· All surfaces in the entire heating and or cooling system (air conveyance system) that the air passes over must be cleaned by the mechanical agitation method

· The entire duct system must be placed under negative air pressure while the mechanical agitation process is being performed

Selection of a duct cleaning agency should include discussions about the agencies ability to meet these two procedures.

When providing residential air duct system cleaning Air Care Experts typically performs the following sequence:

1. All supply and return registers are carefully removed from the walls of the home. Knife cuts are made around the registers to minimize any separation of paint from the register and the wall.
2. The blower and blower motor are removed from the furnace. These are some of the dirtiest parts of the system and can only be properly and fully cleaned outside of the house.
3. A large vacuum type of system is connected to the duct system. This is to place the entire duct system under “negative pressure” to ensure that dirt and debris that is removed during the cleaning process does not migrate into the house. It also provides a means to filter out the dirt and debris generated by the cleaning process.
4. A rotating brush is inserted into each individual air duct to “break loose” the dirt that is clinging to the duct wall while the negative air machine is pulling air through the duct and filtering out the dirt and debris. This method of cleaning the duct wall is called “mechanical agitation” and is a critical procedure of proper duct cleaning. In some rare cases a device called a whip may be used to spray high pressure air against the duct wall in lieu of the rotating brush.
5. The return air section of the system is cleaned. In some homes this is a dedicated duct running from the return register to the furnace. In other homes this may be a wall cavity that provides a path for air to be returned through the register to the furnace.
6. The inside of the furnace is cleaned. This is the relevant portion of the furnace to clean since this is where the air actually travels. While the technician is cleaning the interior of the furnace it is inspected for any potential problems or defects. Air Care Experts is a licensed heating and cooling service firm so we can legally and professionally provide this level of cleaning and inspection to the furnace. However, since we do not provide service work as a service of our company, our interest in finding a problem is to let the homeowner know of the condition of the furnace.
7. The blower motor and blower that were previously removed from the furnace is cleaned outside of the house and then reinstalled into the furnace.
8. The registers that were previously removed from the wall are cleaned. Some registers have gaskets that help to seal them to the wall. These types of registers are examined for any deterioration or defects with their gaskets. If there is a problem the defective gasket is removed and new ones are installed. The registers are then installed.
9. The furnace or system is started up. The furnace is placed through a heating cycle and monitored for proper operation. The furnace burners are examined for proper operation and adjusted if possible to operate at maximum efficiency.
10. All ductwork and registered are checked for air flow.
11. All furnishings are returned to their original location.
12. Cleanup and depart.

…about Air Care Experts residential duct cleaning: “We were impressed with the thoroughness that Air Care Experts showed when cleaning our air ducts.  All parts of our system were inspected and cleaned including the inside of our furnace. Out of all the duct cleaning companies we interviewed we feel that their service was the best value.”
Diane L., Homeowner