How To Clean Out A C Ducts
EPA 402-K-97-002, October 1997
On this folio:
- Summary
- What Is Air Duct Cleaning?
- Deciding Whether or Not to Take Your Air Ducts Cleaned
- Suggestions for Choosing a Duct Cleaning Service Provider
- What to Await of an Air Duct Cleaning Service Provider
- How to Determine if the Duct Cleaner Did a Thorough Job
- How to Prevent Duct Contamination
- To Prevent Dirt from Inbound the System
- To Preclude Ducts from Becoming Wet
- Unresolved Issues of Duct Cleaning
- Does duct cleaning prevent health problems?
- Are duct materials other than bare sheet metal ducts more likely to be contaminated with mold and other biological contaminants?
- Should chemical biocides be applied to the within of air ducts?
- Exercise sealants prevent the release of grit and clay particles into the air?
- To Learn More About Indoor Air Quality
- To Acquire More Almost Air Duct Cleaning
- Other Useful Resource
- Consumer Checklist
Summary
Knowledge about air duct cleaning is in its early stages, so a coating recommendation cannot be offered as to whether you should have your air ducts in your home cleaned. The U.Due south. Environmental Protection Bureau (EPA) urges you to read this certificate in it entirety as it provides of import information on the bailiwick.
Duct cleaning has never been shown to really prevent health problems. Neither practice studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (east.thousand., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. This is because much of the clay in air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space. Information technology is of import to go along in mind that dirty air ducts are only i of many possible sources of particles that are present in homes. Pollutants that enter the home both from outdoors and indoor activities such every bit cooking, cleaning, smoking, or just moving around can cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts. Moreover, at that place is no show that a light amount of household dust or other particulate matter in air ducts poses any risk to your wellness.
You should consider having the air ducts in your home cleaned if:
At that place is substantial visible mold growth inside difficult surface (eastward.grand., sail metallic) ducts or on other components of your heating and cooling arrangement. At that place are several of import points to sympathise apropos mold detection in heating and cooling systems:
- Many sections of your heating and cooling system may not be accessible for a visible inspection, so ask the service provider to show you any mold they say exists.
- Yous should be aware that although a substance may look similar mold, a positive determination of whether it is mold or non can be fabricated only past an good and may require laboratory assay for final confirmation. For about $50, some microbiology laboratories can tell you whether a sample sent to them on a clear strip of sticky household tape is mold or simply a substance that resembles it.
- If yous have insulated air ducts and the insulation gets wet or moldy it cannot be effectively cleaned and should be removed and replaced.
- If the conditions causing the mold growth in the showtime place are not corrected, mold growth will recur.
Ducts are infested with vermin, e.g. (rodents or insects).
Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and droppings and/or particles are actually released into the home from your supply registers.
If any of the weather condition identified higher up exists, information technology usually suggests ane or more underlying causes. Prior to whatever cleaning, retrofitting, or replacing of your ducts, the cause or causes must be corrected or else the problem will likely recur.
Some research suggests that cleaning heating and cooling system components (e.g., cooling coils, fans and heat exchangers) may improve the efficiency of your system, resulting in a longer operating life, equally well as some energy and maintenance toll savings. Nonetheless, little testify exists that cleaning simply the ducts volition improve the efficiency of the system.
Yous may consider having your air ducts cleaned but because it seems logical that air ducts volition get dingy over fourth dimension and should be occasionally cleaned. Provided that the cleaning is washed properly, no evidence suggests that such cleaning would be detrimental. EPA does not recommend that the air ducts be cleaned routinely, just only as needed. EPA does, however, recommend that if you take a fuel called-for furnace, stove or fireplace, they be inspected for proper functioning and serviced before each heating flavour to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning.
If you lot practise determine to have your air ducts cleaned, take the same consumer precautions you normally would in assessing the service provider's competence and reliability.
Air duct cleaning service providers may tell you lot that they need to use chemical biocide to the inside of your ducts as a ways to kill bacteria (germs) and fungi (mold) and prevent future biological growth. They may as well propose the application of a "sealant" to preclude dust and dirt particles from being released into the air or to seal air leaks. You should fully understand the pros and cons of permitting application of chemical biocides or sealants. While the targeted use of chemic biocides and sealants may be appropriate under specific circumstances, research has not demonstrated their effectiveness in duct cleaning or their potential adverse health effects. No chemical biocides are currently registered past EPA for use in internally-insulated air duct systems (see Should chemical biocides exist practical to the inside of air ducts?).
