Air duct cleaning offers too many benefits to ignore. You most likely already know that– given that you’re here. Sadly, it can feel like a bit of a chore to get done, that’s for sure, and nowadays, we all have plenty of chores to keep up with, which further discourages us from doing it.
But it doesn’t have to feel that way! The odds are that you just don’t have the information that you need. If you did, you’d likely see air duct cleaning as a simple task to get done. So, to make sure that you have that information and you can get your ducts cleaned, we made this simple guide.
In it, we’ll break air duct cleaning down, step by step, to remove any of those confusing grey areas in your mind that may be giving you pause. Now, if that sounds helpful to you, let’s start off with step one.
Step one: Decide.
Decide, what? Let me explain.
There are usually two types of people considering air duct cleaning. 1) you’re a DIY person, and you’re looking for literal step-by-step instructions on how to clean the air ducts, or 2) you’re just looking for a guide on contacting the professionals for the job.
So, you need to decide whether you’ll attempt it yourself or call in the professionals.
In either case, you’re in the right place. However, there’s something that the DIY person should know. You shouldn’t attempt to clean your air ducts by yourself. Why? Take a moment to think about where they’re located. Now, think about how you’ll access them.
It won’t be easy at all.
Real air ducts aren’t like the ones in the movies, they are accessible to people, and they certainly can’t fit a grown adult inside. That being the case, you won’t be able to just wipe them down yourself.
What you need are special tools to do the job properly. Special tools that you likely don’t have, but professionals would.
Then on top of that, you may not be equipped for what’s inside the air duct. You could find mold or other contaminants, all of which are best left to professionals.
Step two: Understand the process.
If you’re going with some trained professionals to do the job, your appointment will look something like this, and on average, it’ll take a few hours total–depending on the size of your home.
First, the technician will explain what they’re cleaning and how they’ll clean it. If you’re harboring any questions about the process, now is the time to ask the technician (You may also want to go over the price once more).
Second, the technician will get to work. They’ll likely start by vacuuming the air ducts to remove any debris. To do that, they’ll use special tools to dislodge any grime or debris that you normally wouldn’t be able to remove.
Next, every corner of your system will be sanitized. That will remove any lingering dust or allergens that could be leftover from the vacuuming. They should also replace your filters to ensure that your system doesn’t pull the same old dust back in.
Finally, they’ll end it with a system test, ensuring that nothing was damaged in the cleaning process and ensuring the air is odor and debris-free.
Step three: Schedule your appointment.
Now that you clearly understand why you should let a professional handle it and what that would look like, you should be geared up and ready to call for an appointment.
To do that, you can start with some general research in your local area and sort through the companies based on proximity, reviews, and services listed. If you have a few on your list, it may also be a good idea to ask them for an estimate to give yourself a price range.
For those of you who are still in the DIY camp, let me relieve one worry that you may have. It will not cost you more to hire a professional, at least not in the long run.
Yes, you may be able to save a few bucks immediately by doing it yourself. However, that will just leave you with a job halfway done, meaning that you’ll have to revisit those ducts sooner rather than later.
You’ll also save yourself valuable time that you could spend somewhere else, especially if you’re remodeling.
Step four: Prepare for your appointment.
After you’ve joined us on the let a professional handle it train, there’s only one more thing that you have to do. Prepare for the appointment. This is probably the easiest part of the whole process, and it requires very little from you.
All you normally need to do is remove and clutter around your HVAC system and ensure that your pets or kids are in another room when the technician arrives. Clutter could mean furniture or boxes, really anything that may limit access to the system itself– the less stuff, the quicker the technician can do the job and be on their way.
If you’ve done all of that, and you’re still wanting to help, you may also want to ask your technician if there’s anything else as well that they specifically need.
That’s that! With all of that done and your appointment set, the only thing that you have to do now is wait– wait for your air ducts to be cleaned and your air quality to be vastly improved!
I know for a fact that you won’t regret it at all.
In the meantime, you can check out some of the other articles that we’ve done about the benefits of air duct cleaning and why it’s so important!
