Chemical degassing Even an almost odorless material can cause significant problems when it is recirculated through air ducts in a closed environment. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have adverse short- and long-term health effects. An official website of the United States Government Official websites use. gov A.
gov belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Knowledge about cleaning air ducts is in its early stages, so a general recommendation cannot be offered on whether you should clean the air ducts in your home. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urges you to read this document in its entirety, as it provides important information on the subject. Duct Cleaning Has Never Been Proven To Actually Prevent Health Problems.
Nor do studies conclusively show that the particle (for example,. This is because much of the dirt from the air ducts adheres to the surfaces of the ducts and does not necessarily enter the living space. It is important to note that dirty air ducts are just one of many possible sources of particulate matter that are present in homes. Contaminants that enter the home from both outdoor and indoor activities, such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or simply moving around, can cause greater exposure to pollutants than dirty air ducts.
In addition, there is no evidence that a small amount of household dust or other particles in the air ducts poses any risk to your health. If any of the conditions identified above exist, it usually suggests one or more underlying causes. Before any cleaning, adaptation or replacement of your ducts, the cause or causes must be corrected or, otherwise, the problem is likely to recur. Some research suggests that cleaning heating and cooling system components (for example,.
However, there is little evidence that cleaning just the ducts will improve system efficiency. You may consider cleaning the air ducts simply because it seems logical that the air ducts become dirty over time and be cleaned from time to time. As long as cleaning is done correctly, there is no evidence to suggest that such cleaning is harmful. EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned routinely, but only when necessary.
However, the EPA recommends that if you have a furnace, stove, or fireplace that burns fuel, it be inspected for proper operation and serviced before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. If you decide to have your air ducts cleaned, take the same consumer precautions that you would normally take when evaluating the competence and reliability of the service provider. Whether or not you decide to clean the air ducts in your home, preventing water and dirt from entering the system is the most effective way to prevent contamination (see How to Avoid Duct Contamination). If you decide to clean your heating and cooling system, it is important to ensure that the service provider agrees to clean all components of the system and is qualified to do so.
In addition, the service provider can propose the application of chemical biocides, designed to remove microbiological contaminants, inside ducts and in other components of the system. Some service providers may also suggest applying chemical treatments (sealants or other encapsulants) to encapsulate or cover the inner surfaces of air ducts and equipment housings because they believe they will control mold growth or prevent the release of dirt particles or fibers from the ducts. These practices have not yet been fully investigated and you should be fully informed before deciding to allow the use of biocidal products or chemical treatments in your air ducts. They should only be applied, if any, after the system has been properly cleaned of all visible dust or dirt.
Knowledge about the potential benefits and potential problems of air duct cleaning is limited. Since the conditions in each home are different, it is impossible to generalize whether cleaning the air ducts in your home would be beneficial or not. On the other hand, if family members are experiencing unusual or unexplained symptoms or illnesses that you think may be related to your home environment, you should discuss the situation with your doctor. EPA has published the following publications for guidance on identifying potential indoor air quality problems and ways to prevent or address them.
While the debate over the value of regular duct cleaning continues, there is no evidence to suggest that such cleaning is harmful, provided it is done correctly. On the other hand, if a service provider does not follow proper duct cleaning procedures, duct cleaning can cause indoor air problems. For example, an inadequate vacuum collection system can release more dust, dirt and other contaminants than if you had left the ducts alone. A careless or poorly trained service provider can damage your ducts or heating and cooling system, possibly increasing your heating and cooling costs or forcing you to perform difficult and costly repairs or replacements.
This is because much of the dirt that can accumulate inside the air ducts adheres to the surfaces of the ducts and does not necessarily enter the living space. In addition, there is no evidence that a small amount of household dust or other particulates in the air ducts poses any health hazard. The EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned except as necessary due to ongoing uncertainty about the benefits of duct cleaning in most circumstances. Some research also suggests that cleaning dirty cooling coils, fans, and heat exchangers can improve the efficiency of heating and cooling systems.
