How Do I Clean My Air Ducts?

If you want to breathe clean air, you need to make sure the air ducts in your home are clean. Because we spend so much time indoors—specifically in our homes—home air quality is crucial. You may think that the air outside is more contaminated, but that isn’t necessarily the case. The air in your home is host to thousands of contaminants, from dust particles, hair, and dirt, to pollen, spider webs, and other allergens. Ensuring that the air in your home is clean is as simple as cleaning your air ducts, especially as we move from nice outdoor weather in which the windows are open to buttoning up the windows to prepare for colder weather.Having an air tight home is a good thing when it comes to insulating the home and keeping pests out, but that also means it is very good at keeping contaminants in. If you want the best air quality in your home so you can breathe easier, not only should you invest in air purifiers, but you should have your air ducts cleaned at a minimum of every 3-5 years. Without keeping them consistently clean, you're circulating contaminants around every time you turn on your heating and cooling systems—thus aggravating allergies and breathing difficulties associated with asthma and other conditions. Cleaning your air ducts will reduce levels of dirt, debris, mold, pollen, and dust mites. It’ll also improve the efficiency of your HVAC system.Thankfully, air duct cleaning is a simple three-step process. Before beginning, the HVAC system should be turned off. Wear a mask throughout this process to prevent yourself from breathing in all the dust and debris. Then, the air duct covers can be unscrewed from the walls. They should be thoroughly cleaned to remove dust and grime that has collected over the years (think: cooking oil film, nicotine film, and other dust-collecting substances). Then, the source of the air supply needs to be deep cleaned. This includes the blower, squirrel cage, coils condensation pan, and return air supply. For the final step, the air ducts need to be brush vacuumed clean. A heavy-duty vacuum with a long hose is best for this process, as a standard household vacuum isn’t strong enough to complete the job. This will remove the contaminants that circulate through the air duct system. To take it one step further, you can sanitize your air ducts and vents with sanitizer that will leave a fresh scent.If this seems like a complex process to you, or you want a more thorough clean, give Finken a call at 320-258-2005 and we can take care of it for you.