15 Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Air Duct Cleaning Contractor
15 Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Air Duct Cleaning Contractor
15 Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Air Duct Cleaning Contractor
Cleaning your air ducts and HVAC system is an investment in your home.
You want to know you’re choosing a reputable company that will provide you with honest, thorough air duct cleaning and won’t do anything to damage your system. You also want to make sure they have the right equipment to do the job and leave your home cleaner than when they arrived.
We’ve compiled a list of 15 important questions for your air duct cleaning contractor before you sign on the dotted line.
Finding the Right Duct Cleaning Contractor
1. Do I need to have my air ducts cleaned right now?
A reputable company will be more interested in providing you with quality air than in just making a quick buck. A good duct contractor will be able to provide you with the signs they look for to determine if you need an air duct cleaning.
2. Will you do a pre-cleaning inspection using a duct camera?
Using a duct camera allows the technicians to see inside the air ducts of your heating and cooling system. A professional company will use a duct camera to inspect the ducts before they begin cleaning and to inspect their work for thoroughness after the work is completed.
3. Will you provide me with images of the inside of the ducts?
An honest company will provide you with the before and after images of your duct work. These images only substantiate work well done.
4. What is the step-by-step process you’ll use to clean my HVAC system?
Professional companies and technicians should be able to explain the cleaning process to you. The process should include cleaning all parts of the HVAC system as well as a method to access the long run through access points far away from air registers. If all the company plans to do is use a vacuum at each air vent, the service will not result in a clean system.
5. What parts of HVAC system will you clean?
Professional duct cleaning companies know that the duct work is only part of the HVAC ventilation system. For a thorough cleaning, the coil, blower fan, and furnace components need to be cleaned. All air intake or return lines and the full length of all supply lines should be cleaned.
6. Will you create additional openings to access the ducts?
Thorough cleaning of the HVAC system usually requires additional small holes to be created in the ductwork. If a company does not plan to create these access points, they will not likely do a thorough job of cleaning the air ducts.
7. How will any newly created openings in the venting or HVAC system be resealed?
Professional companies use specialized tools to create the access points and reseal them with specially design plugs. These plugs can be removed, and the access points reused the next time you need the air ducts cleaned.
8. What type of equipment will you use?
For a thorough cleaning, the vacuum should create negative air pressure and whisk the dust directly out of the home. A truck mounted vacuum and air compressor with additional agitation tools like an air whip indicate a professional company. A simple shop vac will not do the job of cleaning your ducts.
9. How powerful is your vacuum?
The vacuum used must be powerful enough to pull all the dust out of the home as it is released from the air ducts. An under powered vacuum will allow dust to escape back into the home.
10.Where will the vacuum be located will you use it?
If the vacuum is carried or rolled into the home, there is always a risk of it spilling in the home. And if the vacuum filters are not well maintained HIPPA filters, there is a risk of the dust passing through the vacuum and back into your home as the vacuum runs.
11. Will you use any additional equipment to clean the inside of the ducts?
Dust inside the ducts is statically attached to the sides and corners of the ducts. For a thorough cleaning the air ducts must be agitated to release the dust. Air whips and brushes are accepted agitator.
12. What sanitizing products will you use?
If you’re also sanitizing or treating the ducts for mold, mildew, or odors, you’ll want to know what products the contractor will use. All products should be EPA approved.
13. Do you provide a demonstration of completed work?
Reputable companies will provide you with demonstration of duct work that is clean at the end of their service.
14. Will you provide proof of insurance?
Professional companies will carry liability insurance that covers both their workers and your home. Make sure the company you choose will provide you with the proof of insurance and not just their word.
15. Will you provide references?
Reputable companies have advocates in their corner you are willing to share the accolades of the company’s services. Always be sure to find out is the references have any connection to the company, the owners, or receive monetary compensation. These days reviews online can often take the place of references.
The Right Duct Cleaning Contractor
How Does Hydro Clean of Michigan Stand Up to These 15 Important Questions for Your Duct Cleaning Contractor?
We’re happy to answer these questions for you in person, but we also wanted to give you a head start with our answers here.