Whether or not you determine to accept the air ducts in your dwelling house cleaned, preventing water and dirt from inbound the arrangement is the virtually effective way to foreclose contamination (see How to Prevent Duct Contamination).
What is Air Duct Cleaning?
Most people are now aware that indoor air pollution is an issue of growing business concern and increased visibility. Many companies are marketing products and services intended to improve the quality of your indoor air. You have probably seen an advertisement, received a coupon in the mail, or been approached directly by a company offering to make clean your air ducts equally a ways of improving your home's indoor air quality. These services typically — only non ever — range in cost from $450 to $i,000 per heating and cooling system, depending on:
the services offered
- the size of the system to exist cleaned
- arrangement accessibility
- climatic region
- level of contagion
If yous decide to accept your heating and cooling organisation cleaned, it of import to make certain the service provider agrees to clean all components of the organization and is qualified to practise and then.
Duct cleaning by and large refers to the cleaning of various heating and cooling organization components of forced air systems, including the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers, rut exchangers heating and cooling coils, condensate drain pans (drip pans), fan motor and fan housing, and the air treatment unit housing (See diagram).
If not properly installed, maintained and operated, these components may become contaminated with particles of dust, pollen or other debris. If moisture is present, the potential for microbiological growth (due east.thousand., mold) is increased and spores from such growth may be released into the home's living space. Some of these contaminants may cause allergic reactions or other symptoms in people if they are exposed to them. If you make up one's mind to take your heating and cooling arrangement cleaned, it is important to make certain the service provider agrees to make clean all components of the system and is qualified to do and then. Failure to make clean a component of a contaminated system tin can result in re-contamination of the entire system, thus negating any potential benefits. Methods of duct cleaning vary, although standards take been established by manufacture associations concerned with air duct cleaning. Typically, a service provider volition apply specialized tools to dislodge dirt and other droppings in ducts, then vacuum them out with a high-powered vacuum cleaner.
In addition, the service provider may propose applying chemic biocides, designed to kill microbiological contaminants, to the inside of the duct piece of work and to other arrangement components. Some service providers may also suggest applying chemic treatments (sealants or other encapsulants) to encapsulate or cover the inside surfaces of the air ducts and equipment housings because they believe information technology will control mold growth or preclude the release of dirt particles or fibers from ducts. These practices accept nevertheless to be fully researched and yous should exist fully informed before deciding to permit the use of biocides or chemical treatments in your air ducts. They should only be practical, if at all, later on the arrangement has been properly cleaned of all visible grit or debris.
Note: Use of sealants to encapsulate the inside surfaces of ducts is a dissimilar practice than sealing duct air leaks. Sealing duct air leaks can help save energy on heating and cooling bills. For more information, see EPA'due south Energy Star website.
Deciding Whether or Not to Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned
Cognition about the potential benefits and possible problems of air duct cleaning is express. Since weather in every abode are different, it is impossible to generalize about whether or not air duct cleaning in your home would be benign.
If no i in your household suffers from allergies or unexplained symptoms or illnesses and if, after a visual inspection of the inside of the ducts, you encounter no indication that your air ducts are contaminated with large deposits of dust or mold (no musty odour or visible mold growth), having your air ducts cleaned is probably unnecessary. It is normal for the return registers to go dusty as dust-laden air is pulled through the grate. This does not bespeak that your air ducts are contaminated with heavy deposits of dust or debris; the registers tin can be easily vacuumed or removed and cleaned.
On the other hand, if family unit members are experiencing unusual or unexplained symptoms or illnesses that y'all think might be related to your dwelling environment, yous should discuss the situation with your md. EPA has published the following publications for guidance on identifying possible indoor air quality problems and ways to prevent or fix them.
- Indoor Air Quality: An Introduction for Health Professionals
- The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality
You lot may consider having your air ducts cleaned simply because it seems logical that air ducts volition get dingy over time and should occasionally exist cleaned. While the fence about the value of periodic duct cleaning continues, no bear witness suggests that such cleaning would be detrimental, provided that it is done properly.
On the other manus, if a service provider fails to follow proper duct cleaning procedures, duct cleaning can cause indoor air problems. For example, an inadequate vacuum collection system can release more dust, clay and other contaminants than if you had left the ducts alone. A devil-may-care or inadequately trained service provider tin can damage your ducts or heating and cooling system, mayhap increasing your heating and air conditioning costs or forcing yous to undertake difficult and plush repairs or replacements.
