Air Duct Cleaning - Homeowners Frequently Asked Questions About Duct Cleaning

While many homeowners are beginning to realize the importance of routine duct cleaning, you may still have questions about the process. That's why we've compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions about who should clean your ducts, why it's necessary, and how it's done.

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"Why do my air ducts need to be cleaned?"

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Over the years, dust, allergens, dirt, and other debris can accumulate in your ducts. In fact, it can build up in layers as much as three inches deep! This filth can trap bacteria and foster mold growth, creating potential health threats for your family. And, to make matters worse, every time your HVAC system turns on, some of these contaminants are circulated throughout your house. Having your air ducts cleaned removes this accumulation of pollutants and greatly improves the air quality of your home. For safe, breathable air, you should have your ducts cleaned at least every four years.

"How exactly is my ductwork cleaned?"

Using specialized tools and a negative airflow system (essentially a huge vacuum), air duct cleaners scrape the dust, dirt, and debris from your ducts. The tools agitate the particles away from the sides of the ducts and the vacuum keeps them from escaping into your house. The cleaning should also include air washing furnace and air conditioner components, vacuuming registers, and applying mold inhibiting agents if necessary.

"Who should clean my ducts?"

Only trust a professional duct cleaning service. These experts have the knowledge and specialized equipment to effectively remove all of the dust and debris from your ductwork without damaging it or dispersing the pollutants throughout your house. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends using only National Air Duct Cleaning Association (NADCA) certified specialists. NACDA certified professionals are trained, skilled experts with a thorough knowledge of industry standards, proper ductwork cleaning procedures, and environmental concerns.

"Will duct cleaning damage my furnace or air conditioner?"

No: duct cleaners use specialized tools and techniques to remove accumulated dust without harming any component of your HVAC system. In fact, your furnace and air conditioner will actually work better after a cleaning: airflow will be improved, so your heating and cooling system can run more efficiently.

"My home is new, so I don't need a duct cleaning, right?"

Wrong! Construction is a messy process, and frequently debris and drywall dust get into your ductwork. This blocks airflow, traps even more dust, and can contribute to mold growth. A thorough cleaning will remove any obstructions, as well as the accumulated dust, to get your ducts into great shape!

"Will my house be less dusty after my ductwork cleaning?"

You bet! Because your heating and cooling system circulates dust from your ductwork throughout your home, eliminating that dust means your whole house will be cleaner.

"Since my new furnace clean, I don't need a duct cleaning, right?"

Wrong. Even though your new furnace is clean, there is still dust in your ducts. And, because the fan on your new furnace is probably more powerful than the old one, all that dust and dirt is going to be blown straight into your rooms! Most HVAC cleaning specialists recommend a complete ductwork cleaning in tandem with any new furnace or air conditioner installation.

"Will duct cleaning help my allergies?"

Most likely. The accumulation inside your ducts includes pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and other allergens as well as dirt. Removing this debris should greatly decrease the concentration of allergens in the air and reduce your allergy symptoms.

If you have any additional questions about ductwork cleaning or need to schedule a cleaning for your ductwork, contact your local air duct cleaning service. They'll be able to provide additional information and superior cleaning!

Air Duct Cleaning - Homeowners Frequently Asked Questions About Duct Cleaning

Dryer Duct Cleaning

Spring Home Maintenance

Sacramento Spring Home Maintenance

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A Spring Check-up for the House

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With Spring around the corner it is a good time to think about giving your Sacramento house a thorough check-up. A regular Spring maintenance plan will go far in helping you identify problems early on and mitigate costly damage and repairs. And by keeping your Sacramento house in good repair and good order you will enhance your everyday living.

Inspect and repair exteriors suffering the effects of winter weather. Start a thorough Spring cleaning room by room and check all house systems. Think through each area of your property to make a comprehensive checklist of basic tasks, such as the following:

Home Exterior Spring Check List

Inspect the roof for leaks and damaged tiles or shingles Check siding for loose pieces and check trim for cracked paint Clean gutters, repair holes and weak joints, and replace damaged sections Replace exterior caulking that is peeling

Inspect the foundation for cracks or other signs of weakening. Repair cracked or uneven driveways, stairs, and sidewalks to prevent injuries

