Cleaning Your HVAC

3/10/2020 (Permalink)

Ventilation systems are often the biggest culprit in poor indoor air quality. Make it a priority to inspect the ductwork of your home or business. If your HVAC has been operating for some time without attention, it could be circulating one or more of the following:

• Dust
• Pollen
• Odors
• Dirt and debris
• Other contaminants

Keeping your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units clean can extend the life of the equipment which will save you money and give you cleaner air to breathe. Servicing your HVAC includes benefits such as: 

• Restoring peak energy efficiency
• Eliminating offensive odors
• Reducing the potential for mold growth

Attempt to clean your entire HVAC system, failure to do so can result in recontamination of the system, recontamination defeats the point of cleaning your HVAC in the first place. Here are some steps to take when cleaning your HVAC system:

• Firstly, gather the proper tools and equipment. These are typical household items and should not be hard to find. Recommended tools include a vacuum cleaner, a dust brush, cleaning cloths, and new filters.
• Turn on your fan to loosen up dust, making it easier to clean, but be sure to turn off your heat. Also cover up all of your supply registers by lifting up the grills and putting down paper towels to cover them, do this to prevent the dust from getting into other areas of your home.
• Use your brush or vacuum cleaner to clean the supply registers and sweep out the dust and debris. 
• Turn off the fan before you start cleaning the main air ducts. Use a screwdriver to unscrew air duct covers and grills. Clean those by wiping them down.
• Once you are ready to clean the air ducts, use the long hose on your vacuum to suck up all of the dust throughout the ducts, especially in the hard to reach areas. Try to wipe down the interior of the ducts with a cloth as far as you can reach.
• Replace any old filters that have accumulated large amounts of dust.

Cleaning your HVAC system yourself can be an intensive job to do yourself, but it can be done. However, if you need assistance with this type of project, do not hesitate to reach out to SERVPRO of North Nashville with any concerns you may have. We are experts at cleaning air ducts and HVAC systems and are prepared to handle any kind of situation.