Is duct cleaning really beneficial???? That’s what Don and Mary M. of Dousman were wondering after Todd, one of our service experts, recommended a ToraVac source removal duct cleaning for the system in their 1,500-square-foot home.
Todd recommended the service to the couple after noticing several warning signs while on a routine furnace inspection.
For example, he noticed the blower wheel, which is located in the bottom of the furnace and is responsible for moving the heated or cooled air throughout the home, in Don and Mary’s furnace had a heavy build-up of dust and debris on it.
When this happens the blower wheel is weighed down, causing it to spin slower and causes additional wear and tear. Todd also noticed the same dust build-up on the air conditioner evaporator coil, which sits right on top of the furnace.
Many homeowners are unaware that the furnace pushes air through the air conditioner evaporator coil during the heating process, meaning the A/C coil is always being used—even if the A/C system is turned off.
Surprisingly, as little as 1/16 of an inch of dust built up on the A/C coil can affect the furnace’s efficiency by as much as 40%. The simple solution is just to clean the blower wheel and the coil. However, a plugged coil and dirty blower wheel is really just a symptom to a larger problem. That larger problem is in the duct system itself.
The duct system acts as the lungs of the home. If we clean the blower and coil today and the lungs are still dirty, it will only be a matter of time before the blower and coil are dirty again.
Some clients feel that the cleanliness of the duct system is related to how clean their home is, but this isn’t the case. Don and Mary take impeccable care of their home. In fact, I doubt you could find a speck of dust on any surface inside that home. But keep in mind the duct system has flat surfaces just like the rest of the house, and it had not been cleaned in more than 15 years. Imagine if you never cleaned, swept, or dusted the living room in your home for 15 or more years? It would be pretty dusty.
After showing Don and Mary with our inspection camera the condition of the duct system, blower wheel, and coil, the couple decided to go ahead with the duct cleaning.
A few days after the initial inspection, one of our team members arrived to perform a ToraVac source removal and duct cleaning in the home. After about six hours of treatment the duct system was as clean as a whistle.
Ask yourself…are the “lungs” of your home polluted with several years of collected dust? Call Austin Plumbing Heating & Air today to find out more or to schedule your duct cleaning.
