What is HVAC Cleaning?

HVAC stands for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning.  Over time, the air ducts in buildings and houses accumulate dust, dander, chemicals, mold and other contaminants that can affect the overall air quality.  HVAC cleaning is the process of cleaning out the air ducts to remove all debris from the inside walls of your ducts.

Why is HVAC Cleaning Important? 

Dirty air ducts can lead to many problems in the workplace. Most importantly, it can cause health problems among employees. Allergy related illness can often result from breathing in contaminated air, as a result from dirty air ducts.  When employees feel sick, their productivity decreases.  Get your buildings air ducts cleaned if you start to notice an increased number in employee absentees or decreased productivity.

Dirty air ducts can also increase your energy costs.  Debris in the ducts often blocks the passageway for air or heat, and results in the system overworking to try to maintain the desired temperature in your building.  When your heating and cooling system has to work harder, it can decrease the lifespan of the system. To increase cost-effectiveness, get your air ducts cleaned.

The overall air quality of a building with dirty ducts contains many contaminants.  The particles in the air, that live in your ducts, are circulated throughout the air and then re-circulated through the ducts about five times throughout the day.  There can be substantial mold growth inside ducts or other components of your heating and cooling system, and it’s important to get the mold removed before it contaminates other areas of your building or home.

When Should I get my Air Ducts Cleaned?

Most certified air duct cleaners will tell you to get your ducts cleaned every 3 to 5 years.  Although it might be difficult to visibly see the contaminants inside your air ducts without special equipment, there are certain circumstances when you should get your ducts cleaned. After your building or home has undergone construction, a lot of debris is floating around the air.  The sawdust from the renovation filters into the air ducts, clogging them with unnecessary contaminants.

When moving into a new building or house, getting the ducts cleaned is also a smart decision.  If the building was previously owned, you may be unaware of their previous living or working environment.  They might have had an infestation of rodents, mold growth, or had lots of pets. Getting your ducts cleaned can eliminate the potential for allergen related symptoms to arise later on.

If you are experiencing decreased air flow through your vents, it could be the result of clogged ducts. For example, if you find yourself turning your heat way up in order to maintain a comfortable living atmosphere, your ducts probably need cleaned.  You could also try replacing your furnace filter and getting your furnace cleaned.  Sometimes this does the job, and eliminates the need for HVAC cleaning.

Know the Signs of Reliable HVAC Cleaners 

Hire someone that you know will do a good job.  With a good cleaner, comes a price.  For entire house cleaning, average prices range from $300 to $500 dollars, depending on the square footage of your house.  For buildings and office spaces, the price will range depending on the size of the building and the number of ducts that need cleaning. Avoid the cleaning specials that seem too good to be true, because they’re probably a scam. Cleaning air ducts isn’t a quick process.  A good duct cleaning should take time.  If the duct cleaners are in and out in an hour, they probably didn’t do a good job.