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/