Remove and store storm windows and doors Wash windows and repair any damaged frames; clean and reinstall screens Clean up yard debris such as dead foliage and weeds; begin spring landscaping projects Clean and repair outdoor patio furniture Check sprinkler system for leaky or loose valves Inspect decks, patios, porches, stairs, and railings for loose pieces and deterioration

Home Interior Spring Check List

Service the water heater pump and motor Clean the air conditioning unit and replace the belt when necessary; follow the manufacturer's recommendations for professional maintenance Replace the furnace filter Make sure the electrical system is adequate to support any new appliances, technology, or increased wattage use; upgrade as necessary Clear slow-moving drains and ensure that plumbing shutoff valves function properly Clean the kitchen exhaust hood and air filter Clean the clothes dryer exhaust duct and damper Ensure that fire extinguishers are operable and accessible Clean smoke alarm covers and install new batteries Replace older light bulbs with energy-efficient models Sort through closets and other storage and pull out things that are no longer used, then make a plan to donate or sell them

With an established Spring Home Maintenance routine you will also become better acquainted with the nuances of your home systems and better equipped to deal with problems when they do arise. It is a good idea to supplement your Spring Home Maintenance efforts by making a professional home inspection part of the routine. While most homebuyers have an inspection as part of their due diligence when considering a new home, most homeowners don't think to schedule an inspection once they are living in the house. Yet, a professional home inspector can help you identify problems in your home before they become huge strains on your lifestyle and your wallet. Once you have gone through your spring home maintenance check list to note things that concern you, an inspector can give you insight into necessary repairs and upgrades.

Spring Home Maintenance

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Home Organization Tips to Help You Get a Handle on Laundry

How can a few home organization tips make your laundry life easier? Clothes are wonderful. Shopping is fun. Wearing the right clothes can make you feel great. Seeing your kids in the cute little outfits you buy for them is priceless. Dirty laundry, however, is none of these things. Those wonderful clothes can quickly turn into a big pile of dirty laundry. Towels, washcloths, and bed linens add to the never ending mound. Laundry will always be something that has to be dealt with. Actually we should be thankful for the laundry because it means we had something to wear today! There are ways to help make the task a little easier though.

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One thing that will help is always putting the laundry where it needs to go as soon as it is taken off or used. If you wear a blouse for a couple of hours and just throw it over a chair or exercise machine intending to hang it up later, what happens? It becomes wrinkled, and you either have to iron it or wash it again. Do your kids leave piles of laundry in their rooms? Do towels and washcloths get piled into a corner of the bathroom? Get everyone on board and have everybody put their clothes and linens in the proper places the first time. There is no need to handle each piece of laundry several times. Use it, put it in the laundry basket and wash it.

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Now, where do they need to go? How precise you can organize your laundry may depend on the size of your laundry room. You can also create space for a hamper in the corner of your child's room, closet or bathroom. There are many cute hampers for nurseries and kids' rooms. For your laundry room, you can buy inexpensive flexible hampers or hampers that already come with several separate laundry bags. Some of these are even on wheels. That can come in handy.

Try these home organization tips for separating your laundry. Separate your laundry into as many different hampers as you can. Ideally, for every load you wash, have a separate hamper for it. For a small area, it may be something like this: bath linens, dress or office clothes, outside work or play clothes and whites (t-shirts, underclothes, and socks). If you have more space, the ideal solution would be this: whites, everyday office or school clothes (one dark, one light), dark bath linens, light bath linens (if you have both), outside work clothes or play clothes that are heavily soiled, and delicates. If you have a baby or toddler, they create enough dirty clothes for their own hamper too. It may seem like a lot of different piles, but it is so much easier to just pick a hamper and wash the contents without having to sort anything. You can even place index cards on the hampers to make it easier for family members. Once this system is in place, it will make doing the laundry faster and easier.

If possible, take clothes out as soon as the dryer stops to prevent wrinkles. If your dryer has one, use the refresh button to spin them every so often until you can get to them. If you are able, hanging clothes outside can reduce wrinkles and save electricity. Leave hangers in your laundry room so that they are easily accessible. These steps may save a lot of ironing time.

Laundry is a fact of life, but it doesn't have to be a headache. Once you take the initial steps to get it organized, it isn't hard to keep it that way. You just have to make sure that every family member knows the new system. Once they do, I'm sure you will see a difference.