You should consider having the air ducts in your home cleaned if:
There is substantial visible mold growth inside difficult surface (e.g., sheet metal) ducts or on other components of your heating and cooling system. There are several of import points to understand concerning mold detection in heating and cooling systems:
- Many sections of your heating and cooling system may not exist accessible for a visible inspection, so inquire the service provider to evidence y'all any mold they say exists.
- Y'all should be aware that although a substance may look like mold, a positive determination of whether it is mold or not can be made only by an proficient and may require laboratory assay for final confirmation. For about $50, some microbiology laboratories can tell you whether a sample sent to them on a clear strip of sticky household tape is mold or simply a substance that resembles it.
- If you lot have insulated air ducts and the insulation gets wet or moldy information technology cannot be finer cleaned and should be removed and replaced.
- If the conditions causing the mold growth in the first place are not corrected, mold growth will recur.
Ducts are infested with vermin, eastward.one thousand. (rodents or insects)
Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of grit and debris and/or particles are really released into the home from your supply registers.
Other Important Considerations
Duct cleaning has never been shown to really forestall health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (east.m., dust) levels in homes increment considering of dingy air ducts or go down after cleaning. This is because much of the dirt that may accumulate within air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space. It is important to keep in listen that dirty air ducts are simply one of many possible sources of particles that are present in homes. Pollutants that enter the home both from outdoors and indoor activities such equally cooking, cleaning, smoking, or just moving around tin cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts. Moreover, in that location is no evidence that a light corporeality of household dust or other particulate affair in air ducts poses any risk to health.
EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned except on an as-needed footing considering of the standing uncertainty about the benefits of duct cleaning under most circumstances. EPA does, however, recommend that if you have a fuel burning furnace, stove, or fireplace, they be inspected for proper performance and serviced before each heating flavor to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. Some research also suggests that cleaning muddied cooling coils, fans and heat exchangers tin can ameliorate the efficiency of heating and cooling systems. However, piffling evidence exists to indicate that simply cleaning the duct system volition increase your system's efficiency.
If you think duct cleaning might be a good idea for your home, but y'all are not sure, talk to a professional. The visitor that services your heating and cooling arrangement may exist a proficient source of advice. You lot may also want to contact professional duct cleaning service providers and ask them almost the services they provide. Remember, they are trying to sell you a service, so inquire questions and insist on complete and knowledgeable answers.
Suggestions for Choosing a Duct Cleaning Service Provider
To find companies that provide duct cleaning services, check your Yellow Pages nether "duct cleaning" or contact the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) at the accost and phone number in the information section located at the end of this guidance. Exercise not assume that all duct cleaning service providers are as knowledgeable and responsible. Talk to at to the lowest degree three dissimilar service providers and get written estimates earlier deciding whether to have your ducts cleaned. When the service providers come to your home, ask them to show you the contagion that would justify having your ducts cleaned.
Practice not hire duct cleaners who brand sweeping claims about the wellness benefits of duct cleaning — such claims are unsubstantiated. Do non hire duct cleaners who recommend duct cleaning as a routine office of your heating and cooling system maintenance. You lot should also exist wary of duct cleaners who claim to be certified past EPA. Notation: EPA neither establishes duct cleaning standards nor certifies, endorses, or approves duct cleaning companies.
Exercise non permit the use of chemical biocides or chemical treatments unless y'all fully empathize the pros and the cons (See "Unresolved Issues of Duct Cleaning).
Check references to be sure other customers were satisfied and did not feel any problems with their heating and cooling arrangement after cleaning.
Contact your county or city role of consumer affairs or local Meliorate Business Bureau to determine if complaints have been lodged against whatever of the companies you are considering.
Interview potential service providers to ensure:
- they are experienced in duct cleaning and take worked on systems similar yours;
- they will apply procedures to protect you, your pets and your home from contamination; and
- they comply with NADCA'south air duct cleaning standards and, if your ducts are constructed of fiber glass duct lath or insulated internally with fiber drinking glass duct liner, with the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association's (NAIMA) recommendations.
Ask the service provider whether they concur whatsoever relevant state licenses. As of 1996, the following states crave air duct cleaners to concur special licenses: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Texas. Other states may require them likewise.
