Air Duct Cleaning and Indoor Air Quality

Air Duct Cleaning and the result in Indoor Air Quality .

The importance of indoor air quality of a home cannot be over-emphasized when it comes to Air Duct Cleaning. There has been much controversies on the effect of ducts on indoor air quality thus there is need for homeowners to be careful when choosing the cleaning contractors that clean their Dryer vents. The indoor air quality has become a serious environmental concern because an average person spends about 22 hours indoor on daily basis thus the effectiveness of air duct cleaning processes must not be compromised.

There are basically three commercial duct cleaning processes used in the reduction of airborne particles and contaminants; The Vacuum or air contact method (which deploys conventional vacuum cleaning of the interior region of the duct surfaces), Air sweep method ( which deploys compressed air in dislodging debris and contaminants), and The rotary brush method ( which involves the insertion of a rotary device into the ductwork in order to agitate and remove debris, and contaminants). The effectiveness of each of these Aid Duct Cleaning processes are evaluated based on the concentration of bacteria and airborne particles recorded immediately after the cleaning processes. An effective Air Duct Cleaning process is the one that improves the overall indoor air quality after the cleaning has been performed. Particle counts of less than 1.0 microns size and a general reduction in airborne contaminants must also be recorded in order to certify a cleaning process “safe”.

Generally, EPA does not recommend that Air ducts be cleaned excessively , they are only recommended for cleaning as needed-basis , and the reason being that indoor air quality may become depleted if the cleaning equipment is used in the interior , otherwise an exterior cleaning device is recommended. EPA also recommended that better indoor air quality can be maintained when you desist from hiring a cleaning company that uses chemical biocides or any other chemical substance for Air Duct Cleaning in your home.

Of all the Air Duct Cleaning procedures used, it has been observed that the HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Air) vacuuming equipments are the best because they brush off duct surfaces, and use powerful pressure to suck up the air and particles from the ducts without contaminating the air while dislodging the dusts.

According to the EPA, your indoor air may become 2-4 times more polluted than the outside air due to the toxic gases released from indoor components such as the carpets, and Air duct. Your indoor air quality can affect your breathing rate as 90% of the time we spend indoors means we have to inhale ultra-fine particles through our lungs and we may fall sick often when germs and gases passing through our lungs enter the blood stream. You must be fully informed by your preferred cleaning company if any biocides or chemicals will be used in the Air Duct Cleaning service at your home.

EPA and other regulatory institutions recommend that air quality before and after Air Duct Cleaning must be measured anytime such services are performed and if possible humans and animals must be evacuated before duct cleaning services are performed.