True A/C Service Covers Duct Cleaning and
More
There is a big
difference between a proper cleaning of your air-conditioning system
and a $250 duct cleaning.
A $250
cleaning:
A
duct-cleaning company pulls up to your home at 10 a.m. Workers
remove the air-conditioning supply registers and use a brush-headed
vacuum system to clean as much of the ducts as they can see and
reach. About two hours later they have packed up, cleaned up,
collected their $250 and are headed to the next of four or five
similar jobs that day.
Nothing has been done to improve the indoor air quality of your
home; you have just wasted $250. You could have purchased a shop
vacuum and done the job yourself.
After sealing and cleaning the return air components, the
evaporative coils in your air handler must be thoroughly cleaned.
Some disassembly of your air-conditioning unit is usually required
for this step and should only be completed by an air-conditioning
specialist. Make sure a non-toxic cleaner is used. Remember,
whatever is used will be released into the air after the system is
restarted.
Your supply ducts should be checked for leaks or disconnected
joints. The company doing the work should be using an
8-inch-diameter vacuum hose and some type of duct-scrubbing device.
A semirigid air hose that uses approximately 200 psi pressure and
has a multidirectional pressure tip is a good scrubber. The
high-pressure air dislodges dirt from inside your ductwork through a
large vacuum unit that is usually mounted on a truck. Hand-held
units are not adequate and should be used only in areas of limited
access.
This thorough cleaning and sealing of your return air, evaporative
coils, air handler cabinet and supply registers should take two
technicians at least half a day on an average home with one
air-conditioning system. The cost is generally twice what you see
advertised by the discount duct-cleaning "specialists."
Beyond vacuuming the ductwork, cracked and unsealed seams and
compromised return air systems must be addressed.
Keep in mind that using the wrong air filter or not changing the
filter monthly will promptly undo the cleaning. (Generally, a 1-inch
paper pleated filter is safe for all systems.)
In a properly maintained system, duct cleaning probably isn't
necessary more than every five years.
Source:
Arizona Republic Online - October 9, 2005
Houston Air Duct Cleaning
