AIR DUCT CLEANING SIGNATURE SERVICE

Serving The Southwest Chicago Suburbs - Emerald Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.

Air duct cleaning is a home maintenance chore that many people overlook. When the facts of air duct cleaning are examined, the need for this service becomes clear.

Air duct cleaning itself involves a very careful process that removes dirt and debris from the duct system that winds through a home's ceiling. When a professional air duct cleaning service is hired, most homeowners find not only their ducts get cleaned, but also the registers, grilles and even the coils. This means the entire system that moves air through a home gets a good once over for dust, dirt, debris and bacteria. To help with the latter concern, a disinfection process also takes place during cleaning.

WHAT WE DO

How your ducts are cleaned makes a difference.

There are two ways to effectively clean your duct work: the negative air method and the brush and vac method. The negative air method involves blocking off all your air returns and vents, then cutting a hole in your duct work. A large hose is attached to the hole and a truck mounted vacuum sucks out the debris. This method works, but can leave caked-on material behind. We use the system that homeowners prefer 3 to 1.

The Rotobrush brush and vacuum method scrubs your duct work with an anti-microbial brush while it vacuums up debris. And, since the system is portable, there is no need to cut a hole in your duct work for hose access.

Here's what we do:

1. We start the process by removing all of your register covers and cleaning them thoroughly to remove dirt, grime and other contaminants.
2. Next, our technician will feed a hose with a rotating brush head into your duct work and the real cleaning begins.
3. After the ducts are scrubbed clean, we fog them with an EPA-recommended antimicrobial mist that leaves a pleasant mint smell behind.

Control Dust and Other Contaminants by Cleaning the Central Air System

According to the EPA, levels of air pollution inside the home can be two to five times higher than outdoor levels. Household dust can contain mites, mold, mildew, pollen and animal dander—all of which is cycled through the central air system, which completely circulates the air in your home three to five times a day.

We Inspect Your Duct Work to Show You What You're Breathing

Our technicians use a video inspection system to evaluate your home's duct work. We look for dirt, debris, animal droppings, mold, moisture and more to determine whether cleaning is necessary to improve the quality of your home's air.

We also inspect the joints and junctions of your duct system. Any connections that are not sealed or improperly joined can cause your heated or cooled air to leak into your attic and/or crawl space. This also means your utility bill is higher than it should be.

The Benefits of Air Duct Cleaning

Air Quality

The quality of indoor air is one of the top five environmental dangers to the general public. Indoor air quality is effected by pollutants that are trapped and then circulated throughout the house or building through the air duct system. According to the American Lung Association and the EPA the average person spends 60 percent to 90 percent of their time indoors and is then exposed to the indoor air quality. Air conditioning duct cleaning removes dust, dust mites, and other contaminants from the air duct system and prevents them from being circulated continuously.

Allergies and Asthma

Air conditioning ducts have shown to become an ideal place for spores and other micro fungus to develop and grow. Due to the dark nature of the duct and the available nutrients from outside pollutants the duct can become a breeding ground. Allergies are becoming a common problem among Americans and with over half of all available time being spent indoors the increase of allergies is expected to be related to fungi and bacteria growing in air duct systems.

Asthma is similar to allergies in that the number of those who suffer from asthma is rising. The Chicago Tribune reported in 2004 that 86 percent more people suffered from asthma in 1996 than they did in 1980. This increase is again attributed to more pollutants entering home and building air duct systems and the increase amount of time people spend indoors.

Heating and Cooling Benefits

If an air duct is allowed to become overly dirty it can hinder the flow of air as it passes through the ducts. Even a minor build up of dirt on a cooling coil can reduce the systems efficiency significantly. Reduced efficiency of the heating and cooling systems results in the system running longer, and increased energy costs as well as more wear and tear on the equipment. Cleaning out air ducts can save money on the next years heating and cooling bill and help pay for the duct cleaning.

Safety

Cleaning dirt out of ducts and removing any other flammable debris, such as lint, can increase the safety of the home. Lint and fine dust can be very flammable and if the air ducts become too warm during the heating season the debris can start on fire. Air conditioning ducts often connect to the furnace in a home as well and are subject to the same potential threat.

More things to consider about air duct cleaning

• Air duct cleaning can preserve a heating and cooling system. According to the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, an estimated nine out of 10 central heating and cooling systems fail simply because they are not cleaned properly. Considering the cost of replacement parts and complete replacement, the cost of regular cleaning can be well worth every penny.
• Proper cleaning can make a system more efficient. When it comes to saving money, air duct cleaning can be very important. A system that isn't properly cleaned can operate at a 21 percent efficiency deficit. This can increase heating and cooling costs greatly and hit a homeowner right in the wallet.
• Deadly bacteria can grow in air ducts. Legionnaire's Disease has been known to spawn and grow in air duct systems. The 1976 outbreak that killed some 29 people was traced to air conditioning ducts, according to the American Lung Association. When air duct cleaning is performed, bacterial growth is generally tackled and disinfection is likely to take place.
• Other allergens can accumulate in dirty air ducts. Mold, dust mites, pollen, pet dander and other known allergens can become trapped in an air duct system. When the system runs, these allergens are released into the air. When air ducts cleaned on a routine basis, these allergens are removed from the system and the indoor air quality can be improved.

Contact the Professionals

Emerald HVAC technicians are trained, experienced profesionals who will clean your air ducts with care.

Contact us today to schedule an air duct cleaning for your home at 708-422-3826.