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Looking for information on how to clean air ducts yourself? First, let's talk about why you want to clean themand whether or not investing in the tools and materials required to get the job done is even worth it.

When you think about it, it does make sense that you'd want to clean your ductwork. You've spent time learning how to clean car seats, how to clean dryer vents, and how to clean walls; why should you ignore your HVAC? Plus, since its ducts make an appearance in so many different areas of your home, wouldn't it make sense that they'd get dusty? Like, really dusty?

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Yes and no. Sure, HVAC filters accumulate dust, but usually not to a detrimental degree. That's why many people believe it's not actually necessary to clean them. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), duct cleaning "has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts."

What's more, cleaning your air ducts the "wrong way" can make things worse, not better. You might end up dislodging debris and bringing allergens into your home that weren't previously a problem. Inexperienced individuals could also end up permanently damaging their HVAC systems, or worse, hurting themselves. Where mold is involved, the cleanup process becomes more than just a liability for your home; it potentially becomes downright dangerous for you.

Here's what to know, and how to determine if you should clean the ducts. And while you're feeling inspired to get your home in tip-top shape, get our best tips for how to wash comforters and how to clean your garbage disposal.

The EPA does recommend cleaning ducts on certain occasions: if and when there is substantial visible mold growth inside the components of your heating and cooling system, if and when the ducts are infested with rodents or insects, and if and when the ducts are so debris-filled that an enormous amount of dust is actually making its way into your home through them.

If there's visible mold or mildew on the ducts, or if you hear noises coming from within them, you should probably contact a professional. But if you're just acting on a hunch, we suggest you begin by examining the vents, grilles, drip pans, and/or registers of your unit. Do you notice any discoloration or dark dust? Do you smell anything unusual?

Another question to ask yourself is whether airflow is consistent in each room of your home. Dirt, dust, or mold buildup could be responsible for restricting the air's pathway throughout your house.

If you determine or suspect that there is mold growth, a rodent or insect infestation, or dust making its way into your home through your air ducts, or if you're worried about consistent airflow room to room, it could be worth it to hire a professional to clean your ducts.

There is, however, the matter of expenses. As you might expect, it can be incredibly pricey to turn to the expertsso, if there's no real need to do so, you might find yourself spending money unnecessarily. If mold is really the issue though, it's important to take action.

According to a set of estimates from HomeAdvisor.com, professional HVAC mold removal will run you anywhere from $600 to $2,000and that might be on top of the standard HVAC cleaning fees, which could be anywhere from $100 to $1,000. That's because mold removal often involves special equipment, chemicals, and of course, extra time on the part of the professional.

You'll likely be charged one of three ways: a flat rate for all the services and add-ons, a "per vent" fee, or a fee determined by the square footage of the ducts.

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How to Clean Air Ducts Yourself - HVAC Duct Cleaning Tips

Your ductwork is an important piece of your HVAC system. Duct cleaning can help improve HVAC performance and home air quality.

This piece will review the benefits of duct cleaning and provide an overview of how to clean air ducts yourself.

Vaccum

Bissell 2252

Cleaning brush

Rubbermaid 14.5-inch brush

Screwdriver

Amazon Basics 51-piece bit set

Paper towels

Bounty quick-size

Air filter

Filtrete AC furnace air filter

According to HomeAdvisor, it costs an average of $376 to have your air ducts professionally cleaned. The price may vary based on elements like accessibility and lifestyle factors (e.g., if you have pets or smokers in the house).

DIY air duct cleaning will save you money since it involves tools that most homeowners already have. It can also help prolong the life of your air conditioner and furnace. It eliminates dust in the home and may improve air quality for your family.

Professional duct cleaning is worthwhile. Experts have tools that can reach deep into your ductwork. You wont be able to access all of your ducts with DIY cleaning.

Additionally, duct cleaning companies can identify and remedy potential issues in your ductwork, including leaks or blockages.

Duct leaks and obstructions can damage your overall HVAC system without immediate attention. They may also result in increased utility bills.

Cleaning your air ducts yourself is also beneficial. You can do a DIY cleaning between professional cleanings to keep your system running smoothly.

Connect me with an HVAC pro to clean my ducts.

Cleaning your air ducts yourself is a simple process involving tools you probably own already. The job may take several hours, depending on the size of your home and the number of air registers.

