What Is Air Duct Cleaning?

If you have received a coupon in the mail or a telemarketing call from an air duct cleaning company, you may be wondering what air duct cleaning is all about.
These companies claim that air duct cleaning will improve the quality of your indoor air, but is it worth the costs? This article will attempt to explain air duct cleaning and the pros and cons associated with having this service done.
You are perhaps aware that indoor air pollution is an area of great concern.
Many companies are marketing products and services in an attempt to help improve indoor air quality.
By now you have likely seen or heard the ads promoting air duct cleaning and the benefits of removing mold, dirt, pollen and more from your air duct work.
Typically, but not always, these services range in cost from $100 to $1,000 per system, depending on the level of services offered, the type and size of the system to be cleaned, climatic region, and the level of contamination.
Air duct cleaning generally refers to the cleaning of various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems, including the hot and cold air supply and return air ducts and registers, heat exchangers, heating and cooling coils, condensation drain pans (drip pans), fan motor and fan housing, and the air handling unit housing.
Even when properly installed, maintained, and operated, these components may still become contaminated with pollutants such as; dust particles, pollen or other allergens.
According to the EPA; "...
if moisture is present, the potential for microbiological growth (e.
g.
, mold) is increased and spores from such growth may be released into the home's living space.
Some of these contaminants may cause allergic reactions or other symptoms in people if they are exposed to them.
" When choosing a company to clean your air ducts, it is important to understand what components will actually be cleaned and at what price.
For example, a house without air conditioning does not have a cooling coil (a-coil), while another house might not have an air exchanger.
Some companies claim to clean all the air duct work, but fail to mention that they do not clean the hot and cold air returns.
Typically, the cold air return is the dirtiest part of your air ducts.
Without cleaning all the components it is possible to re-contaminate the entire system.