If the service provider charges past the hr, request an estimate of the number of hours or days the job will take, and find out whether at that place will exist interruptions in the work. Make sure the duct cleaner you lot choose will provide a written agreement outlining the total cost and scope of the job before work begins.
What to Expect From an Air Duct Cleaning Service Provider
If you choose to have your ducts cleaned, the service provider should:
Open up admission ports or doors to allow the entire system to exist cleaned and inspected.
Inspect the organization earlier cleaning to be sure that there are no asbestos-containing materials (e.g., insulation, register boots, etc.) in the heating and cooling system. Asbestos-containing materials require specialized procedures and should not be disturbed or removed except by specially trained and equipped contractors.
Use vacuum equipment that exhausts particles exterior of the home or use only high-efficiency particle air (HEPA) vacuuming equipment if the vacuum exhausts inside the domicile.
Protect carpet and household furnishings during cleaning.
Use well-controlled brushing of duct surfaces in conjunction with contact vacuum cleaning to dislodge dust and other particles.
Use but soft-bristled brushes for fiberglass duct board and canvas metal ducts internally lined with fiberglass. (Although flex duct can also exist cleaned using soft-bristled brushes, it can be more than economical to merely supplant attainable flex duct.)
Have care to protect the duct piece of work, including sealing and re-insulating any access holes the service provider may have made or used then they are airtight.
Follow NADCA's standards for air duct cleaning and NAIMA's recommended practice for ducts containing fiber drinking glass lining or constructed of fiber glass duct board.
How to Decide if the Duct Cleaner Did A Thorough Job
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 portions of the arrangement should be visibly clean; you should not be able to detect any droppings with the naked eye. Show the Post-Cleaning Consumer Checklist to the service provider earlier the work begins. After completing the job, enquire the service provider to show you each component of your organisation to verify that the task was performed satisfactorily.
If yous answer "No" to any of the questions on the checklist, this may point a problem with the job. Enquire your service provider to right any deficiencies until you tin can answer "yes" to all the questions on the checklist.
| Mail Cleaning Consumer Checklist | Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | Did the service provider obtain admission to and make clean the entire heating and cooling system, including ductwork and all components (drain pans, humidifiers, coils and fans)? | ||
| Has the service provider adequately demonstrated that duct work and plenums are clean? (Plenum is a space in which supply or render air is mixed or moves; can exist duct, joist space, attic and crawl spaces, or wall cavity.) | |||
| Heating | Is the rut exchanger surface visibly clean? | ||
| Cooling Components | Are both sides of the cooling ringlet visibly clean? | ||
| If you betoken a flashlight into the cooling coil, does low-cal smoothen through the other side? It should if the gyre is make clean. | |||
| Are the coil fins straight and evenly spaced (as opposed to being bent over and smashed together)? | |||
| Is the gyre bleed pan completely clean and draining properly? | |||
| Blower | Are the blower blades clean and free of oil and debris? | ||
| Is the blower compartment gratis of visible grit or droppings? | |||
| Plenums | Is the return air plenum free of visible dust or debris? | ||
| Do filters fit properly and are they the proper efficiency as recommended by HVAC organization manufacturer? | |||
| Is the supply air plenum (direct downstream of the air handling unit of measurement) complimentary of moisture stains and contaminants? | |||
| Metal Ducts | Are interior ductwork surfaces free of visible debris? (Select several sites at random in both the return and supply sides of the system.) | ||
| Cobweb Glass | Is all cobweb glass material in adept condition (i.e., complimentary of tears and abrasions; well adhered to underlying materials)? | ||
| Admission Doors | Are newly installed access doors in sheet metal ducts attached with more than only duct record (due east.g., screws, rivets, mastic, etc.)? | ||
| With the system running, is air leakage through access doors or covers very slight or not-existent? | |||
| Air Vents | Have all registers, grilles and diffusers been firmly reattached to the walls, floors and/or ceilings? | ||
| Are the registers, grilles and diffusers visibly clean? | |||
| System Operation | Does the system office properly in both the heating and cooling modes after cleaning? | ||
How to Prevent Duct Contagion
Whether or not yous decide to accept the air ducts in your habitation cleaned, committing to a good preventive maintenance program is essential to minimize duct contamination.
To foreclose clay from entering the organization:
Use the highest efficiency air filter recommended by the manufacturer of your heating and cooling system.
Alter filters regularly.
If your filters become clogged, modify them more than frequently.
