When Is Duct Cleaning Necessary

The question many home-owners seem to be asking these days is whether duct cleaning is necessary. While telemarketing pitches, on- and offline marketing campaigns are trying to persuade everyone to book a service as soon as possible (especially in the fall and spring when allergy season is on), one can only wonder if the miraculous service will really have the promised positive effect.

Before you give in to the temptation and book a duct cleaning company, you need to do a thorough research to make sure you understand how the service is conducted, what are the pros and cons, how often it should be conducted and most importantly whether you really need it. Keep in mind that the field is still not legally regulated, so the quality of the cleaning depends greatly on the provider you hire. The prices will also vary from lucrative discount offers (which come with surprising additional costs) to sky-high rates. To make sure you will receive your money's worth, you need to check the following:

• Is the company reputable?• Can you get recommendations from family, friends and acquaintances?• What tools and equipment does the company use?• If the contractor offers additional services like sealing the ducts, you need to understand the

advantages and disadvantages of each one before you agree to them.• Get several quotes and compare the included services and the rates.• Keep in mind that a reputable company has to conduct an inspection and then estimate

whether duct cleaning is necessary or not.

When Is Duct Cleaning Really Necessary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the US has issued an official statement on the matter of when duct cleaning is necessary:

“If no one in the household suffers allergies, respiratory problems or unexplained illnesses and in case the duct system doesn't show signs of mould infestation or accumulated dust and it seems

clean upon visual inspection, then a duct cleaning is most likely unnecessary.”

Contrary to what is currently being advertised, EPA has not yet found a correlation between illness prevention and duct cleaning. Additionally, the effect of sealants and biocides used by the contractors have not yet been fully researched, so you must be very cautious should you opt for them. Don't book an additional service, unless you are 100% sure you understand everything about it.

However, there are several occasions on which duct cleaning is recommended even by EPA:

• After renovations – When you conduct a major home improvement project that involves tearing down walls, repainting the walls, changing the flooring and etc., the amount of dust, debris and other air pollutants increases rapidly over a short period of time. They tend to gather in your duct work.

• After a flood or a leak – Once water penetrates your duct system through a flood or a leak or even torrential rain, you can expect that mould will soon take ground. To prevent the infestation and ensure the safety of your family, you need to book duct cleaning services as

soon as you locate and eliminate the flood/ leak.

• When moving in a new home – Cautious home-owners tend to book duct cleaning when they move in a new dwelling which was previously inhabited by smokers or people with pets. In such cases, the services is conducted as a precaution and can be repeated again in 7 to 10 years, provided that non of the above mentioned situations has occurred.

• After a pest infestation – Duct cleaning is mandatory when you have been a victim of rat, squirrel or roach infestation. These pest like to reside in the duct system and even after they have been removed from your dwelling, faeces and carcases might remain in the duct work causing dangerous air pollution and emitting unpleasant smell.

• Unpleasant odours coming from the duct work – A funny smell is a sure sign that something is wrong inside the duct system. Professionals can help you determine the source and remove it permanently.

How to Prevent Ductwork Pollution

To make sure you live in a safe home environment, you can take a few simple steps to protect your ductwork. Firstly, you ought to use high-quality HEPA filters for your furnace. They are certainly worth the investment as they are your best defence against indoor air pollution. To prolong the lifespan of the unit, you need to clean it as indicated in the manual provided by the manufacturer. Don't forget to change the filters regularly – this will not only help you maintain a healthy environment indoors but will also improve the efficiency of your furnace and AC.

When you get your annual check up by your air conditioning and heating serviceman, ask him/ her to sanitize the drain pans and the coils along with the rest of the unit. Additionally, you can seal the vents when you plan on conducting renovations to limit the dust distribution in the duct system. However, this doesn't mean you can skip the professional duct cleaning once the home improvement work is over.

To prevent mould infestations, you need to control the moisture levels in your dwelling. This is done easily when you monitor your pipework and roof for leaks, have your humidifier and AC properly and regularly serviced. Additionally, you need to check the duct insulation for signs of deterioration or mould and have it replaced if you notice any.

Source:

The information was kindly provided by Paul's Cleaning Services – a reputable cleaning company that operates in Melbourne, VIC, Australia. To check their Melbourne duct cleaning service, you can visit their webpage: http://paulscleaningmelbourne.com.au/duct-cleaning/