Cleaning the air ducts in your heating system can reduce your energy bill and increase efficiency by thirty percent.
Before
After
Air duct cleaning companies have found such items such as nests, dead critters, construction debris, and animal fur in the ducts.
Before
After
No wonder the air inside your home may be worse than outside, and your heating and cooling system may not be operating at maximum efficiency..
If It Looks Like a Duct
Air duct cleaning for better indoor air quality, saving on energy costs, and preventing fire hazards
By Dan Zetzman
In the news today: energy prices soar, indoor air pollution increases, and a house burns down because of a fire in the dryer vent. All of these problems could be easily mitigated through proper air duct cleaning.
Air Duct Cleaning is a growing service business in the United States. Duct cleaning businesses address indoor air quality which can be several times more polluted than outside air. As well, cleaning the air ducts in your heating system can reduce your energy bill and increase efficiency by thirty percent.
Air duct cleaning is performed by professional Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) cleaning contractors. It’s a service that is necessary in order to provide clean air in commercial buildings and homes. In business environments, air duct cleaning ensures the comfort of employees for better health and work performance and should be carried out every three years. Homeowners, too, are beginning to realize air duct cleaning is an important part of home maintenance and essential to keeping indoor air healthy. Air duct cleaning companies have found such items as nests, dead critters, construction debris, and animal fur in the ducts. No wonder the air inside your home may be worse than outside, and your heating and cooling system may not be operating at maximum efficiency.
The top of the line companies use a large truck equipped with a vacuum that can suck out air at 25,000 cubic feet per minute, a powerful air compressor, and numerous air tools to remove debris from forced air systems, dryer vents, and chimneys. To clean the duct system, they attach a vacuum hose to the supply trunk lines of the ducting to suck out dust, debris and other items that drop or crawl into your vents. Several types of air whips agitate and remove the debris starting from the furthest registers to the main trunk line. The process is repeated on the return trunk line, and then the heating/cooling system is cleaned by blowing out all the dust, etc and by using eco friendly cleaners to clean the register lids. All debris goes into a self-contained box on the truck and is later dumped at the local landfill. At the same time air duct companies will check the system for minor repairs such as sealing the registers so that heated or cooled air is not blowing into the crawl space or attic. Such repairs will improve the system’s efficiency.
Air duct companies usually clean chimneys, wood stoves, and dryer vents. National statistics show that an average of 15,500 household fires a year result from clogged dryer vents. Getting your dryer vent cleaned will also greatly increase energy efficiency and dry your clothes much more quickly. Of course cleaning your wood stove and chimney greatly reduces a fire hazard.
When calling for an estimate you must make sure that the company is reputable, guarantees the work, and that they will offer an inspection of your system with no charge. Remember this is a home and office maintenance procedure just as important as unclogging the toilet. 
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Winter 2007