Be sure you lot do not accept whatever missing filters and that air cannot bypass filters through gaps around the filter holder.
When having your heating and cooling system maintained or checked for other reasons, be certain to ask the service provider to clean cooling coils and bleed pans.
During construction or renovation work that produces grit in your dwelling house, seal off supply and return registers and practice not operate the heating and cooling arrangement until after cleaning up the grit.
Remove dust and vacuum your dwelling regularly. (Use a high efficiency vacuum (HEPA) cleaner or the highest efficiency filter bags your vacuum cleaner can take. Vacuuming tin can increment the amount of dust in the air during and after vacuuming equally well as in your ducts).
If your heating organisation includes in-duct humidification equipment, be sure to operate and maintain the humidifier strictly equally recommended by the manufacturer.
Whether of not you decide to accept the air ducts in your home cleaned, committing to a proficient preventive maintenance program is essential to minimize duct contamination.
To preclude ducts from becoming wet:
Moisture should not exist present in ducts. Controlling moisture is the most constructive way to prevent biological growth in air ducts.
Wet can enter the duct system through leaks or if the arrangement has been improperly installed or serviced. Research suggests that condensation (which occurs when a surface temperature is lower than the dew signal temperature of the surrounding air) on or near cooling coils of air-conditioning units is a major cistron in moisture contamination of the system. The presence of condensation or high relative humidity is an important indicator of the potential for mold growth on any blazon of duct. Controlling moisture can often be difficult, just here are some steps y'all tin have:
Promptly and properly repair any leaks or water damage.
Pay particular attention to cooling coils, which are designed to remove water from the air and can be a major source of moisture contamination of the system that can lead to mold growth. Brand sure the condensate pan drains properly. The presence of substantial standing h2o and/or debris indicates a problem requiring firsthand attention. Bank check any insulation near cooling coils for wet spots.
Make certain ducts are properly sealed and insulated in all non-air-conditioned spaces (e.grand., attics and crawl spaces). This will assistance to foreclose moisture due to condensation from entering the system and is important to make the system work as intended. To prevent water condensation, the heating and cooling organization must be properly insulated.
If y'all are replacing your air-conditioning organisation, brand sure that the unit is the proper size for your needs and that all ducts are sealed at the joints. A unit that is likewise big will bike on and off frequently, resulting in poor moisture removal, specially in areas with high humidity. Also make sure that your new system is designed to manage condensation effectively.
Unresolved Issues of Duct Cleaning
Does duct cleaning prevent health issues?
The bottom line is: no ane knows. At that place are examples of ducts that have get badly contaminated with a variety of materials that may pose risks to your health. The duct organisation tin serve as a means to distribute these contaminants throughout a home. In these cases, duct cleaning may brand sense. However, a lite amount of household dust in your air ducts is normal. Duct cleaning is not considered to be a necessary role of yearly maintenance of your heating and cooling organisation, which consists of regular cleaning of bleed pans and heating and cooling coils, regular filter changes and yearly inspections of heating equipment. Research continues in an effort to evaluate the potential benefits of air duct cleaning.
In the concurrently
Brainwash yourself about duct cleaning by contacting some or all of the sources of information listed at the end of this publication and request questions of potential service providers.
Are duct materials other than bare sheet metal ducts more than likely to be contaminated with mold and other biological contaminants?
You may be familiar with air ducts that are constructed of sheet metal. Even so, many modern residential air duct systems are constructed of fiber glass duct board or sail metallic ducts that are lined on the inside with fiber glass duct liner. Since the early 1970'due south, a significant increase in the use of flexible duct, which generally is internally lined with plastic or some other type of material, has occurred.
The employ of insulated duct material has increased due:
- to improved temperature control
- free energy conservation
- reduced condensation
Internal insulation provides better acoustical (noise) control. Flexible duct is very depression cost. These products are engineered specifically for employ in ducts or every bit ducts themselves, and are tested in accordance with standards established by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and the National Fire Protection Clan (NFPA). Many insulated duct systems accept operated for years without supporting pregnant mold growth. Keeping them reasonably clean and dry is generally adequate. Even so, there is substantial debate about whether porous insulation materials (due east.one thousand., fiber glass) are more prone to microbial contamination than bare canvass metal ducts. If plenty dirt and moisture are permitted to enter the duct system, there may be no meaning difference in the charge per unit or extent of microbial growth in internally lined or bare sail metal ducts. However, treatment of mold contagion on blank sail metal is much easier. Cleaning and treatment with an EPA-registered biocide are possible. Once fiberglass duct liner is contaminated with mold, cleaning is not sufficient to prevent re-growth and there are no EPA-registered biocides for the handling of porous duct materials. EPA, NADCA and NAIMA all recommend the replacement of wet or moldy fiber glass duct material.
