Contact Us (613) 898-1733
Why Air Duct Cleaning?
Why get your ducts cleaned?
Through normal occupation in a home, we generate many contaminants and air pollutants, such as dander, dust, and chemicals. These contaminants are pulled into the HVAC system and recirculated throughout your home 5 to 7 times per day, on average. Over time, this re-circulation causes a build-up of contaminants in the duct work. Air duct cleaning removes the build-up of these contaminants and improves the quality of your indoor air, which can help reduce problems for people with respiratory health conditions and allergies.
What are the benefits of duct cleaning?
According to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA), the top two benefits of air duct cleaning are improved indoor air quality and energy savings.
The NADCA research found that cleaning a lightly-fouled system provides, on average, an 11% savings off the energy used for heating and cooling.
With duct cleaning, energy savings are generated by many different means. Firstly, you will save on the electrical costs of running your furnace and air conditioner; when your HVAC system is clean, it doesn't have to work as hard to maintain the temperature you desire, therefore using less energy. Secondly, clean ducts also extend the life of your furnace by reducing the wear and tear on the furnace fan and improves the air flow. Finally, clean ducts allow you to replace your furnace filters less often, which equals instant savings.
When should you clean your ducts?
Duct cleaning should be done as a routine cleaning in your home every 3 to 5 years. However they should be cleaned immediately if you notice mould inside the ducts or somewhere else within the HVAC system.
In addition to the normal accumulations of dander, dust, dirt and chemicals found in HVAC air ducts, there are several other factors that can increase the need and frequency of a duct cleaning, including pets, occupants with allergies or asthma and cigarette or cigar smoke.
You should also clean your ducts if you just had a major renovation done, which increases the build up of all kinds of dirt within the duct system - this includes insulation fibres, pieces of drywall, screws/nails, and even some garbage left behind by the contractors.
If you notice poor airflow to one or more rooms in your house, this may be caused by a blockage in the ducts, which can be fixed by a cleaning.
Our Cleaning Process
How to prepare for a duct cleaning
We ask that before our cleaning crew arrives at your home that you move any large furniture that may be blocking any return or supply vents in your house.
Other than that we take care of everything! From taking the vent covers off, cleaning the duct work, wiping all vent covers, to finally putting everything back in place and sweeping up.
The average cleaning will take between 3 to 6 hours depending on the size of your home.
Getting set up
When we arrive at your home for a cleaning, we start by assessing the best way to bring the vacuum hose into your house. Ideally we go through a basement window or the garage to keep heat loss down while cleaning. We then attach a large truck-mounted, diesel powered vacuum to your duct work near your furnace. This vacuum will be the collection point for all the dirt in the HVAC system.
The Cleaning Process
Once the vacuum is attached and turned on, we go to each vent in your house, one by one. We remove the cover placed on the vent and insert a compressed air hose with a rubberized "whip" attached to break up the built up dirt inside the system. The loosened up debris is then pushed out by the compressed air and sucked up by the vacuum.
This cleaning process is repeated twice throughout your home; once on all of the cold air return vents and then second on all of the hot air supply vents.
Finally we clean the blower fan compartment of your furnace.
Finishing up
After the duct work is cleaned, we patch up both access panels made to attach the vacuum with a tin patch and tin duct tape so that the ducts are air tight.
Our Cleaning Equipment
Vacuum & Air Compressor
Compressed Air Hose & Whips
Vacuum & Air Compressor
We use a truck-mounted CTM Kubota 56 HP Liquid Cooled Diesel Engine. This vacuum can suck up even the largest pieces of dirt and debris from your duct work!
Vacuum Hose
Compressed Air Hose & Whips
Vacuum & Air Compressor
We use an 8" diameter Heat Seal black knight hose that attaches to the vacuum in the truck. We have 100 feet of vacuum hose to accommodate even the hard to reach duct work!
Compressed Air Hose & Whips
Compressed Air Hose & Whips
Compressed Air Hose & Whips
At the end of our compressed air hose line we use Heat Seal's Scorpion Rods and both their Octopus and Predator whips to get into your duct work. The whips thrash in every direction at once hitting the duct work and wiping it clean.