Home Organization Tips to Help You Get a Handle on Laundry

Dryer Duct Cleaning

Dryer Vent Cleaning

Most people do not think of dryer vent cleaning as a serious matter. Yet, as many as 15,000 fires start every year as a result of dryer lint build up. Furthermore, dryers with clogged vents waste costly energy and take longer to dry your clothes. Fortunately, keeping your dryer vent clean is easy and inexpensive.

dryer duct cleaning tools

Cleaning your dryer's lint trap after every laundry load will reduce the risk of fire by as much as 90 percent. But dangerous and costly clogs can develop in the flexible duct between the dryer and wall, or in the duct inside the wall. In fact, clogs in these areas may actually reduce the amount of lint you find in the trap. Other signs of clogged ducts include hot laundry loads that remain wet, increased time needed to dry clothes, and increased external dryer temperature.

Dryer Duct Cleaning

To avoid hazardous and inefficient build up, it is recommended that you clean your dryer's ducts once a year or whenever you suspect a problem. Done properly, it is not a difficult procedure. It requires unplugging the dryer, disconnecting the exhaust tube from both the unit and the wall and cleaning out both the tube and the in-wall duct with a vacuum and a dryer brush.

If you are not handy with appliances, or are worried about properly disconnecting and reconnecting the dryer equipment, you can hire a professional service to clean your dryer vent ducts for you. Shop around and get several estimates, as the price for duct cleaning can range from to more than 0, depending on what services are offered.

If you decide to clean the ducts yourself, be sure to use the correct tools. A strong vacuum cleaner such as a shop-vac will do much of the work, but you will also need to use a specialized dryer brush or auger with a flexible pole that can reach around corners within the wall. You will also likely need some attachments for your vacuum and power drill.

There are also several dryer cleaning kits on the market for today's DIY homeowner. The kits include all the items you need for the job plus a few helpful vacuum adapters and power drill attachments. These kits are generally priced around to .

Dryer vent cleaning is not complicated, but it can save you money in energy costs, and possibly save your life by preventing a laundry room fire. Whether you do it yourself, buy a kit, or hire a professional, it is important to keep your dryer vent clean.

Dryer Vent Cleaning

Dryer Duct Cleaning

Clothes Dryer Repair and Cleaning

You can do two other things with a clothes dryer apart from drying clothes: cleaning and repairing the machine if it breaks down. A clothes dryer is a home appliance, and like your typical home appliance, it needs regular cleaning and maintenance if you want it to do a good job. Clothes dryers are sturdy machines, but that's not saying they don't choke and break down sometimes, because they do. Put your helmet on because it's time to do a little cleaning and repairing.

dryer duct cleaning equipment

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), clothes dryers are responsible for around 15,500 fires annually.

Dryer Duct Cleaning

It is obvious then that you should take good care of your clothes dryer. Continuous use of this appliance allows lint to build up in the machine and along the walls of the hose, where the water drains out. Not cleaning the machine and allowing lint to accumulate over long periods of time, according to the CPSC, cause the clothes dryer to overheat, increasing the chances of starting a fire.

Clean the clothes dryer regularly and make sure to remove all traces of lint stuck in the lint filter. Also, improper venting can cause damage to the machine. A clogged clothes dryer shows the following symptoms: long drying times, noisy operation, clothes that are still damp and hot even after drying, and non-functioning automatic sensors.

Most problems with clothes dryers are related to the heat source or the motor that tumbles the clothes. One way or the other, it isn't a very good idea to just open up the machine and start poking the parts every which way-you need a professional repair man to do this. These guys will troubleshoot and repair the problem for a small price, free if covered by the warranty. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Clothes Dryer Repair and Cleaning

Dryer Duct Cleaning

Cleaning Dryer Vents - Tips To Prevent A House Fire!

Make It A Ritual!

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If part of your household maintenance plan does not include cleaning dryer vents then it should. Every year there are over 15,000 home fires caused by dryer fires with over 300 injuries and leading to 30 deaths. Not cleaning dryer vents also causes 90 million dollars in damages in the United States alone. Based on these statistics, it is important for every homeowner to be aware of the recommendations and procedures for cleaning dryer vents that will keep them safe and comfortable in their home for years to come. Take a look at these important questions about cleaning dryer vents and facts to consider when you are deciding how to do it, when to do it, and who should do it.