In the concurrently
Experts do agree that moisture should not be present in ducts and if wet and clay are present, the potential exists for biological contaminants to grow and be distributed throughout the home. Controlling moisture is the most effective way to foreclose biological growth in all types of air ducts.
Correct whatever water leaks or standing water.
Remove standing water under cooling coils of air treatment units by making sure that drain pans slope toward the drain.
If humidifiers are used, they must be properly maintained.
Air handling units should be synthetic so that maintenance personnel accept like shooting fish in a barrel, straight access to oestrus commutation components and drain pans for proper cleaning and maintenance.
Cobweb drinking glass, or any other insulation material that is moisture or visibly moldy (or if an unacceptable odor is present) should exist removed and replaced by a qualified heating and cooling system contractor.
Steam cleaning and other methods involving wet should not exist used on any kind of duct piece of work.
Should chemical biocides exist applied to the inside of air ducts?
Air duct cleaning service providers may tell you lot that they need to apply a chemical biocide to the inside of your ducts to kill bacteria (germs) and fungi (mold), and prevent time to come biological growth. Some duct cleaning service providers may propose to introduce ozone to kill biological contaminants. Ozone is a highly reactive gas that is regulated in the outside air every bit a lung irritant. Withal, in that location remains considerable controversy over the necessity and wisdom of introducing chemical biocides or ozone into the duct work.
Among the possible problems with biocide and ozone application in air ducts:
- Little enquiry has been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of most biocides and ozone when used inside ducts. Just spraying or otherwise introducing these materials into the operating duct system may cause much of the cloth to be transported through the system and released into other areas of your home.
- Some people may react negatively to the biocide or ozone, causing adverse health reactions.
Chemic biocides are regulated by EPA nether Federal pesticide law. A product must be registered by EPA for a specific utilize before it can be legally used for that purpose. The specific utilize(southward) must appear on the pesticide (e.g., biocide) characterization, along with other of import information. It is a violation of federal constabulary to use a pesticide product in any manner inconsistent with the label directions.
A small number of products are currently registered by EPA specifically for employ on the inside of bare sheet metal air ducts. A number of products are also registered for utilize as sanitizers on hard surfaces, which could include the interior of bare sheet metal ducts. While many such products may exist used legally inside of unlined ducts if all label directions are followed, some of the directions on the label may be inappropriate for apply in ducts. For case, if the directions point "rinse with water", the added moisture could stimulate mold growth.
All of the products discussed above are registered solely for the purpose of sanitizing the smooth surfaces of unlined (bare) sheet metal ducts. No products are currently registered every bit biocides for use on fiber glass duct board or fiber drinking glass lined ducts, so information technology is important to determine if sections of your system incorporate these materials earlier permitting the awarding of whatever biocide.
In the meantime
Before allowing a service provider to use a chemical biocide in your duct work, the service provider should:
Demonstrate visible testify of microbial growth in your duct piece of work. Some service providers may attempt to convince you lot that your air ducts are contaminated by demonstrating that the microorganisms institute in your habitation grow on a settling plate (i.e., petri dish). This is inappropriate. Some microorganisms are always present in the air, and some growth on a settling plate is normal. As noted earlier, simply an expert can positively identify a substance as biological growth and lab assay may be required for last confirmation. Other testing methods are not reliable.
Explain why biological growth cannot be removed by physical means, such equally brushing, and farther growth prevented past controlling moisture.
If you decide to allow the utilize of a biocide, the service provider should:
Show you the biocide label, which will describe its range of canonical uses.
Apply the biocide only to un-insulated areas of the duct organization after proper cleaning, if necessary to reduce the chances for re-growth of mold.
Always use the product strictly co-ordinate to its characterization instructions.
While some low toxicity products may exist legally applied while occupants of the dwelling house are present, you may wish to consider leaving the premises while the biocide is being applied as an added precaution.
Do sealants prevent the release of dust and dirt particles into the air?
