Clean Air Ducts In Six Easy Steps
Clear up the hair, dust, and other material that has become lodged in the air ducts of your house.
Your home’s HVAC system uses a network of connected air flow ducts to move heated or cooled air into and out of the individual rooms. Dust, hair, and other debris can adhere to the inside of the air ducts over time, causing them to get unclean. In the event of wetness, the unclean air ducts may even encourage the growth of mould. Insects, rodents, and other vermin can potentially lower indoor air quality and reduce the effectiveness of the system. Learn how to clean air ducts and when it’s vital to do so by using this tutorial.
Clean Air Ducts: What Are They?
Air is transported to and from the HVAC system by a network of connected ducts called a home’s ductwork. To enhance the quality of the air inside, certain ducts may also transport air outside the building and permit air to enter.
Depending on where they are installed, ducts might have a square or round shape. Big metal pipes are frequently found in basements or ascending vertically through houses. To distribute air to the many rooms in the house, smaller circular ducts composed of fibreglass, flexible plastic, or lightweight metal bend and twist through the floors, walls, and ceilings.
A home’s supply and return ducts are the two different types of ducts. Supply ducts transport air from the HVAC system to the home’s rooms, while return ducts transport air from the rooms to the HVAC system. A duct is a supply duct when it blows air into a room; a return duct is one that draws air into it from the next space.
Items You Want to Clean Air Ducts
Tools and Equipment To Clean Air Ducts
Screwdriver
Shop hoover with hose extension
Cleaning brush for dryer vents
Sanitising the brush extension pole
Brush with nylon bristles; electric drill
Flashlight Components
Duct tape and dish soap
Substitution HVAC filter
Guidelines
How to Clean Air Ducts
Step I
Take off your air duct covers.
Stop any loose dirt or debris from being blown into the house by turning off the circuit breaker or turning off the HVAC system at the thermostat. Take out the supply and return vent grilles after turning the system off. Before removing the air duct covers, you may need to remove any screws that may be holding certain grilles in place. To do this, use a screwdriver or drill.
Step II
Wash the grilles on the supply and return.
Clean the supply and return grilles with dish soap and warm water. To get rid of any dirt or debris that has adhered to the grilles, use a soft nylon brush. If the interior sinks are not big enough for the return grilles, you can finish this task outside with a bucket or hose, or in the kitchen or laundry sink. The grills should be cleaned and then left to dry.
Step III
Examine the air ducts.
Head to the closest duct after fastening the duct-cleaning brush to the extension pole. Examine the air duct’s inside with a torch to find out its volume and direction of travel. A tee may be present in some ducts, enabling them to branch off in separate directions. When inserting the cleaning brush into the duct, it helps to know its dimensions and direction.
Step IV
Unscrew Air Duct Parts
After threading the cleaning brush and extension pole into the duct with caution and in the direction of the air duct, remove the pole when about one foot is left outside the duct. To move the cleaning brush forward, attach the pole to a drill and pull the trigger.
Use your hands to rotate the cleaning brush if your extension pole is unable to be connected to a drill. To remove any dust or debris that may have adhered to the inside of the duct, slowly pull the extension pole back out of the air duct while rotating the cleaning brush. Stop the drill or manual rotation as soon as the cleaning brush reaches the duct opening.
If the duct has a tee, reroute the brush to the other side. Continue doing this with every duct in the house.
Step V
The air duct should be cleaned.
Any dust and debris that the cleaning brush removes from the duct can be collected with the shop vac. After that, connect the shop vacuum’s extension hose to it and slide it into the duct.
Important Tip About Clean Air Ducts
To keep the nozzle from slipping off within the duct, use duct tape to secure it if you’re using one on the end of the hose.
Turn on the shop vacuum while the hose is within the duct. Pull the hose back out of the duct gradually, swishing it back and forth to clean the maximum amount of the duct. In order to make sure the shop vac can gather any residual material, proceed cautiously and slowly. Continue doing this with every duct in the house.
Step VI
Activate the HVAC system.
Replace the supply and return grilles on each duct after cleaning and vacuuming it. After starting on, the HVAC system should run for twenty to thirty minutes before shutting off again. Any loose debris that remains will be captured in the filter by this brief running cycle. Replace the filter to complete the task. After that, restart the HVAC system.
Is It Time to Clean the Air Ducts?
It is not necessary to perform duct cleaning on any kind of regular basis. Rather, duct cleaning is only required under specific conditions, as when apparent mould growth exists within the ducts or other HVAC system components.
The ducts should be cleaned and may require professional exterminator treatment if they appear to be infested with insects, rats, or other pests. Furthermore, it’s a good idea to clean the air ducts if they are overly clogged with debris or if you have witnessed dust and other material being blasted through the supply registers.
Relatively simple to undertake on your own, DIY duct cleaning can save the homeowner several hundred dollars in maintenance fees. It’s crucial to remember that every two to three years, a thorough inspection and cleaning of the HVAC system should occur. Homeowners can take care of semi-regular system checks, filter replacement, and duct cleaning in between these visits.
Homemade VS Expert Clean Air Ducts
When it comes to clean air ducts do-it-yourselfers usually have little trouble handling this task. Unless there are serious difficulties, such as a significant pest infestation, it is more cost-effective to clean your own air ducts, especially because professional cleaning can cost anywhere between $450 and $1,0001. Some homeowners, however, might not have the time or the self-assurance to complete this house care duty.
Employ a group of skilled HVAC specialists to clean air ducts system if this is the situation. To increase the system’s performance and efficiency, the experts will change the filters, clean air ducts, check the HVAC parts, and make a note of any new or possible issues that need to be fixed. To eradicate microbiological pollutants from the inside of the ducts, certain air duct cleaning specialists may also use a chemical biocide; however, this service isn’t always offered, so make sure to verify with the HVAC experts before beginning the task.
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