do's and don'ts of maintaining your duct work
DESCRIPTION
When we talk about air conditioners we often tend to lean toward the actual unit and how to properly maintain it and what you can do to make it more efficient. So today I thought we’d give the duct work a little love, after all without them the whole system would be null and void. I would like to note though, if you are not going to properly take care of your AC Unit with regular maintenance visits and so on, there is really no point in maintaining your duct work, it would be counterproductive. Your AC Unit is a breeding ground for all sorts of things, it is the darkest, dampest, coolest place in your home. What a better place to breed something gross than in those conditions? While your AC Filter does catch most of the large dust and dirt particles it cannot get everything, which is why it is important to have your AC Unit cleaned on a regular basis and to change your filter regularly. For the dirt and dust that does get through it can accumulate along the walls of your air ducts. If you neglect cleaning this, will it harm your AC Unit? No. I’m not going to scare you into making you clean your duct work, however it will cause your air conditioner to be less efficient and it could stir up some health concerns, especially with allergies. Duct work can be maintained in two ways, they can be cleaned and sanitized. It is recommended to have your ducts cleaned ever 6-7 years and to have them sanitized once each year. By doing so you are eliminating the dust and bacteria that has formed on the walls of the duct work from getting into the air you breathe. There are a few types of ducting you can have in your home: - Flexible Air Ducts – Spring steel wire helix encapsulated by a 2 ply polymer plastic - Fiberboard or Fiberglass Lined Ducts – constructed of or lined with resin bonded inorganic glass fibers - Sheet Metal Air Ducts – square or round in shape and made out of galvanized steel or aluminum It is important to know what ducts to you have to know the proper steps to take when having them cleaned. Currently the only way to clean air ducts is with a Roto Brush Duct Cleaner which is essentially a vacuum with a brush on the end. DO NOT have your ducts cleaned with this if you have Fiberglass lined or Fiberboard duct work. The brush will loosen up the fiber glass pieces and they will infiltrate your homes air flow. By doing so you will be breathing in tiny particles of fiberglass which is extremely detrimental to your health. You can however have the Fiberglass lined or Fiberboard duct work sanitized, along with all other types of duct work. The AC Company will come in with a fogger type machine and fill the duct work with an EPA certified chemical to sanitize them. Please note that if any AC Technician tells you to leave your home during this process, or the duct cleaning process, something is wrong. They are either not doing what they are supposed to or using a chemical that is harmful.TRANSCRIPT
DO’S AND DON’TS OF MAINTAINING YOUR
DUCT WORK
DO
GET YOUR DUCT WORK CLEANED
EVERY 6 OR 7 YEARS
DONT
MAINTAIN YOUR DUCT WORK IF YOU DON’T
MAINTAIN YOUR AC UNIT
DO
SANITIZE YOUR AIR DUCTS ONCE A YEAR
DONT
CLEAN FIBERGLASS OR FIBERGLASS LINED DUCTS
WITH ROTO BRUSH
DO
INSPECT YOUR DUCTS EVERY 6 MONTHS
DONTCUT INTO ROUND
FLEXIBLE AIR DUCTS TO INSPECT – THEY ARE
UNPATCHABLE
DOASK YOUR AC TECHNICIAN QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR CLEANING PROCEDURES
AND CHEMICALS
DONTLEAVE YOUR HOME
DURING THE PROCESS OF THE DUCT CLEANING OR
SANITIZING
DOCALL AND COOLING
SERVICES FOR YOUR NEXT DUCT INSPECTION &
CLEANING ANDCOOLING.COM | 941.234.4050