Manufacturers of products marketed to glaze and encapsulate duct surfaces claim that these sealants foreclose grit and clay particles inside air ducts from being released into the air. Equally with biocides, a sealant is oft practical by spraying it into the operating duct system. Laboratory tests indicate that materials introduced in this manner tend not to completely glaze the duct surface. Application of sealants may as well impact the acoustical (dissonance) and fire retarding characteristics of fiber drinking glass lined or constructed ducts and may invalidate the manufacturer's warranty.
Questions about the safety, effectiveness and overall desirability of sealants remain. For example, little is known virtually the potential toxicity of these products under typical use atmospheric condition or in the outcome they catch burn down.
In addition, sealants have still to be evaluated for their resistance to deterioration over time which could add together particles to the duct air.
In the meantime
Nearly organizations concerned with duct cleaning, including EPA, NADCA, NAIMA and the Sail Metal and Air conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) do not currently recommend the routine employ of sealants to encapsulate contaminants in any type of duct. Instances when the use of sealants to encapsulate the duct surfaces may be appropriate include the repair of damaged fiber drinking glass insulation or when combating burn harm inside ducts. Sealants should never be used on wet duct liner, to cover actively growing mold, or to cover debris in the ducts, and should only be applied after cleaning according to NADCA or other appropriate guidelines or standards.
To Learn More Well-nigh Indoor Air Quality
U.S. Ecology Protection Bureau
Office of Radiation and Indoor Air
Indoor Environments Partitioning (6609J)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
The following EPA publications are available on this web site, some can exist ordered from NSCEP. (run into likewise: Publications and Resources)
- The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality
- Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals
- Air Cleaners and Air Filters in the Dwelling house
- Ozone Generators that are Sold equally Air Cleaners
To Learn More Near Air Duct Cleaning
National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA)
1120 Route 73, Suite 200
Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054
Phone: (855) Get-NADCA • (856) 380-6810
E-mail: info@nadca.com
Website: NADCA
Discover a NADCA professional duct cleaner near you.
North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA)
44 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 310, Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 684-0084
Website: NAIMA
Website: NAIMA Member Company Listing
"Cleaning Fibrous Glass Insulated Air Duct Systems; Recommended Practice", NAIMA Pub. No. AH122, 40 pages (Cost is $7.50 for a printed version, no complimentary copies bachelor.)
Other Useful Resources
For a free list of country consumer protection offices:
Country Consumer Protection Offices
For more information on biocides:
Antimicrobial Information Hotline
Phone: (703) 308-0127 / Fax: (703) 308-6467
Mon-Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST
E-post: Info_Antimicrobial@epa.gov
Website: Regulating Antimicrobial Pesticides
The Antimicrobials Information Hotline provides answers to questions apropos current antimicrobial issues (disinfectants, fungicides, others) regulated by the pesticide law, rules and regulations. These encompass interpretation laws, rules and regulations, and registration and re-registration of antimicrobial chemicals and products. The Hotline also provide information health & safety issues on registered antimicrobial products, product label and the proper and safety apply of these antimicrobial products.
Consumer Checklist
Acquire as much as possible about air duct cleaning before you decide to have your ducts cleaned by reading this guidance and contacting the sources of information provided.
Consider other possible sources of indoor air pollution get-go if you suspect an indoor air quality problem exists in your home.
Have your air ducts cleaned if they are visibly contaminated with substantial mold growth, pests or vermin, or are clogged with substantial deposits of dust or debris.
Ask the service provider to show y'all whatsoever mold or other biological contamination they say exists. Get laboratory confirmation of mold growth or make up one's mind to rely on your own judgment and common sense in evaluating apparent mold growth.
Go estimates from at least three service providers.
Check references.
Ask the service provider whether he/she holds any relevant state licenses. Every bit of 1996, the following states require air duct cleaners to hold special licenses: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Texas. Other states may as well require licenses.
Insist that the service provider requite you knowledgeable and complete answers to your questions.
Find out whether your ducts are made of sheet metal, flex duct, or constructed of fiber drinking glass duct lath or lined with cobweb glass since the methods of cleaning vary depending on duct type. Call back, a combination of these elements may exist present.
Permit the application of biocides in your ducts merely if necessary to control mold growth and simply after assuring yourself that the product will be applied strictly according to label directions. As a precaution, you and your pets should go out the premises during application.
Do not permit the use of sealants except under unusual circumstances where other alternatives are not feasible.
Commit to a preventive maintenance programme of yearly inspections of your heating and cooling system, regular filter changes, and steps to prevent moisture contamination.
Source: https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned
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