Five Star Cleaning Tips From An Old Hand

You may pay a great deal of attention to cleaning your work environment carefully, but when was the last time you thought about HVAC duct cleaning? It might be time for you to bring in a contractor to do this. What do you need to know about duct cleaning?

The Benefits Of Duct Cleaning

Regular duct cleaning may help improve indoor air quality and performance of the system. It could result in energy savings and may help promote better health among workers. This is especially true should any contaminants be suspected or confirmed within the ducts.

How Do You Know If Any Contaminants Are Present?

There are a number of ways to determine if there are any existing contaminants, including those that have built up over time within your system. For example, do you observe any unusual or unpleasant odours emanating from the ductwork? If you remove a few ventilation grills, can you observe any mould, mildew or other microbial growth on the walls of the system? Also, if you have any water leakage that may have caused damage in or around the ducts, this could cause contamination.

What Should Be Done During Duct Cleaning?

Once you have determined that duct cleaning is necessary, always hire a cleaning contractor with experience in this area. In order to prepare for the procedure, note that the cleaning job should only be performed when the building is not occupied. Also, ensure that the cleaning company places a filter over the "supply and return" grilles of the HVAC system. This is to ensure that any dust, debris or contamination is captured by the filter and is not drawn back into the system once it is switched back on after cleaning.

It is not necessary nor recommended to use biocides when cleaning ductwork. Indeed, such chemicals could cause nose, eye or skin irritation. Finally, ensure that proper ventilation equipment is temporarily installed during the cleaning, to remove any contaminated air to the outside of the building.

What You Should Do After Duct Cleaning

You should take additional steps to ensure that your ducts do not become contaminated in the future where at all possible. HVAC systems should have routine preventive maintenance at manufacturer recommended intervals. In particular, ensure that filters are changed and coils are cleaned. You may also wish to inspect the ductwork at this time, to determine if cleaning is necessary.

If there is any building renovation work in the future, ensure that the ductwork is sealed so that debris and construction dust does not enter. Additionally, consider where the air intakes are currently located. If they are anywhere near potential contamination sources, you should relocate them elsewhere.

For more information, contact a company like Southern Cross Cleaning (SA) Pty Ltd.