When should the ducts in your facility be cleaned?

Too often commercial facilities wait until a complaint about indoor air quality has been lodged to take any action. A quick look at the supply registers of your facility will tell you whether an inspection by a professional is needed. If you see a buildup of dirt and debris on or around your supply registers, then at the very least you should have an inspection of your ductwork done by a professional, either by video inspection or particle count (or both). Once the inspection has been completed, a decision can be made with the relevant information at hand.

What is the best method for cleaning of ductwork?

Many service providers will stand behind one method and claim it is the best. To be honest, there are positives and negatives to using any one type of equipment over another. Truck mounted vacuums have limited maneuverability and are not as useful in larger buildings. Portable equipment (always HEPA rated) is not as powerful but does allow access to areas that a truck mounted vacuum cannot reach. Brush methods and compressed air methods are very comparable. However, there are certain situations which call for one method or the other. At Elite Air Duct Services we use HEPA rated, portable vacuums with a combination of compressed air (whips) and brushes.

Why shouldn't I use one of the many "coupon" companies that offer $89 whole house specials?

Think about it. A company offering to come to your home or business, wherever it is, and completely clean all aspects of your HVAC Duct System for $89.00. Labor alone would have to cost them more than that. Why does the EPA note on their website that the average cost nationwide (for a home) is between $400 and $1000? These companies are using bait and switch tactics and they are not telling you the whole truth in these advertisements. Sure, they will clean the ductwork for $89.00, but first they have to gain access to the ducts by cutting access doors in the ductwork. They charge extra for that. The heat exchanger or cooling coils have to be done - they charge extra for that. The return and supply plenums - again they charge extra for that. The $89.00 "whole house"special is deceiving and does not represent the true cost of the final product.

What should you expect from your duct cleaner?

Any service provider should be able to quote you an accurate price before any work is undertaken. Your duct cleaning technician should walk the entire job with you and discuss exactly what they plan to do before they do it. If your duct cleaning is going to introduce any chemical into your ductwork, you should know why and how this is to be done. There are very few reasons to spray or fog chemicals into your ductwork and only products specifically registered with the EPA for that purpose should be used.

Finally, the EPA has designed a checklist that you can use to be sure that your service provider has done all that they should. You can find that checklist at:

How often should dryer vents be cleaned?

This depends on the setting and the amount of use. The general rule of thumb is annually. However, if the dryers in question are common to several residents, then the use is much higher than your typical dryer. Those vents should be cleaned semi-annually. Dryer vents in hotels that dry mostly terrycloth material should be done semi-annually as well. Dormitories and apartments and condominiums with a large number of families should monitor their dryer vents and look for the tell tale signs that a problem is on the horizon - clothes that come out of the dryer still wet or damp, or large amounts of lint spilling from the exterior vent - and have those vents cleaned as necessary.