The practice of cleaning air ducts has been there since the twentieth century. However, over time, different methods, processes, and concepts have emerged for air duct cleaning.
Maintaining the cleanliness of your air duct system is critical for keeping pollution out of your home and providing you with clear, high-quality breathable air. The air quality in your home directly affects your health. Maintaining cleanliness, particularly now, will reduce your chances of being ill and will strengthen your immune system.
You can hire an HVAC duct cleaning professional in San Diego to clean your air ducts and vents, or you can do it yourself if you have the necessary knowledge and equipment. However, we strongly advise that you hire a professional to clean your ducts because you are unlikely to have the required equipment. The fact that an HVAC duct cleaning specialist in San Diego is employed to reduce the risk of damage to the equipment and ensures the quality of work. Let us first understand what the HVAC duct is and what the different types of HVAC ducts are.
Air Ducts And Process Of Their Operation
You are using your air ducts to supply warm or cold air into your house with your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC). You usually find them behind walls or above ceilings, and they keep the air in your home moving.
They appear to gather dust, dirt, and other pollutants because they’re present inside your home’s walls and ceilings, which can lead to accumulation. They play a crucial role in maintaining the airflow in your house, so you need to keep them clean and free.
Air Ducts – Types
We mainly find two types of control ducts – Flexible and rigid air ducts in different homes. So, let’s understand different types of air ducts and see how they function.
- Flexible
Flexible ductwork is relatively simple to build. It is made of a wire coil and covered by stretchable plastic. It works best in a home that needs some versatility. The duct’s bendable design allows it to fit into narrow or crooked spaces in the house. The ducts must be stable and supported, with minimal kinks, curves, and tight turns to install righteously in your home.
- Rigid
Rigid ductwork, unlike flexible ductwork, can be made of a range of materials, sizes, and shapes. They are more durable than flexible ductwork because they are insulated.
Sheet metal, fiberglass, and fiberboard are the three most common types of rigid ductwork. It’s crucial to talk to an HVAC duct cleaning contractor in San Diego or an air duct installer to figure out which one is right for your house.
Key Components Of HVAC Cleaning
HVAC cleaning has two primary elements
- Breaking Of Loose Contaminants
Cleaning HVAC systems correctly necessitates removing contamination sources. The very first stage in removing the source from the heating/air conditioner is the use of one or more agitating devices to unlock pollutants from the coatings.
- Collection Of Contaminants
The entire HVAC system is put under constant negative pressure during cleaning to prevent contaminants from spreading. When you turn on the unit after washing, continuous negative pressure extracts very tiny particles from the machine. And the time they become airborne, ensure that they do not enter the living room. The loosened chemicals are gathered and removed from your home thanks to the negative pressure.
Equipment Requirements
HVAC cleaning professionals in San Diego have access to a wide range of equipment. Stopping the spread of pollutants and cleaning the machine to the NADCA Standard can be done with both truck-mounted and portable vacuums.
Antimicrobial Chemicals
You can use microbial chemicals, sanitizers, disinfectants, and deodorants to combat microbial contamination and control odors on non-porous surfaces in HVAC systems. Only chemicals that have been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are allowed. However, you should consider these items only after a thorough mechanical cleaning and take utmost care.
Different Type Of Air Duct Cleaning Methods
Various methods and techniques for collecting debris and cleaning air ducts have evolved over time, from hand-held vacuums to negative pressure machines to air whips. It’s a good idea to read about the various air duct cleaning methods before hiring an emergency HVAC duct cleaning company in San Diego.
Before scheduling any cleaning appointments, it’s inevitable to understand how the various cleaning processes work, so you can make an educated decision on how you want your system to get cleaned.
- Source Removal
Cleaning air ducts by removing the source is probably the most effective and recommended way. This cleanses the system mechanically by removing dirt and particles that have gathered over a period of time. These particles seem to statically adhere to or cling to the interior of your air ducts. Two major components of this elimination method are mechanical agitation and extraction.
Mechanical agitation literally releases dust particles from the walls of your HVAC system and air ducts as well as other external materials. The removal of particles from your environment is the process of extraction.
- Steam Air Duct Cleaning
This type of cleaning of the air duct uses a barrier to stir and release particles, pollution, and waste lodged in the ventilator’s walls by releasing hydraulic steam into the duct system.
However, since modern HVAC systems rely on electrical components for greater performance, steam cleaning is not recommended on these newer systems because moisture can cause harm.
- Truck-Mounted Vacuum Cleaning
The trunk lines of the vent system are connected to suction from the truck in the truck-mounted vacuum cleaning solution. Rotary brushes are placed into air vents to help release and transport debris to the collection site.
Although this method was formerly widely utilized and has some benefits, many industry specialists no longer recommend it due to the significant danger of cross-contamination of your HVAC system.
- Point-of-Contact Air Duct Cleaning
Point-of-contact cleaning, by far the best and most efficient cleaning process to date, uses a handheld vacuum with a HEPA filter and an agitation system to clean the air ducts at the same time. This structurally cleanses the system by removing mud and particles which have acquired over time.
If technology progresses, new and better air duct cleaning processes and technologies will continue to be visible. It only takes a few years before the next biggest feature in cleaning the air duct arises.
Find a Professional for air duct cleaning
When you’re not ready to tackle those air ducts, call HVAC duct cleaning professionals in San Diego to make sure the job is done correctly. Click this link if you are looking for HVAC duct cleaning technicians in San Diego, and get your HVAC system thoroughly cleaned to improve the air quality in your home or company.