Nearly every home and industrial building has air ducts. We rarely think about them, but the truth is, when left uncleaned, these important ducts could be promoting poor health and respiratory conditions. This is just one reason why air duct cleaning is important.

The Problem

These tubes that carry air around the home, whether for heating or cooling purposes, can build up and pass on dust, bacteria and assorted other allergens. If there is black mold in a home, you can be sure it's being spread by the heating or cooling system. People in homes with too much dust, mold or bacteria, tend to get sick often and may have lowered immune systems, but rarely associate it with the lack of air duct cleaning.

Unfortunately, most people never think about cleaning their air ducts until something goes wrong, a furnace overheats or they actually see insects climbing out the vents. With the proper maintenance, air ducts don't have to get clogged and dust-filled.

Using the Right Equipment

The actual process of air duct cleaning requires the right equipment. It can be a messy procedure, so it's a good idea to have extra drop clothes or plastic on hand to protect carpets and furniture. If possible exhaust the vacuum used outside.

Duct cleaning equipment is varied and you'll need to decide which type of tools will work best for you. Insulation blowing machines are one option and a popular one for dislodging blockages. This can also be useful for getting things moving. Having a good air gun head can be very useful when it comes to getting stubborn pieces of debris out of ducts, as well.

A high powered vacuum is also necessary, to suck out any debris. If the vacuum cannot be exhausted outside, you'll need to invest in a heavy duty filtering vacuum that fits HEPA standards. This will filter any pollutants and debris being vacuumed up and allow clean air to be expelled into the home. It also cuts back drastically on the amount of cleanup in general after the air ducts have been cleaned.

On the lower tech side of things, soft bristled brushes on extendable handles will make it easy to remove stubborn stains and mold from ducts without damaging them. You can even clean fiberglass lined tubes with this type of duct cleaning equipment.

It pays to invest in top quality equipment, since it will serve you for longer. The worst thing that can happen during a job is having your air duct equipment fail, leaving you to do all the cleaning with a brush!

Extra Air Duct Equipment

While these are some of the most important, larger pieces of cleaning equipment, it's a good idea to keep other items on hand to make the cleaning process easier. A few of these include: - Magnetic sheets to cover vents - Fogging machine, along with liquid to remove odors and kill mold - Predator whips, for dislodging insects and stuck on debris through small access holes - Air compressor - Extra tubes, clips and joints

It's a good idea to keep a handful of replacement parts on hand. You'll find that there are plenty of other accessories and additions to make air duct cleaning easier, but investing in these is up to you and your budget. A dryer vent cleaning package is good to have on hand.

For anyone getting into the duct cleaning business, the right air duct cleaning equipment is necessary. Without it, you'll spend far longer than is necessary on each job, losing money and possibly clients. However, with the right stuff, you'll be able to perform your job quickly and easily and gain new clients in the process.