Ducts and vents
Air duct and dryer vent cleaning
Our professional ductwork cleaning is designed to improve the air quality in your home, using specialized tools to clean and sanitize ducts and clear dryer vents.
Chapter 01
What builds up in ducts and dryer vents, and why it matters
Every bit of air your system moves passes through the ductwork, and it carries what is in the house along with it: dust, pet hair, skin flakes, and in a new build or a remodel, drywall dust and sawdust. Much of it gets caught by the filter. The rest settles on the duct walls and in the return, and over the years the layer gets thicker.
A heavily loaded duct system pushes less air than it was designed to. Rooms at the end of a run get weak airflow, the blower works harder, and the dust that lets go of the duct wall ends up back on your furniture. That is why the ductwork cleaning service is meant to improve the air quality in your home.
The dryer vent is a different problem with a sharper edge. Lint is dry, light and flammable, and it packs into the vent pipe and the hood outside. A clogged vent makes the dryer run longer and hotter to do the same job, and it is the kind of build-up that is worth clearing before it becomes a hazard rather than after.
An attic plenum and flex duct runs over insulation
How we clean and sanitize with specialized tools
Our technicians use specialized tools to thoroughly clean and sanitize your ducts, removing dirt, dust and other contaminants from them. A household vacuum and a rag do not reach into a trunk line, so the work is done with equipment made for the job, from the register and the return through to the main runs.
The idea is simple. Loosen what is stuck to the duct walls, then draw it out of the system instead of pushing it around the house. The returns, the supply runs and the plenum near the air handler all get attention, because dirt in any of them ends up back in the airstream.
Dryer vents get the same treatment with the right tools for a long, narrow pipe, cleared from the dryer to the outside hood. While we are there we look at the ducts and the vent run for crushed sections, loose joints and disconnected flex, which do as much damage to airflow as dirt does.
Chapter 03
Signs it is time again
You do not need a calendar for this, because the house tells you. Dust that comes back within a day or two of cleaning, dirt streaks around the registers, or a musty smell when the system starts are the usual signs on the air side. So is a room that never gets the airflow its neighbors do.
For the dryer, the signs are clothes that stay damp after a full cycle, a dryer that is hot to the touch, or a hood outside that barely lifts its flap when the dryer runs. If you see lint around the outside hood, the pipe behind it is probably carrying more.
Duct cleaning is also worth doing after a renovation or construction, or when you move into a home you know little about. If you are not sure whether yours needs it, we will look and tell you straight.
"Ultimately they identified the actual problem and solved it instead of trying to charge for items not broken." Jesse Davis, Google review
What it looks like when it is time
You can often see the problem yourself if you pull a return grille and look inside. These are the signs we hear about most from people before they call.
- Dust returns within a day or two of dusting
- Dark streaks or grime around the registers and grilles
- A room that gets much less airflow than the others
- A musty smell when the system starts
- A dryer that takes more than one cycle, or runs hot
- Lint around the outside dryer vent hood
Book a duct or dryer vent cleaning
Call and tell us what you are seeing. We will get a visit on the schedule and look at the system with you.