HVAC cleaning technologies have been evolving continuously. In 2023, you have a plethora of sophisticated mechanisms to keep your system in good health. Whether you have an HVAC system at home or a complex commercial installation, you cannot afford to ignore routine cleaning.
Overlooking professional cleaning services can lead to recontamination of your system, besides messing up with the efficiency. After all, it makes sense to invest a few hundred dollars for the sake of breathing air that’s fresh and healthy. This applies to both domestic and commercial ventilation requirements.
Partnering with established companies such as Clover Services ensures timely and cost-effective HVAC cleaning. These firms also deploy the latest cleaning technologies.
What Does Air Duct Cleaning Include?
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The two broad categories of technologies used for cleaning HVAC air ducts include filtration-oriented cleaning and non-filtration-oriented cleaning. When you hire a professional, they would recommend getting the entire ventilation system cleaned. These include:
- Coils
- Air ducts
- Registers
- Grills
- Heat exchanger
- Blower assembly and motor
- Air cleaner
- Air filter
Cleaning your air ducts primarily involves two processes. The first one is breaking the contaminants loose at the outset and the second one involves collecting the same for removal.
1. Loosening up the contaminants:
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Firstly, you need to loosen up the sources of contamination by breaking them up. Experts use different agitation devices to loosen the contaminants. By doing this, the surface of your air conditioning or heating system would get rid of the loose particles.
Air whips, brushes, and compressed air nozzles often prove handy in such tasks. Contact vacuuming or airbrushing are some of the other equipment used in this process.
2. Collecting and removing contaminants:
Experts place the HVAC systems under negative vacuum pressure, which prevents the particles from spreading. This facilitates the elimination of fine particles and negates any chances of them becoming airborne.
This would keep your interiors clean. The negative pressure also helps in extracting the loose particles, which the experts eventually remove from your place.
Filtration-Based Cleaning of Air Ducts
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Similar to standalone purifiers, you have different categories of filters incorporated in the systems. Established companies like Clover Services target various contaminants and accordingly use multiple filter types.
Some of these are:
1.Titanium dioxide filtration:
This type of filtration is deployed in tandem with UV rays. This is also known as the photocatalytic filtration system. In this system, water is used to clean the filters in the presence of a titanium catalyst and organic gases.
This helps in the formation of hydroxyl molecules. Eventually, these molecules effectively kill microorganisms and neutralize harmful gases.
2. HEPA filters:
HEPA filters are capable of removing nearly 99.97% of the solid particles, measuring over 0.3 microns in diameter. When it comes to targeting airborne matter, pollen, dust, or other similar particles, these filters are an excellent option. They also remove most mold spores and are justifiably used in a majority of air duct systems.
3. Carbon filtration:
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Although you have a reliable option in HEPA filters, they prove to be inadequate in mitigating the gases present in the air. This explains why professionals recommend carbon filters.
Carbon filters have a porous nature and along with special chemical treatments, they effectively bind or trap harmful gases circulating indoors. HVAC systems in industrial facilities have this kind of filter. This is to protect the building from harmful gases released during the manufacturing processes.
Non-Filtration-Based Cleaning of Air Ducts
When it comes to air duct cleaning, you can always look beyond air filters. Professional service providers deploy different types of cleaning mechanisms depending on the situation at hand.
1.Probiotic sprays:
Probiotic sprays happen to be one of the newest inclusions in air duct cleaning technologies. This mechanism is effective in populating the internal parts of your HVAC system with beneficial bacteria.
The process, although apparently counterintuitive, proves to be extremely effective. These useful microorganisms consume the food sources and spaces inside the system, which would otherwise help the growth of harmful bacteria.
2. UV light:
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UV light is effective in neutralizing viruses in your HVAC systems. It’s a quite powerful solution when used along with titanium dioxide filters, but can also independently remove mold spores or bacteria.
In many hospitals, UV lights are used for enhancing the cleanliness of cleanrooms. Professional service providers transfer the same mechanism to your commercial or domestic facility.
3. Professional cleaning:
Before deploying any of the above-mentioned cleaning techniques, it might be necessary to physically clean the air ducts at your home or commercial space.
The professionals manually clean HVAC systems by using sophisticated equipment. Once the system is free from dust, debris, and contaminants, they proceed with other advanced cleaning techniques. Although professional cleaning might cost you a few hundred dollars, it is worth every penny.
Use of Antimicrobial Chemicals In Cleaning
Reputed service providers often use antimicrobial chemicals while cleaning the HVAC systems. These largely include a wide range of disinfectants, sanitizers, and deodorizers. The experts apply these chemicals to nonporous areas of your system to ward off any chances of microbial contamination. This process also goes a long way in controlling indoor odors.
However, when you seek professional services, make sure that they use chemicals that are registered with the concerned quality assurance bodies in your country. Partnering with a reputed cleaning service provider makes sense, considering their expertise and industry experience.
Endnote
Air duct cleaning is imperative to ensure the purity of air your family or employees would be inhaling. Besides, it enhances aspects like the longevity and aesthetics of your HVAC systems. Collaborating with established companies like Clover Services would be an intelligent move, given their track record and positive customer reviews.