Before you begin, gather the necessary tools. These include:

You may also choose to invest in:

If you have visible ductwork (in your attic or crawlspace, for example), lightly tap the outside with the handle of your cleaning brush. This will help loosen up dust and dirt.

Turn your thermostat to fan and on. Let it run this way for a few minutes. The air will push any dust closer to the registers where you can reach it for cleaning.

The simplest way to make sure everything is off is via your electrical box. Turn off the breakers associated with your HVAC equipment, including the furnace and AC condenser.

Switch your thermostat to off as well.

They may simply pop out. Or you may have to unscrew them first. Once the grates are off, cover the vent opening with a paper towel. If you have vents on a ceiling or a wall, you can use painters tape to secure the paper towel.

Covering the vent opening with a paper towel will prevent dust and debris from entering your rooms as you clean.

If you have different size grates, use a Sharpie to mark the inside with a number. Write the same number somewhere you can see it within the vent. This way, youll be able to easily match the grate to the correct vent later on.

Make sure you also remove and clean the grate on your air return. Its typically larger than the other grates around your home.

If your grates are plastic or metal, load them all into your dishwasher (top shelf for plastic) and clean them that way. Ensure theyre completely dry before replacing them.

If your grates are wooden or another material thats not dishwasher safe, clean them in the sink. Run cold water over them and scrub the dirt and dust off. Dry them immediately to prevent warping.

Start with one vent in your home. Remove the paper towel cover.

Insert your cleaning brush and jiggle it around to knock off anything stuck to the insides of the vent like spiderwebs or dust bunnies. We recommend using a toilet brush because of its long brush handle. But devote the brush to vent cleaning only. Dont use a brush youve already used to clean the toilet ().

Insert your vacuum wand into the vent as deep as it will go. Vacuum out all debris.

Using a dampened rag or paper towel, wipe out the inside of the vent as far as you can reach. You can use tap water or your favorite multipurpose cleaner.

Re-cover the vent with a paper towel when you finish. Continue this step until youve cleaned all the vents in your house.

Take out the filter in your air return. Throw it away.

Use your cleaning brush, vacuum, and paper towels to clean out the air return. Only go as far as you can safely reach.

Replace the filter with a fresh new one.

Once your grates are clean and dry, remove the paper towel covering each vent. Replace the grates. You may need to use a screwdriver to secure them.

Lots of dust accumulates in this area. To access it, remove the cover on your furnace. You may need to unscrew it with a screwdriver.

Take the furnace filter out and dispose of it. Use your cleaning brush to remove cobwebs and other stuck-on dirt from the compartment.

Vacuum out the blower compartment with your hose attachment. Then clean it out with a damp paper towel. Again, you can use plain water or your favorite multipurpose cleaner. If you can reach the furnace fan, clean that as well.

Replace the filter with a new one. Close and secure the furnace cover.

Check out our step-by-step guide for cleaning your air conditioner.

Enjoy your fresh ductwork!

Sound like too much work? You can always call a pro to get your ductwork spic-and-span.

Connect me with a local HVAC expert.

Keeping your air ducts clean reduces the number of allergens circulating in your home. This includes pet dander, pollen, and dust.

Sometimes, rodents and birds can make their way into your ductwork. Dust and debris provide good nest-building materials for them. Clean air ducts are inhospitable those pests will leave and find shelter elsewhere.

Additionally, air ducts can host insect infestations. These are much less likely to happen when your ducts are clean and dry.

Clean, sealed ductwork keeps mold out. If your ducts are dirty with leaky joints, mold can flourish.

Mold inhalation is a potential health hazard. And it smells bad.

Dont attempt to clean your air ducts yourself if you suspect mold growing in your ductwork. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends hiring a professional for HVAC mold removal.

Clogged ducts make your HVAC equipment work harder than it needs to. Your system can function at max performance with clean air ducts, thus reducing your utility bills.

You may also save money by proactively finding and fixing potential furnace and AC repair issues in the cleaning process.

Maintenance is necessary to keep your HVAC system at its best. Duct cleaning should be part of your regular AC maintenance.

Be sure to schedule HVAC system checkups every year. We recommend having your ductwork cleaned professionally every 3-5 years. Between those appointments, clean your air ducts yourself to ensure your HVAC equipment lasts as long as possible.

