Air ducts are hollow tubes either rectangular, square or round; they are typically made from sheet metal. They are responsible for transporting cool or heated air around a building. The ducts generally form a part of a buildings air conditioning and ventilation systems.
Cleaning air ducts should be a part of your home Air duct cleaning maintenance system. It is essential that you keep them regularly maintained, regular maintenance assists in the efficient functioning of your ducts. Dirt can cause them to break down completely and replacing the system will be expensive.
There are a number of benefits associated with cleaning your air ducts. Here is one of them; according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency the removal of as little as four tenths of an inch of dust from the coils of an air duct will cut the use of energy by as much as 21 percent. This amounts to huge savings on your electricity bill.
Duct cleaning is essential to maintaining healthy air within a building. Toxins, dust, mold, rodent droppings, pet dander, pollen and other allergens are commonly found in air ducts when being cleaned. If the air ducts are not cleaned on a regular basis these particles are blown out into the air for others to breathe in. Even if those breathing in the polluted air do not suffer from allergies, such particles can cause severe illness.
The air duct cleaning process is simple; here is a brief guideline.
PREPARATION
Prior to cleaning the ducts cover every heat vent with a plastic bag. The bag acts as a protection mechanism from any dust generated during the process of cleaning; it also provides a way to decide whether the duct cleaning machine has proper suction.
Before the duct work begins, a technician will drill a sizable hole in the trunk of the furnace. The hole is covered with a large vacuum tube, and fastened into place. A high-powered vacuum cleaner connects to the tube and is used to remove the debris and dirt out of the ductwork.
CLEANING
A small hole is drilled into the furnace, and a brush with a long handle is used to push through the ducts and disengage any remaining debris. There are a number of objects that can find their way into an air duct, this causes a blockage which affects the productivity of the systems cooling and heating. A scoping camera is used to find any blockages so that it can be removed. If the blockage is severe the duct may need to be disassembled for removal.
FINISHING
After cleaning the ducts, and any blockages have been removed the vacuum is disconnected from the furnace trunk, and the plastic bags are taken off the vents. The duct cleaning process is completed with any holes that were made being carefully plugged to keep them airtight. Any ducts that were taken apart to clear blockages are put back together, and the hole in the furnace trunk is patched up with a large metal plate.