Cleaning Air Ducts
There are a few things you should know before you clean your air ducts. The first thing to do is to decide if it's really necessary. You should know that while it's commonly assumed that there are health benefits, nothing has been conclusively proven. It will however, help with allergies, and other air born illnesses.
When deciding whether or not to clean, you should take the following things in to consideration.
- Animals:
- Mold:
- This is a pretty obvious one. If you start to notice an abnormal amount of bugs such as spiders or other insects, it's a good time to clean your air ducts. As well as insects, there could also be rats and or mice living in your air ducts.
- When an inspector claims he found mold in your ducts, you should always ask to see it. There are plenty of substances that resemble mold, and could easily be mistaken. Local laboratories can easily distinguish a mold sample for under $75. If mold is found, the optimal strategy for correcting this issue is to first find the source of the problem. Usually mold is caused by a leaking vent. If the leak is not corrected, the mold will grow back. If a section of ventilation gets wet, and mold starts to grow, you should always replace that section of vent. Depending on the type of mold, it could possibly be harmful to your health, and removing could prove impossible.
When trying to find an air duct cleaning service, make sure they can be trusted. The EPA has no legal requirements about air duct cleaning. If an inspector tells you otherwise, you should collect his information and contact the EPA. Another sign of a dishonest service is if they tell you of the potential health benefits. If an inspector says that cleaning a duct will improve the quality of the air, they're lying. All claims to this are unfounded, and like stated above, there is no evidence to prove this. There are a few resources that you can use to check if a company is reliable. You can start with the BBB, to make sure the complaints against this company are at a minimal. You could also search the internet for reviews about this particular person or company.
When analyzing the job the service person did, always make sure there is no visible dust or particles. The spots you can see should be absolutely spotless. If there is anything left over, you should consider discussing it with the service person. Don't be afraid to ask for photographic proof that the job was done.
Some service persons might try and push you to use chemicals on your ducts. There is however a few things you should consider before approving their request. There are currently no long term studies done with these chemicals. Some side effects could occur depending on the person. However, all chemicals are EPA certified for use in homes and businesses, and at the moment are considered safe. If an air duct cleaner tries to use a chemical that isn't certified for the EPA, don't allow them to do so. It is a federal crime for them to use an unapproved chemical.