Sometimes, ducts develop mold or they trap larger items like construction debris, vermin, or insects.
Cleaning air ducts is beneficial for people experiencing severe allergies since the processreduces allergens.
Otherwise, clean the air ducts on an as-needed basis.
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Dust and debris that were not moved previously may be moved by running the blower at higher volumes.
It’s important to clean air ducts when mold and mildew are present.
How HVAC Ducts Work
HVACair ducts operate as a continuous loop.
Air from the centrally located AC unit or furnace flows through supply ducts and out into the rooms.
This air then returns to the central unit via the return duct.
Supply Ducts
Supply ducts blow warm air or cold air into the rooms.
Supply ducts tend to be cleaner than the return ducts.
The return is usually located in the wall, close to the floor level.
The return air duct is always dirtier than the supply ducts.
They need to be physically dislodged.
Professional negative air machines, too, are so powerful that they can dislodge many of the contaminants.
This moves the contaminants backward from the return air or supply vents to the main unit.
Air duct cleaning professionals may have to cut into the sheet metal ductwork near the air handler.
This allows access to the collected contaminants.
The hole is sealed up after the job is done.
Safety Considerations
Wear a dust mask when cleaning your ducts yourself.Removing dustcan trigger allergies.
Remove the Grilles
Remove the supply vent grilles and the return vent grilles.
Floor supply registers typically are not attached, so they lift off.
Return grilles, too, will be screwed into place.
The return vent may be too large to clean in the sink.
So, wash off outside with the hose, brush, and detergent.
Set all grilles against a wall to air dry.
Prepare the Cleaning Brush
Screw the flexible nylon rods together to form a 10-foot pole.
Screw the cleaning head onto the end of the rods.
Examine the Supply Ducts
Begin at any supply duct vent.
With a flashlight, look inside to see the duct’s configuration.
Often, the duct will be straight for a short run, then make a 90-degree turn.
Sometimes, the duct will reach a tee and turn in two opposite 90-degree directions.
Chuck the rod into the drill.
Press the trigger of the drill forward (not reverse) to turn the cleaning head.
While turning, slowly draw out the cleaning rod.
When it reaches the end, stop the drill.
If this is a tee, send the cleaning head down the other side of the tee.
Warning
Be careful not to turn the drill in reverse.
Prepare the Vacuum Hose
Add the 10-foot extension hose to the shop vacuum.
Clean the Supply Duct
Turn on the shop vacuum.
Force the hose into the supply duct as far as it will go.
Slowly draw back the hose.
Jostle the hose up and back to reach as much of the vent as possible.
Be patient and take your time with vacuuming the supply ducts.
Draw it back slowly while rotating it with the drill.
Turn the System On
Turn the HVAC system back on.
Let it run for about 20 minutes.
Shut it off and check the filter.
The filter will catch contaminants that you weren’t able to remove with the vacuum in the return duct.
Likely, you will need to discard this filter and replace it with a fresh one.
Taking care of your ducts can potentially help avoid the need to replace your system.
Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned?EPA.