Dryer Duct Cleaning

What Are Clues Your Dryer Vent Needs Cleaning?

If your dryer is taking longer to dry a load than it used to, then the vents may need cleaning. As a general rule, dryer vents should be cleaned every six months. A simple reminder is to start cleaning dryer vents the same day you change your clocks for daylight savings.

What Is The Purpose Of Cleaning Dryer Vents?

As your clothes dry, they produce lint, and the lint trap doesn't catch all of the lint that goes through your dryer. By cleaning dryer vents that are outside of the lint trap, you are removing this excess lint.

Where Are The Dryer Vents?

When cleaning dryer vents, you need to make sure you clean the vent located at the rear of your dryer, as well as the route of the piping to the outside of your home.

Should I Clean My Vents On My Own?

You can easily hire someone, or if you are comfortable and willing to purchase the proper tools, you can easily clean the dryer vents yourself. You can find tools at hardware and home improvement stores, or online made specifically for cleaning dryer vents. When cleaning dryer vents, you will need a circular or horizontal brush that is on the end of a plastic/metal pole or durable line. Ask a professional to help you find the best tool to match your dryer's needs and shape.

Take this simple step towards fire prevention in your home that will go a long way toward keeping your family safe.

Cleaning Dryer Vents - Tips To Prevent A House Fire!

Dryer Duct Cleaning

Dyer Vent Cleaning - Prevent a Fire by Cleaning Your Dryer Vent

Did you know--- Only 60% of the lint is captured in the lint trap of residential and commercial clothes dryers. The other 40% is vented outside. Over time, the damp lint accumulates to the inside of the duct. The result is like a clogged pipe that becomes more restricted over time which can cause a fire hazard! According to the National Fire Protection Association, 16,000 fires start in the laundry room each year.

dryer duct cleaning equipment

Also, the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates more than 84.4 million in property damage annually. This is a reality that needs to be taken seriously. The State Fire Marshal recommends that your dryer vent be cleaned or inspected once a year to ensure your safety.

Dryer Duct Cleaning

Here are some signs your dryer vent might need cleaning:

If it takes longer than one cycle for your clothes to dry, or the clothes are very hot after drying, this is a good sign your vent needs cleaning. If the clothes have a musty smell after drying. If your dryer shuts off or stops during a cycle, the element may be getting too hot from the duct restriction. If there is a great deal of lint escaping from the back of the dryer. If the outside vent has lint covering the outside of the vent cover.
Here are the benefits of a clean dryer vent:

Reduce laundry drying times Avoid dryer element replacement costs Improve the quality of dried clothes Save money on utility bills Prevent a dryer fire! So, how do you go about cleaning your dryer vent. Here are the steps if you plan to do it yourself.

1. Get the right tools. For this job you will need a shop vac and extension hose of at least 10 to 15 feet, depending on the length of the dryer vent outside to your dryer. Next, you will need a flexible cable with a brush on the end (can be found online) to snake through the duct, and finally, a dust mask and gloves to protect yourself from the airborne lint.

2. Disconnect your dryer from the flexible duct and clean the back of the dryer and any lint that has accumulated under the dryer. Check the flexible duct and replace it with a new one if it is damaged or has holes. The first part of the process will involve running the flexible cable and vacuum from the inside of the house by your dryer. The second part of the process involves the same thing only from the outside by your dryer vent that goes to the outside.

3. Run the flexible snake with brush through the dryer vent duct as far as you can go, be careful not to push past any turns or angles that might cause the cable to get stuck in the ductwork, otherwise you will have a difficult time getting it out. Vacuum out the loose lint with the shop vac and hose. Run the hose as far into the duct as you can go.

4. Locate where your dryer vents to the outside of the house. Remove any dryer vent hardware to access the duct.

5. Repeat the process from the outside, running your flexible cable into the duct (toward the dryer) and vacuum out the loose lint. Follow this by hooking the dryer back up to the flexible duct inside the house and turn the dryer on, any remaining lint will blow out of the duct. Finally, replace any hardware on the outside of the house.

You may be surprised by the amount of lint you vacuum out. In some cases you might remove several POUNDS of lint. In any case, you will save yourself the chance of a fire disaster, and keep your dryer running smooth for years to come.

Dyer Vent Cleaning - Prevent a Fire by Cleaning Your Dryer Vent

Dryer Duct Cleaning