Furnace Duct Cleaning

One of the things we are supposed to do at every time change for daylight savings is to change the batteries in our smoke alarms. Another thing we should add to the list is a semi annual check up for our air conditioning service when we leap ahead an hour and another for a check up on our furnace and duct work when we fall back an hour. In conjunction with that next furnace check up this fall we should consider an examination of the duct work and if needed a furnace duct cleaning job should be scheduled.

If you or any member of your family suffers from asthma, allergies of any sort or any respiratory distress you should consider furnace duct cleaning if you have never had it done. If you have had the service performed recently you will not need it again for there to five years from the last date of service.

All furnace duct cleanings should be accompanied by a visual inspection. Check the various companies out and call around, check the internet and Yellow Pages, Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List for recommendations of cleaning companies that offer furnace duct cleaning. Check to see that they offer dryer vent cleaning service as well.

One of the most common household causes of fire in the home after cooking fires and fires caused by faulty wiring are fires due to a fully blocked or partially obstructed dryer vent. The nice thing about the flexible pipe that goes from your dryer to the dryer vent is that if it is relatively clogged, you can get a new one and put it in yourself for less than five dollars.

To save money you should also be able to clean your own dryer vent as long as it is easily accessible by moving the dryer out of the way. Make sure that the spring cover that opens when the drier is on closes properly and makes a good seal. In the winter if that spring cover does not close you will be letting out a great deal of heat from your laundry room. By the same token you will be air conditioning the area outside your drier vent in the summer.

By looking at the interior of your flexible drier exhaust hose you can see what your duct work could look like if your house is more than a few years old. When it was first built the various contractors would clean up their drywall dust, sawdust and other debris and maybe vacuum out the registers or vents prior to placing vent covers on them.

However, this does not address the ability of rodents getting in or drywall dust, sawdust and just plain dirt from the house being open to the weather before it was closed up for final finishing. Due to the expense of furnace duct cleaning most builders will just use a standard vacuum cleaner in the vent opening only as a final cleaning service.

Furnace duct cleaning, air conditioning duct cleaning and residential air duct cleaning are all terms for the same thing. The service involves the inspection, isolation of cleaning zones, drilling of vacuum holes and the agitation, vacuuming and removal of contaminants from your ductwork throughout the house.

Some video inspection systems allow the contractor to take before pictures and after pictures so you have a great idea of how clean your ducts are when finished. Keys to a great furnace duct cleaning service appointment are to have accurately given your contractor the number of furnaces or heat pumps involved with an accurate count of both vents and cold air return registers in every room that you want the ducts cleaned in.

This way there are no surprises with your bill as you should have the estimate pretty much locked in before the contractor arrives. There are additional services that the contractor can provide including sanitation and disinfecting the ductwork with chemicals or UV radiation. Living in the crud that can be in your duct work are molds, mildew, fungi, bacteria, dust mites and other contaminants.

Eliminating these causes of air born disease and respiratory distress can keep your family healthier throughout the year. Schedule a furnace duct cleaning with your favorite cleaning company right now.

Air Duct Cleaning Equipment