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The Inside story on air duct cleaning

FACT:

Air pollutants are 4 to 7 times higher INDOORS than outdoors! We spend 80-90% of our time inside, increasing the risk for allergies, asthma, breathing problems and lung damage, especially in the young and elderly.

Indoor air quality didn't become an issue until we decided we needed airtight, energy-efficient homes. We've lowered our energy bills, but we've trapped pollutants inside our homes and offices.

What's in your air ducts? Dust, pollen, animal dander, mouse droppings, dust mites, drywall dust, insulation, fungus and bacteria. Each time the fan turns on, it forces them into your living environment for you to breathe… morning, noon and night. And, if your vent covers are located on the floor, you would be surprised what finds it's way into your duct system.

We've pulled out pop bottles, cans, drywall, insulation, toys, tools, paper, food… and tons of dirt, hair and lint! With all that debris plugging up your system, your furnace has to work harder than it should. In fact, 9 out of 10 maintenance calls are a direct result of dirt and dust plugging up the system!

TRUCK VS. PORTABLE

If you price air duct cleaning from several companies, you will notice a big price difference from one company to the next. For a typical 2,000-SF home, the price might range from $60 to $600. After learning more, you will find that PRICE has a direct correlation to the DEGREE of cleaning you get.

THE LOWEST-PRICED COMPANY at $60 will admit (after asking them several times) that they typically use an electric-powered shop vac to clean your ducts. You might wonder how a shop vac can remove possibly several pounds of grime?

Good question. Common sense dictates that even an extra-long hose cannot physically reach the entire length of a 20-ft. air duct. And a small, low-powered hose will not suck up large debris. No wonder they only charge $60. You get what you pay for.

A MEDIUM-PRICED COMPANY might run around $250. They use portable machines that they can bring right into your home. They explain that their service is superior because they insert brushes into the air ducts.

The brushes are sent the length of the air duct, turning at a high rate of speed, and scraping the sides of the air ducts… but there's a problem. When they scrape the air duct, they use a small 2 1/2-inch vacuum hose with a cable in the hose to turn the brush, powered by a small motor. It cannot remove large debris like drywall, wood, dead mice, etc.

Basically, their hose is too small, it's obstructed by the cable, and the vacuum power is too weak. Though they may do a fairly good job of brushing the individual duct runs, more often they end up pushing the larger debris into the main duct trunk, where it usually stays because (1) they cannot access that area with their equipment, or (2) they choose not to.

The problem with this scenario is that within a few weeks that debris gets introduced back into your supply lines. WE KNOW, because we used to own one of these machines!

Finally, the higher-priced company - DUCT MASTERS - Our company. For the average home, our base price is from $400 to $600, and for good reason.

Using our custom-built, high-powered vacuum trucks, we run a variety of high-pressure air tools through each duct, including rotary brush systems and power whips. We utilize a high-powered vacuum system and a much larger vacuum hose that is 8 to 10 inches in diameter, pulling 12,500 to 16,000 cubic feet per minute.

This powerful vacuum picks up everything and anything inside your air ducts - from wood blocks, nails and drywall, to dust, germs, bugs, dead animals ... you name it.

NOTE: One of the advantages with truck-mounted air duct cleaning units is that all the debris is vacuumed directly outdoors and filtered outside.

Why is this important? In our business, we vacuum up contaminants like mouse feces, Decon poison, insecticides, lead paint, mold spores, etc. Even if the filters on portable duct cleaning machines are 99% efficient, at least 1% of these contaminants can be reintroduced into your breathing space.

If you have allergies or asthma, you probably don't need any allergens or contaminants entering your breathing space! With our truck, the debris that the vacuum pulls out of your air ducts falls into a trap outside , while the air is released into huge filter bags on top of the vacuum truck ... outside!

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