The Air Duct Cleaning Process

The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) recognizes the “Source Removal” method as the only acceptable way to properly clean and decontaminate air duct systems. Although duct cleaning is a fairly routine process, it does involve knowledge of the duct system and it’s various components.

Conventional air duct systems consist of a supply and a return. The supply ducts of an HVAC system supplies heated or cooled air form the air handler to a main “trunk” line. The main trunk line carries the air to smaller “branch” lines which then distributes the air to various locations throughout the home.

Although air duct systems may vary throughout the country, 604-CLEANER employs work as follows:

1. Turn the system on to make sure it is operating properly. Once it is determined that everything is operating fine, the system is turned off.
2. The furnace filter is removed, wrapped in plastic, and reinstalled to separate the supply and return sides of the system.
3. An 8″ and 12″ access hole is then cut into the main trunk line near the plenum. A zone bag is then inflated in the duct between the access hole and the plenum. This helps insure a strong vacuum and a good negative pressure on the system.
4. A duct mounting flange is installed over the access hole and attached to the flex duct with a quick connect clamp. The other end of the flex duct will be attached to the cleaner. The machine is turned on.
5. Now that the system is running and under negative pressure, we will go to each register and seal them off with plastic sheets of foam blocks. This will increase air velocity.
6. Starting form the furthest register, each branch line will be cleaned by using nylon duct brushes, cable driven brushes, or forward air blast assemblies to loosen debris to the main trunk line.
7. Once the supply side has been thoroughly cleaned, steps 3 through 6 will be repeated on the return side.
8. Now that the duct system has been cleaned, the A-coils and the blower may be cleaned.
9. After the system has been cleaned an EPA registered air duct sanitizer may be applied. While the system is still under negative pressure, the sanitizer is sprayed into each register with an Ultra Low Volumn (ULV) Fogger.
10. Once the system has been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, all access holes are resealed with metal patches, and reinstall all registers.