Affordable Heating and Air

License #792174	FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions About Air Duct Cleaning: What could possibly be in my air ducts? How do I know if my system needs to be cleaned? I vacuum down each register, isn't that enough? How is my system cleaned? How long should it take to clean a typical residential system? What's the benefits of air duct cleaning? How do I choose an air duct cleaner? What could possibly be in my air ducts? *What could be in your air ducts are the same things that are in your vacuum cleaner bag?* Picture a full vacuum cleaner bag. The bag may contain any or all of the following debris: carpet fibers, skin scale & hair, dust mites & their feces, mold & mildew, new construction debris, insect & rodent excrement, bacteria & viruses, pet hair & dander. Now picture 2-4 grocery bags full of this same material. This is an accurate picture of how much debris Affordable Heating vacuums out of an average sized home's air duct system. Back to Top *How do I know if my system needs to be cleaned?* Smoker in the house? Have pets? Have "dust trails" or discoloring coming out of your registers? Constantly dusting furniture? Does anyone in your family suffer from allergies, asthma, headaches, sinus or nasal congestion? Do you have young or elderly family members that tend to be more susceptible to respiratory illness? Have a furnace that uses a standard disposable filter? Does it seem like there is not enough airflow coming from your registers? Has it been two years or longer since your system has been cleaned? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it may be time for you to consider having your air duct system professionally cleaned. Even if you are the best housekeeper in the world, what about the person that lived there before you? New home? In almost every case, pieces of sheetrock and sheetrock dust, dirt, nails, and other debris fall into your registers during the construction of your home. Back to Top I vacuum down each register, isn't that enough? What you see down each of your registers is just a small portion of what lurks in the main trunk line of your ductwork. Your ductwork consists of register boots and laterals that all tie into a main trunk line. The next question, "How is My System Cleaned?", gives you a complete description of the cleaning process. Be aware of companies that only vacuum down each register using a portable vacuum system & do not even touch your main trunk line or clean the furnace itself. That's like vacuuming half of a room. Then there are the deals that seem to good to be true. They are. One company that advertises heavily in the San Jose Mercury News has a number of violations against them with the California State Contractors Licensing Board (cslb.ca.gov). Back to Top How is my system cleaned? The most effective way to clean air ducts is to use "source removal" techniques. This process is the highest standard in the industry and is the only method endorsed by the National Air Duct Cleaners Association, NADCA. Using our Pringle Power Vac truck-mounted vacuum, your system is placed under negative pressure. While the vacuum draws air through the system, various tools are inserted into the return and supply register boots to dislodge contaminants and debris. The powerful vacuum pulls the contaminants out of the air ducts, removing them from the system and your home with no mess left behind. The technicians will also hand wash each of your registers. The final steps are to clean the plenum, furnace, heat exchanger, blower housing, motor & wheel. Back to Top How long should it take to clean a typical residential system? Of course the cleaning time varies depending on the size of your house, but Affordable Heating sends out two technicians on each cleaning so you're not chained to the house all day. Smaller houses can be done in a couple of hours. If you have a larger house it could take 4-5 hours. The procedure is very thorough but our technicians work well as a team and will be as efficient as possible with your time. Back to Top What are the benefits of air duct cleaning? Clean systems are less likely to breakdown. An awful lot of furnace failures are caused by dirt and dust. Savings on monthly heating/cooling bills. Research by the U.S. EPA shows that buildup of .042 inches of dirt on a heating or cooling coil can result in a decrease in efficiency by 21%. Clean systems restore capacity and lessen running time. Dust on furniture is reduced. Dust is made up of dirt, pollen, fibers, mold spores, hair and other allergy causing particulates. About 95% of these particulates will pass through your filter and back into your home. Cleaning your ducts and installing a high efficiency filter in your return air line cuts that percentage dramatically. Maximum airflow possible from your registers. The dust that stays in your system will accumulate on the fan blades of the blower motor, the grills, or the inside of your ductwork. This buildup in your air ducts can reduce the flow of air significantly. Allergy sufferers may find relief. Now acknowledged as a major allergy and disease-causing problem by leading medical authorities, poor indoor air quality has prompted doctors and allergists to commonly prescribe furnace and air duct cleaning as one of the ways to reduce allergy problems. To ensure good indoor air quality in your environment. The EPA states that indoor air is up to 70 times more polluted than outdoor air, now consider that according to the American Lung Association most people spend 90% of their time indoors. Back to Top How do I choose an air duct cleaner? 1. Make sure the company uses "source removal" cleaning methods designed to extract the debris within your ductwork. 2. See if the company has been in business long enough to have adequate experience. 3. Inquire whether the company is in good standing with your local Better Business Bureau. Affordable Heating is proud to be a member of the Better Business Bureau. 4. Make sure the company is properly licensed and insured. 5. An EPA report says to watch out for the so-called $99 (or less) whole house specials" and other sales gimmicks. An inadequate job can cause more problems than it solves. Make sure you have the scope of work and the total cost before work begins. Beware of add on sales. Wise consumers will know what they are getting for their money.

