In addition, there is no evidence that a small amount of household dust or other particulates in the air ducts poses any health hazard. The EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned except as necessary due to ongoing uncertainty about the benefits of duct cleaning in most circumstances. If you or someone in your family has asthma or allergies, you may be considering cleaning the heating and air conditioning ducts in your home. But even if you do not have special health problems, cleaning the ducts may appeal to you on an intuitive level.
After all, if your ducts are clean, all the air coming out of the vents should also come out clean, right? While duct cleaning operations may insist that duct cleaning is essential to your health, the evidence does not support their claims. Companies that perform duct cleaning often advertise health benefits or suggest that duct cleaning will lower your energy bills by improving the efficiency of your system. Some ads even use language such as “Studies have shown. but there is no data to support these claims.
Even if your ducts are dirty, cleaning them probably won't provide any measurable benefit. In fact, the little independent research done on duct cleaning indicates that the process removes so much dust that it creates a bigger problem than it solves. Although it intuitively makes sense to clean the ducts, after all, you dust and clean the rest of the house, the fact is that the dust that settles on your ventilation system usually stays where it is, it is unlikely to be dispersed into the air unless you are disturbed. In most circumstances, dust is inert and harmless, and removing it with cleaning equipment actually creates bigger problems.
Little research has been done on the effects of duct cleaning. Government studies in the United States and Canada and health professionals who have investigated duct cleaning fail to recommend against it, but they do not support it as a routine measure. EPA and CMHC researchers used different methodologies. CMHC study called for several duct cleaning services.
Companies were not informed that they were part of a study and researchers did not monitor the time spent or the methods used. The EPA study prescribed and controlled the methods used in a smaller number of households. While the duct cleaning industry argues that both studies are flawed, no other research has questioned the findings. And although the equipment and methods used by duct cleaning companies have changed since these studies were conducted, household air ducts have not.
Changing air filters frequently is the best way to keep dust, allergens and other particulates out of your home. With a newly installed system or a system in a house you just moved into, check the filter monthly to determine how quickly it gets dirty at different times of the year. Most need to be replaced every two to three months. Although not always part of their basic cleaning services, many duct cleaning companies often also clean heating and cooling equipment (heat exchangers, cooling coils, condensate drain trays, fan motors, fan blades and fan housings).
While much of the energy used to power heating and cooling equipment is wasted, that waste is due to inefficient equipment, poor insulation, leaks around doors and windows, and unsealed ducts. While there is some benefit to cleaning and maintaining HVAC equipment, that benefit is relatively small and the little energy waste can be attributed to dirty ducts or equipment. The CMHC researchers found that when duct cleaners also cleaned the fan blades, there was a small reduction in airborne particles. Cleaning the blower fan could also slightly improve the energy efficiency of your system.
The same applies to the evaporator coils inside your home's refrigeration system. Evaporator coils cause condensation, dehumidifying air before it circulates through your home. Condensed moisture can cause dust and other particles to stick and accumulate on the coils. In addition, cleaning the collector tray (and the tray drain nozzle) under the coils ensures that dirt does not accumulate or enter the system.
It also prevents water from accumulating in and under the coils, which can cause mold problems. Also consider inspecting your duct system for leaks, as leaky ducts reduce efficiency and introduce air quality issues. If someone in your household has specific health problems, such as allergies or asthma, see your doctor first. It is important to identify the problem so that the doctor can suggest alternatives to cleaning the ducts.
Start by identifying if your ducts are part of the problem (they probably aren't) and if cleaning them will help (probably isn't). If you suspect that there is a mold problem, either due to visible growth or a musty smell constantly coming from the supply grids, the cleaning ducts won't do much good if they don't remove the mold. Mold starts with a moisture problem, and the ducts themselves are unlikely to be the source. The most likely culprits are refrigeration system evaporator coils, which your heating and air conditioning contractor and most duct cleaning companies can inspect and maintain.
Leaky return ducts can also introduce moisture. Again, if you suspect a mold problem, consider asking a utility company to inspect the duct system for leaks. Mess up only helps a lot if you keep buying too much in the first place. If your family members get sick regularly, you suspect mold is growing in your duct, or you simply think your house dust is coming from the air duct, you may be tempted to contact an air duct cleaning service.
Ultimately, what you really want is cleaner air in your home. But will air duct cleaning really provide you with cleaner air? Or is duct cleaning a waste of money? We will tell you why we don't offer duct cleaning services and we don't recommend it to our customers either. So why don't we offer duct cleaning even though our customers request this service from us on a regular basis? Air conditioning systems are already designed with a built-in cleaning system called an air filter. The function of the air filter is to remove particles from the air that flows through your HVAC system.