However, there is little evidence that simply cleaning the duct system will increase the efficiency of your system. If you think duct cleaning may be a good idea for your home, but you're not sure, talk to a professional. The company that serves your heating and cooling system can be a good source of advice. You can also contact professional duct cleaning service providers and ask them about the services they provide.
Remember that they are trying to sell you a service, so ask questions and insist on getting complete and knowledgeable answers. A thorough visual inspection is the best way to verify the cleanliness of your heating and cooling system. Some service providers use remote photography to document conditions inside ducts. All parts of the system must be visibly clean; it must not be able to detect any debris with the naked eye.
Show Consumer Checklist After Cleaning to Service Provider Before Work Begins. After you complete the job, ask the service provider to show you each component of the system to verify that the job was successful. Whether or not you decide to clean your home's air ducts, it's essential to commit to a good preventive maintenance program to minimize duct contamination. There should be no moisture in the ducts.
Controlling humidity is the most effective way to prevent biological growth in air ducts. You may be familiar with air ducts that are made of sheet metal. However, many modern residential air duct systems are constructed of fiberglass panels or sheet metal ducts that are lined on the inside with a fiberglass duct liner. Since the early 1970s, there has been a significant increase in the use of flexible ducts, which are usually lined internally with plastic or some other type of material.
Experts agree that moisture should not be present in the ducts, and if there is moisture and dirt, there is a possibility that biological contaminants will grow and spread throughout the house. Controlling humidity is the most effective way to prevent biological growth in all types of air ducts. Air duct cleaning service providers can tell you that they need to apply a chemical biocide inside the ducts to kill bacteria (germs) and fungi (mold) and prevent future biological growth. Some duct cleaning service providers may propose to introduce ozone to remove biological pollutants.
Ozone is a highly reactive gas that is regulated in outdoor air as a lung irritant. However, there remains considerable controversy over the necessity and wisdom of introducing chemical biocides or ozone into pipelines. While some low-toxic products may be legally applied while the occupants of the house are present, you may want to consider leaving the premises while applying the biocide as an additional precaution. Manufacturers of products marketed to coat and encapsulate duct surfaces claim that these sealants prevent dust and dirt particles inside air ducts from being released into the air.
As with biocides, a sealant is often applied by spraying it into the operating duct system. Laboratory tests indicate that materials introduced in this way tend not to completely cover the surface of the duct. The application of sealants may also affect the acoustic (noise) and fire retardant characteristics of ducts lined or constructed with fiberglass and may invalidate the manufacturer's warranty. Most organizations dealing with duct cleaning, including EPA, NADCA, NAIMA and the National Association of Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors (SMACNA), currently do not recommend the routine use of sealants to encapsulate contaminants in any type of duct.
Cases where the use of sealants to encapsulate duct surfaces may be appropriate include repair of damaged fiberglass insulation or when combating fire damage within ducts. Sealants should never be used on wet duct lining, to cover actively growing mold or to cover debris in ducts, and should only be applied after cleaning in accordance with NADCA or other appropriate guidelines or standards. Office of Radiation and Indoor Air Division of Indoor Environments (6609J) 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N, W. Duct cleaners can use EPA-approved chemical treatments when cleaning, disinfecting and disinfecting HVAC systems.
Although it is valid to worry about the safety of your family, chemicals are not necessary when it comes to cleaning the ducts. Many professional duct cleaning companies have chemical-free alternatives you can choose to use. Non-chemical products clean ducts and prevent problems such as mold growth, just like harsh chemicals. If your family members get sick regularly, you suspect mold is growing in your duct, or you simply think your house dust is coming from the air duct, you may be tempted to contact an air duct cleaning service.
Ultimately, what you really want is cleaner air in your home. But will cleaning the air ducts really provide you with cleaner air? Or is duct cleaning a waste of money? We will tell you why we don't offer duct cleaning services and we don't recommend it to our customers either. So why don't we offer duct cleaning even though our customers request this service from us on a regular basis? Air conditioning systems are already designed with a built-in cleaning system called an air filter. The function of the air filter is to remove particles from the air that flows through your HVAC system.
