Air Duct Cleaning Service

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a crucially important component to the well being of your family, yet it often gets overlooked. Everything from pollen and pet hair to mold and dust mites can collect throughout your home and enter the air that your family breathes. While it’s easy enough to wipe down surfaces every week or so, there are some areas of our homes that don’t get cleaned as frequently—like air ducts.

Can dirty air ducts make you sick?

Your air duct system is responsible for distributing heated or cooled air to different rooms in your home. Poorly-maintained, leaky air ducts can pull in potentially hazardous particles from external sources and allow them to contaminate the air you breathe. But leaky air ducts aren't the only culprits when it comes to poor indoor air quality. Moldy crawl spaces or basements, leaky air handler cabinets, back drafting and poorly installed filters and filter housings can cause bad IAQ.

A poor duct system can also reduce moisture control, making your home more susceptible to mold growth. Oversized or leaky air ducts will pull extra air from damp environments, causing mold to potentially grow and enter the air that you breathe every day. A properly installed and well-maintained air system will help keep these issues at bay.

Read more: Will Air Duct Cleaning Help With My Allergies?

What is air duct cleaning?

Since allergens can accumulate in your ductwork over time, the EPA recommends homeowners have their air ducts professionally cleaned every 5 years. Professional air duct cleaning ensures that harmful allergens and pollutants are removed from inaccessible areas of your home’s duct system. 

How do I know if my air ducts need to be cleaned?

If you’re wondering whether or not your air ducts are in need of a cleaning, ask yourself:

  • Have you had your air ducts cleaned in the last 5 years? 
  • Does your house constantly collect dust? 
  • Are your allergy symptoms triggered when you turn on your heating or air conditioning?

Other signs of dirty air ducts include:

  • Air filters that need to be replaced frequently
  • Unexplained spikes in energy bills
  • Rodent or insect activity in your home
  • Dust and debris around vents 
  • Visible mold growth
  • Inconsistent airflow
  • Noisy ductwork when HVAC is running 

How do professionals clean air ducts?

CroppMetcalfe is a certified member of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA). Our 5-Star Technicians adhere to the highest standards in the air duct cleaning industry for both residential and commercial air duct cleaning jobs. 

The process we use is as follows:

First, we attach our specially-designed vacuum to the supply side of your air duct system at the furnace and/or air handler. We then seal each register in your home before activating the vacuum to create an even more powerful suction once activated. 

Next, we go to the furthest register from the furnace and/or air handler, remove the seal from that register and blow high-pressure compressed air into the register. 

We then remove the register and insert a “skipper” into the duct work. The skipper is a high-pressure air hose with a ball at the end of it. This ball is covered with small air vents that shoot out compressed air in every direction. This ball then sweeps the duct and knocks any remaining debris loose from the walls of the duct work. This procedure is conducted at every register before we activate the vacuum. 

CroppMetcalfe Case Study: Bad Allergies

How do you prepare for air duct cleaning?

Before your technician begins the air duct cleaning service, make sure to check off the items on this checklist:

  • Clear a path to each register/air vent
  • Do a walkthrough with the technician and notify them of any problem areas

That’s it! We take measures to ensure your furniture is protected  and remains clean throughout the process. Depending on the size of your home, it may take a few hours to complete service. Plan to wait somewhere out of the path of the technician, or make arrangements to be out of the home during the bulk of the service. 

Improve Your Home’s IAQ with CroppMetcalfe

Your family’s wellbeing is our top priority. The CroppMetcalfe process ensures that homeowners get the most out of their air duct cleaning investment. Call us or contact us online today to schedule an appointment. 

CroppMetcalfe offers air duct cleaning services across Washington DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia–including:

  • Alexandria, VA
  • Beltsville, MD
  • Fairfax, VA
  • Rockville, MD
  • Warrenton, VA
  • Washington, DC

… and more!