Air filters don't always filter out all dust particles, but is it really a problem? In most cases, any dust that passes through the air filter and enters the duct system is minimal and has not been shown to cause an appreciable decrease in air quality. As the EPA study suggests, most of the dust will adhere to the surface of the duct and will not continue to penetrate your home. Any dust that comes out of the duct into your home should be trapped by the air filter during the next cycle. Because air conditioners rely on air filters to clean air and since there is no evidence of the need to clean ducts, HVAC manufacturers do not design air ducts to clean them.
The EPA recommends that if you choose to use duct cleaning services, only use it on ducts made of solid sheet metal. However, in most homes today we use flexible ducts that can be easily damaged with duct cleaning services. If air duct cleaning is not done correctly, it can cause more damage to air quality by releasing more dust into the house or insulation particles from the broken duct. Once the air duct is damaged, you have no choice but to replace it.
This will result in an even greater expense than if you had simply replaced the conduit at the beginning. If you are considering duct cleaning due to mold in your home, consider the type of duct you have. EPA only recommends duct cleaning if you have solid sheet metal ducts. They also caution consumers to always verify that any biological material in the duct is actually mold.
This can be verified by third-party testing. You should never take a contractor's word for it when they claim there is mold in your air ducts. In addition, cleaning your air ducts can remove visible areas of mold; however, unless you discover and address the root cause of mold, you may find yourself fighting the same battle again in the future. If mold continues to develop, then there is a reason.
Until you solve the problem at the root, root canal cleaning will not help. If you're thinking about cleaning your air ducts because you want cleaner air, let us offer you some better alternatives. While air filters help remove particles from the air, to actually kill viruses, bacteria and mold, you'll need to use some kind of additional technology, such as the Reme Halo device. Reme Halo device can be inserted into existing ductwork.
Once installed, it distributes the ionized hydroperoxide molecules. Hydroperoxide molecules attack airborne contaminants, such as bacteria, mold, and dander. It also charges the air particles it comes into contact with and causes them to stick together, making it easier for the air filter to remove enlarged particles. The REME HALO is already used in hospitals, cruise ships, restaurants, food processing plants and other industrial applications.
Fortunately, it can also be installed in your home to provide you with safer and cleaner air. There are very effective air filter systems that can be added to your existing air conditioning system. A 5 inch filter has a larger surface area giving you two great benefits. First of all, it allows you to filter more particles from the air without restricting air flow.
Secondly, it only needs to be changed every 3-6 months instead of monthly. MERV is a unit that measures how effectively a filter works. The higher the MERV rating, the more particulates there will be if it is filtered out of the air. However, if you use a very high MERV filter, it can also reduce the airflow in your system too much.
Since your air conditioning system is designed to use air filters to clean the air, the most obvious thing you can do is change filters regularly. If you have a standard 1 inch pleated filter, we recommend that you change the air filter monthly. While Pro-Tech doesn't recommend duct cleaning services, we can definitely help you improve the air quality in your home. Cesar was a professional, knowledgeable and a good communicator.
It came inside the given window. He explained everything and showed me what needed to be done to keep my unit efficient, Waiting. Read more to know the estimates Ramon is a kind person. He knows the air conditioning system very well and did a great job in repairing my air conditioning system inside and out.
Read more and Pro-Tech for your air conditioning problems. Dylan was very professional and explained everything clearly. Joel is an excellent technician with excellent communication skills and a friendly style. We have had you perform our system maintenance service for several years.
Dust mites that feed on human waste can reside in the accumulation of air passages and cause asthmatic and allergic reactions. If done correctly, cleaning the ducts doesn't hurt; but it's not something that needs to be on your home's regular maintenance list. But the reality is that ducts only need to be cleaned in exceptional cases when there is serious contamination. The EPA takes a similar stance on the issue, recommending cleaning only if the ducts and the HVAC unit are contaminated.
The person who came to my house works for an air duct cleaning company that uses a professional vacuum cleaner. These “things”, when not handled by effective cleaning of the 26% duct ventilation, can work their way through the air filter and reach your home. Keep in mind that duct cleaning uses specialized tools to stir and dislodge dirt in ducts and cause dirt and other contaminants to become increasingly loose and airborne before vacuuming them. After testing 33 homes in Montreal before and after duct cleaning, the study found that there was no significant improvement in air quality and that duct cleaning alone did not improve airflow or energy efficiency.
It seems like a logical maintenance activity, but cleaning the air ducts in your home's HVAC system may not be a good idea as it seems intuitively. These impurities present in the air recirculate throughout the house through the air ducts, which can damage your home and family. Some unusual or unexplained symptoms or illnesses have been linked to poor indoor air quality and clogged ducts. Professional duct cleaning services use specialized blowers, vacuums, and brushes to clean supply, intake and return ducts throughout the house.
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