1. Do I need to have my air ducts cleaned right now?
To determine if you need duct cleaning, we recommend you look for signs within your home. Constant dust build-up, dirty or dust air registers or intake grates, excessive dust in the air of your home, musty smells when you’re heating and cooling system are running, or dusty duct interiors when you remove a register and use a flashlight to peer into the depths of the duct work
2. Will you do a pre-cleaning inspection using a duct camera?
At Hydro Clean of Michigan, we always do a pre-cleaning inspection of the ducts using our duct camera.
3. Will you provide me with images of the inside of the ducts?
Yes, we will provide you with the images we take from the inside of your duct work. We’ll show you both the before and after images during the cleaning process.
4. What is the step-by-step process you’ll use to clean my HVAC system?
- First, we’ll inspect your air ducts, go over the process with you, and explain what you can expect.
- Next, we’ll attach the commercial sized vacuum hose near the air handler with the hose attached to the compressor in the truck. Rest assured we will use floor covers and corner protectors to prevent any damage to your walls or floors.
- Next, we’ll take images of the inside of different ducts to show the before state of the system.
- Then we’ll cover the registers and returns in all the rooms.
- Finally, we’ll begin systematically working through the home cleaning each of the air ducts with a second air compress and its attached 8-nozzle whip. This loosens the dirty that is clinging to the walls of the ducts.
- When all the ducts have been cleaned, we clean the components on the air handler including the blower motor, A-coils, and other components.
- Once completed we’ll take a video and images of the inside of the duct work so you can see the difference the cleaning has made.
- We’ll leave your home free from any cleaning debris or dust.
5. What parts of HVAC system will you clean?
We clean all the supply runs, all return runs, the trunk lines, furnace air components, A-coil, and blower fan. If the air that enters your home blows through it, we clean it.
6. Will you create additional openings to access the ducts?
Yes, we will create small access points along the vent runs to allow for thorough cleaning use compressed air and air whips. We will also make an access point to attach the vacuum hose to the HVAC system. All these access points will then be carefully resealed.
7. How will any newly created openings in the venting or HVAC system be resealed?
The small access points will be resealed with tight-fitting, removable rubber plugs. The hose access point will be resealed with a metal sheet using metal tape. All access points will be sealed and checked for air tightness.
8. What type of equipment will you use?
Hydro Clean of Michigan uses a truck mounted vacuum to create the negative air pressure needed to thoroughly clean your HVAC system. This system whisks dust out of your home and into our truck. In addition, we use a commercial grade air compressor with agitater tools including an air whip.
9. How powerful is your vacuum?
Our truck-mounted vacuum system is strong enough to suck up a cinder block. We use top-of-the-line equipment that is designed to meet the demands of carrying the dust and debris out of your home.
10.Where will the vacuum be located will you use it?
Our vacuum is truck-mounted and will never enter your home. There is no risk of the vacuum spewing dust or spilling in your home.
11. Will you use any additional equipment to clean the inside of the ducts?
Our vacuum is truck-mounted and will never enter your home. There is no risk of the vacuum spewing dust or spilling in your home.
12. What sanitizing products will you use?
We use only EPA approved products for mitigating mold, mildew, and odors.
13. Do you provide a demonstration of completed work?
We want you to see the difference we’ve made in your air ducts and HVAC system. We proudly show you the before and after images of your duct work and air handling components of your heating and cooling system.
14. Will you provide proof of insurance?
We carry insurance and would be happy to share the information with you in person.
15. Will you provide references?
We’re proud to be rated at 4.9 out or 5 stars across the internet. Please check out our online reviews at Google, Angi, and Home Advisor. We can also provide references to you upon request.
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Hydro Clean All Your
Home Air
Ducts and Vents
Can we provide you with a quote for HVAC system cleaning in Metro Detroit? Give us a call or use our online form below. From our base in White Lake, Michigan, we do air duct cleaning in the western Metro Detroit area including Canton, Bloomfield, Livonia, Novi, Birmingham and as far west as Ann Arbor, Brighton, Hartland and Highland. Not sure if you’re in our area? Just reach out and ask.
Our Office
Hydro Clean of Michigan
Serving Southeast Michigan from the White Lake area.
Phone: (248) 497-6464
Email: andrew@hydrocleanofmichigan.com
Mailing Address: 10401 Degrand St, White Lake, MI 48386