (or air blower) should be cleaned and tuned once before every season of usage. Your ducts, on the other hand, need only be cleaned once every two to three years, or on an as-needed basis.

The process of cleaning ducts essentially involves two steps: 1) dislodging the dust and debris and 2) suctioning it. A thorough duct cleaning, therefore, would involve equipment that can do BOTH jobs powerfully. The better duct cleaning companies will have adequate equipment for each step: an air compressor to dislodge the dust and a powerful vacuum machine to suction it. On the other hand, there are a host of companies that utilize low-cost, portable "shopvac" style vacuums with a brush nozzle in an attempt to dislodge and vacuum at the same time. Unfortunately, the inadequately designed equipment does a poor job in both regards, often leaving the ducts in a worse state than before by agitating dust without collecting it (as our duct viewing camera has revealed!).

Reputable companies, who use effective equipment, fall into two categories: those whose vacuuming machines are permanently mounted on a truck or van, and those who employ powerful vacuuming machines which can be wheeled into the home, closer to the furnace. In both cases, the idea is the same: to connect the vacuuming machine to the furnace (via a tube) to collect the dust and debris that are being blown back towards it with the compressed air. Since the power of a vacuum is severely diminished the further away it is from the furnace, generally speaking, vacuum machines which can be brought into the home are preferable to van or truck mounted systems.

In closing, here are some questions to ask that will help give you an idea of the thoroughness of a company's duct cleaning: