Before You Close Up for Winter, Clean the Air Ducts
The patio furniture is covered. The garden tools are put away. The hoses are disconnected, and the outdoor faucets are ready for cold weather. As you finish those jobs, put air-duct cleaning on the list, too.
Getting the house ready for winter should include the system that moves air through it. Dust, pet hair, dander and leftover renovation debris can remain inside ductwork even when the rooms look spotless. Duct Doctor of Southern New Jersey removes that buildup so it does not stay in the system for another season indoors.
As you work through your fall jobs, get your duct-cleaning appointment on the calendar. Duct Doctor takes care of the buildup that ordinary housecleaning cannot reach, with the work and price confirmed before the appointment. You can head into the colder months with another important part of the house taken care of.
Why put duct cleaning on the winter-prep list?
As windows stay closed for longer stretches, your home's heating and air-distribution system becomes a bigger part of daily life. Material that has accumulated inside the ducts remains there until it is removed.
Ordinary forced-air heating largely recirculates indoor air. The EPA's explanation of home ventilation notes that most residential heating and cooling systems do not mechanically bring fresh air into the house. Dust and other loose material in the air paths can be picked up by that moving air.
Give those hidden air paths the same attention as the rest of the house. You would not knowingly leave a pile of old renovation dust behind a sofa through the winter. Duct Doctor brings the equipment and experience to reach that buildup and remove it from your home.
Winter preparation should include getting accumulated debris out of the air paths your home will use all season.
What can be left inside otherwise well-kept homes?
Routine housecleaning reaches the floors, furniture and visible surfaces. Inside the ducts, there may still be years of household dust, fabric fibers, pet material or debris from work done before you owned the house.
Floor-level returns are particularly easy places for sweeping, foot traffic and pets to introduce material. In older and retrofitted homes, I also pay attention to the ductwork that has stayed in place through equipment changes and renovations. A newer heating or cooling unit does not tell you when the connected ducts were last cleaned.
When you call, tell us about substantial buildup you have noticed, pets in the home, previous occupants, remodeling or a cleaning history you cannot establish. Those details help us understand the job and plan the work. If dusty renovation work is still underway, arrange the duct cleaning for after that work and the general construction cleanup are finished.
How does Duct Doctor get the buildup out?
With Duct Doctor's residential air-duct cleaning service, your confirmed price includes all accessible supply and return ductwork connected to the systems in your scope.
We establish access, protect the work areas and connect the collection equipment. Powerful vacuum collection keeps loosened material moving toward the equipment while we use compressed-air tools and specialized agitation equipment selected for the actual ductwork.
The material is loosened, collected and removed. That is the source-removal approach described in NADCA's guidance on proper cleaning methods, which also explains why cleaning needs to address the system as a whole.
Our cleaning process includes closing and sealing the service openings we create and cleaning up the immediate work areas. If access reveals a damaged connection or another ductwork problem, we can discuss the appropriate repair or replacement and coordinate that work with the cleaning.
Make room for the work before winter storage takes over
Before the patio cushions, holiday bins and garden supplies fill the basement or garage, leave room to reach the equipment and ductwork. Keep return grilles clear, too.
When we arrange your appointment, tell us where the equipment is located and about any tight stairs, attic access or crowded work areas. We will discuss the access the crew needs and the expected service window. That little bit of planning makes it easier to fit the cleaning around the rest of your fall projects.
Finish the fall jobs with the ducts taken care of
Covering the furniture and putting away the garden tools protects the things you will use again next spring. Duct cleaning takes care of something you will be using throughout the winter.
Duct Doctor of Southern New Jersey is a locally owned NADCA member company based in Cherry Hill, serving homeowners throughout South Jersey. Our experienced technicians use professional source-removal equipment selected for your duct system to get the accumulated material out of your home.
Call (856) 375-1776 or contact Duct Doctor to get your air-duct cleaning on the calendar. We will discuss your home and its systems, confirm your price and arrange the appointment. Put Duct Doctor to work on the buildup and check the ducts off your fall to-do list.
About the Author
Anthony J. Micale III owns and operates Duct Doctor of Southern New Jersey. He holds Air Systems Cleaning Specialist (ASCS) and Ventilation System Mold Remediator (VSMR) credentials through NADCA and has personally inspected and cleaned thousands of residential and commercial HVAC systems. His articles draw on that field experience to explain source-removal duct cleaning, dryer-vent service and HVAC-system hygiene. Duct Doctor is a locally owned, fully insured and bonded NADCA member company based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.