Air filters don't always filter out all dust particles, but is it really a problem? In most cases, any dust that passes through the air filter and enters the duct system is minimal and has not been shown to cause an appreciable decrease in air quality. As the EPA study suggests, most of the dust will adhere to the surface of the duct and will not continue to penetrate your home. Any dust that comes out of the duct into your home should be trapped by the air filter during the next cycle. Because air conditioners rely on air filters to clean air and since there is no evidence of the need to clean ducts, HVAC manufacturers do not design air ducts to clean them.
The EPA recommends that if you choose to use duct cleaning services, only use it on ducts made of solid sheet metal. However, in most homes today we use flexible ducts that can be easily damaged with duct cleaning services. If air duct cleaning is not done correctly, it can cause more damage to air quality by releasing more dust into the house or insulation particles from the broken duct. Once the air duct is damaged, you have no choice but to replace it.
This will result in an even greater expense than if you had simply replaced the conduit at the beginning. If you are considering duct cleaning due to mold in your home, consider the type of duct you have. EPA only recommends duct cleaning if you have solid sheet metal ducts. They also caution consumers to always verify that any biological material in the duct is actually mold.
This can be verified by third-party testing. You should never take a contractor's word for it when they claim there is mold in your air ducts. In addition, cleaning your air ducts can remove visible areas of mold; however, unless you discover and address the root cause of mold, you may find yourself fighting the same battle again in the future. If mold continues to develop, then there is a reason.
Until you solve the problem at the root, root canal cleaning will not help. If you're thinking about cleaning your air ducts because you want cleaner air, let us offer you some better alternatives. While air filters help remove particles from the air, to actually kill viruses, bacteria and mold, you'll need to use some kind of additional technology, such as the Reme Halo device. Reme Halo device can be inserted into existing ductwork.
Once installed, it distributes the ionized hydroperoxide molecules. Hydroperoxide molecules attack airborne contaminants, such as bacteria, mold, and dander. It also charges the air particles it comes into contact with and causes them to stick together, making it easier for the air filter to remove enlarged particles. The REME HALO is already used in hospitals, cruise ships, restaurants, food processing plants and other industrial applications.
Fortunately, it can also be installed in your home to provide you with safer and cleaner air. There are very effective air filter systems that can be added to your existing air conditioning system. A 5 inch filter has a larger surface area giving you two great benefits. First of all, it allows you to filter more particles from the air without restricting air flow.
Secondly, it only needs to be changed every 3-6 months instead of monthly. MERV is a unit that measures how effectively a filter works. The higher the MERV rating, the more particulates there will be if it is filtered out of the air. However, if you use a very high MERV filter, it can also reduce the airflow in your system too much.
Since your air conditioning system is designed to use air filters to clean the air, the most obvious thing you can do is change filters regularly. If you have a standard 1 inch pleated filter, we recommend that you change the air filter monthly. While Pro-Tech doesn't recommend duct cleaning services, we can definitely help you improve the air quality in your home. Cesar was a professional, knowledgeable and a good communicator.
It came inside the given window. He explained everything and showed me what needed to be done to keep my unit efficient, Waiting. Read more to know the estimates Ramon is a kind person. He knows the air conditioning system very well and did a great job in repairing my air conditioning system inside and out.
Read more and Pro-Tech for your air conditioning problems. Dylan was very professional and explained everything clearly. Joel is an excellent technician with excellent communication skills and a friendly style. We have had you perform our system maintenance service for several years.
If you live in the Miami Valley area, Air Duct Cleaning Company meets your air purification needs. For best results, you should change the air filters every 2 months and clean the air ducts every 3 to 5 months. Any company engaged in duct cleaning should read the study by the national company NADCA entitled “Application of Chemicals in HVAC Systems. It is recommended to clean the air ducts every 3 to 6 months, depending on how much you use the HVAC system.
When service providers arrive at your home, ask them to show you the contamination that would justify cleaning the ducts. While many of these products can legally be used inside unlined ducts if all directions on the label are followed, some of the instructions on the label may not be suitable for use in ducts. If you notice any of these signs, call an air duct cleaning installation company right away or you will be at risk of exposure to harmful contaminants. .
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