License #792174

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions About Air Duct Cleaning:

What could possibly be in my air ducts?
How do I know if my system needs to be cleaned?
I vacuum down each register, isn't that enough?
How is my system cleaned?
How long should it take to clean a typical residential system?
What's the benefits of air duct cleaning?
How do I choose an air duct cleaner?
What could possibly be in my air ducts?

What could be in your air ducts are the same things that are in your vacuum cleaner bag?

Picture a full vacuum cleaner bag. The bag may contain any or all of the following debris: carpet fibers, skin scale & hair, dust mites & their feces, mold & mildew, new construction debris, insect & rodent excrement, bacteria & viruses, pet hair & dander.

Now picture 2-4 grocery bags full of this same material. This is an accurate picture of how much debris Affordable Heating vacuums out of an average sized home's air duct system.

Back to Top

How do I know if my system needs to be cleaned?

Smoker in the house?
Have pets?
Have "dust trails" or discoloring coming out of your registers?
Constantly dusting furniture?
Does anyone in your family suffer from allergies, asthma, headaches, sinus or nasal congestion?
Do you have young or elderly family members that tend to be more susceptible to respiratory illness?
Have a furnace that uses a standard disposable filter?
Does it seem like there is not enough airflow coming from your registers?
Has it been two years or longer since your system has been cleaned?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it may be time for you to consider having your air duct system professionally cleaned.

Even if you are the best housekeeper in the world, what about the person that lived there before you? New home? In almost every case, pieces of sheetrock and sheetrock dust, dirt, nails, and other debris fall into your registers during the construction of your home.

Back to Top

I vacuum down each register, isn't that enough?

What you see down each of your registers is just a small portion of what lurks in the main trunk line of your ductwork. Your ductwork consists of register boots and laterals that all tie into a main trunk line. The next question, "How is My System Cleaned?", gives you a complete description of the cleaning process. Be aware of companies that only vacuum down each register using a portable vacuum system & do not even touch your main trunk line or clean the furnace itself. That's like vacuuming half of a room. Then there are the deals that seem to good to be true. They are. One company that advertises heavily in the San Jose Mercury News has a number of violations against them with the California State Contractors Licensing Board (cslb.ca.gov).

Back to Top

How is my system cleaned?

The most effective way to clean air ducts is to use "source removal" techniques. This process is the highest standard in the industry and is the only method endorsed by the National Air Duct Cleaners Association, NADCA.

Using our Pringle Power Vac truck-mounted vacuum, your system is placed under negative pressure. While the vacuum draws air through the system, various tools are inserted into the return and supply register boots to dislodge contaminants and debris. The powerful vacuum pulls the contaminants out of the air ducts, removing them from the system and your home with no mess left behind. The technicians will also hand wash each of your registers. The final steps are to clean the plenum, furnace, heat exchanger, blower housing, motor & wheel.

Back to Top

How long should it take to clean a typical residential system?

Of course the cleaning time varies depending on the size of your house, but Affordable Heating sends out two technicians on each cleaning so you're not chained to the house all day. Smaller houses can be done in a couple of hours. If you have a larger house it could take 4-5 hours. The procedure is very thorough but our technicians work well as a team and will be as efficient as possible with your time.

Back to Top

What are the benefits of air duct cleaning?

Clean systems are less likely to breakdown. An awful lot of furnace failures are caused by dirt and dust.

Savings on monthly heating/cooling bills. Research by the U.S. EPA shows that buildup of .042 inches of dirt on a heating or cooling coil can result in a decrease in efficiency by 21%. Clean systems restore capacity and lessen running time.

Dust on furniture is reduced. Dust is made up of dirt, pollen, fibers, mold spores, hair and other allergy causing particulates. About 95% of these particulates will pass through your filter and back into your home. Cleaning your ducts and installing a high efficiency filter in your return air line cuts that percentage dramatically.

Maximum airflow possible from your registers. The dust that stays in your system will accumulate on the fan blades of the blower motor, the grills, or the inside of your ductwork. This buildup in your air ducts can reduce the flow of air significantly.

Allergy sufferers may find relief. Now acknowledged as a major allergy and disease-causing problem by leading medical authorities, poor indoor air quality has prompted doctors and allergists to commonly prescribe furnace and air duct cleaning as one of the ways to reduce allergy problems.

To ensure good indoor air quality in your environment. The EPA states that indoor air is up to 70 times more polluted than outdoor air, now consider that according to the American Lung Association most people spend 90% of their time indoors.

Back to Top

How do I choose an air duct cleaner?

1. Make sure the company uses "source removal" cleaning methods designed to extract the debris within your ductwork.

2. See if the company has been in business long enough to have adequate experience.

3. Inquire whether the company is in good standing with your local Better Business Bureau. Affordable Heating is proud to be a member of the Better Business Bureau.

4. Make sure the company is properly licensed and insured.

5. An EPA report says to watch out for the so-called $99 (or less) whole house specials" and other sales gimmicks. An inadequate job can cause more problems than it solves. Make sure you have the scope of work and the total cost before work begins. Beware of add on sales. Wise consumers will know what they are getting for their money.

4055 Reposa Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 - 477-9276(WARM)