Air duct cleaning removes the dust, debris and contaminants that build up inside supply and return ducts, the blower of the furnace or air handler, and the indoor coil. In Tiburon, Belvedere and Mill Valley homes it is most useful after a remodel, when a house has been closed up for a long time, where rodents have been in a crawlspace or attic, and in damp homes where a musty smell comes from the vents. It is much less useful as a routine chore when the ducts are already clean.
Signs your ducts need cleaning
- Dust puffs out of registers when the system starts, or settles again soon after you clean
- A musty or stale smell when the heat or cooling comes on
- Recent construction, sanding or drywall work, especially if the system ran during it
- Signs of rodents or insects in the ducts or around the furnace
- Visible mold growth inside ducts or on the coil (the moisture source needs fixing too)
- Debris you can see behind the register grilles
What a proper cleaning includes
- Inspect. We look into the ducts, the blower and the coil through registers and access points to see what is there and whether cleaning will help.
- Protect. Floors and furniture near the registers and the equipment are covered.
- Clean. A powerful vacuum keeps the ductwork under negative pressure while brushes and air whips loosen debris, working from the registers back to the main trunks. Registers and grilles are cleaned separately.
- Blower and coil. Cleaning the ducts but not the blower wheel and coil leaves a dirty source upstream, so these are part of the job.
- Sanitize (optional). An antimicrobial treatment, applied only after the surfaces are clean and only when there is a reason for it.
- Verify. We look again after cleaning and show you what we found and what was done.
Flexible duct is cleaned more gently than metal duct, because aggressive brushes can tear its inner liner. Crushed, torn or disconnected sections found along the way are pointed out; repairing them often does more for comfort than the cleaning itself.
What duct cleaning won’t fix
Cleaning won’t fix a room that never gets enough air, ducts that leak into the attic or crawlspace, or a humidity problem that keeps feeding mold. If the inspection points to one of those, we tell you before you pay for a cleaning that would not solve the complaint. For dust and allergy concerns that come from the house rather than the ducts, better filtration is usually the next step; see indoor air quality.
Ductwork in local homes
Many larger homes in Tiburon and Belvedere have long duct runs serving several zones through attics and floor cavities, and a remodel in one wing can send dust through all of them. In Mill Valley, older homes often have ducts in a damp crawlspace, where rodent activity and moisture are the usual reasons for cleaning. The local pages cover duct cleaning in Belvedere, Tiburon and Mill Valley.
Keeping ducts clean afterward
Change the filter on schedule and use one that fits its slot without gaps. Turn the system off, or seal the returns, during dusty work in the house. A yearly HVAC maintenance visit includes a look at the blower and coil, which catches buildup before it spreads into the ducts. If you are replacing old equipment anyway, a new heat pump or furnace is a good moment to have the ducts inspected and cleaned, and a furnace repair visit can flag a dirty blower early.