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How to clean air ducts yourself : hvac. - Furnace Compare

Extraction Canopy Cleaning

The complete Extraction Canopy is cleaned. The canopy grease traps & canopy gutters are cleaned. All leaks on the canopy are sealed.

The filters are removed & cleaned. New replacement filters can be supplied if filters are broken or missing.Please note: The filter system in an important part of the system. The filter back serves as the immediate barrier against the possibility of a fire & determines how much grease is deposited onto the fan and into the duct. Filters must be replaced if missing / broken or mesh type. (Must be stainless steel type filters).

The grease is removed from the vertical & horizontal duct. All leaks are sealed.

Vent Care will check & clean the fan motor, blades, fan housing, outlet & weather cowl. The efficiency (airflow) will be tested on completion of the clean.Cleaning the fan will increase the extraction efficiency & prevent it from burning out.

Vent Care will issue a cleaning certificate on completion of the service, stating the date of the service, the service procedure & the next due date. These certificates are required by Fire Departments, Health Departments & Insurance companies for inspection purposes & in the event of a fire starting in the kitchen.

Please note: Vent Care offers a breakdown service which includes fan repairs & fan replacements. We also offer a three (3) month guarantee against grease leaks.

Kitchen Extraction Canopy Systems are extremely dangerous fire hazards. They are cleaned, serviced & maintained to reduce the possibility of fire in the kitchen. A regular clean & service increases safety in the kitchen, reduces the risk of fire & improves general hygiene levels. Cleaning & servicing Kitchen Canopy Extraction Systems also increases the extraction fans life & improves extraction efficiency, thereby reducing kitchen temperature.

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Saskatchewan residents and businesses are encouraged to check their properties for damage after the recent hit of cold weather.

Winter has proved its not done with the province just yet, with wind chills that dropped this week into the -40s.

Some things warrant immediate investigation before things turn catastrophic in some cases, said Jim Mandeville, senior vice-president, large-loss at First Onsite Property Restoration. Prevention is the best medicine here.

First Onsite said home or building owners need to be looking for:

0:35Saskatoon homeowners should watch plumbing red flags during extreme cold periods: restoration expert

The most common is frozen pipes, said Mandeville. Its frozen faucets, frozen fire sprinklers.

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He said that oftentimes, commercial buildings arent built like a home and are more susceptible to frigid temperatures.

The number one thing that we are always worried about with this extreme cold is the plumbing.

Mandeville noted that people going on vacation should have someone checking in on their home or building every few days to see if anything is out of the ordinary.

This could save some money for homeowners in the long run.

If these things leak while youre in Mexico for a week on vacation and your house sits wet and freezes solid into a giant icicle, its going to be a big nightmare for us to clean it up for you, Mandeville explained.

First Onsite is stressing urgency if people notice a drip in their house or a slow faucet.

1:21Extreme cold warning issued for most of Saskatchewan

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Restoration company warns Sask. homeowners of extreme weather damage ...

'Bring them home': Restoration efforts have condors returning to Yurok Tribal lands  Herald and News

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'Bring them home': Restoration efforts have condors returning to Yurok Tribal lands - Herald and News

When temperatures drop, its easy to find yourself cranking up the thermostat to keep your home warm. Choosing the right type of home heating system can ease the burden of your thermostat and help save energy. All heating systems share one goal: Transfer heat to living spaces to maintain a comfortable and toasty environment.

Some homes have more than one heating system, particularly when they have a basement or an additional room heated by a different system than the rest of the house. Here are the 10 types of home heating systems that you should know as a homeowner (or prospective homeowner).

Forced air distribution systems are by far the most common type of home heating systems. They use a furnace with a blower fan that delivers heated, conditioned air to the houses various rooms through a network of ducts. Because forced air systems share the same blower and ductwork as the air conditioner, they can also be used during the summer months.

Older homes and apartments may have traditional boilers and radiator systems. These use a central boiler that circulates steam or water through pipes to radiator units around the house. This is best for providing zoned heating and cooling, but it isnt as efficient for heating more spacious areas of the house at once.

Heat pumps are the newest home heating system technology. They use a system similar to an air conditioner by extracting heat from the air and delivering it to the home through an indoor air handler. A popular heat pump system is known as the mini-split or ductless heating system.

This system uses a small outdoor compressor unit and indoor air handlers that can be placed in different rooms throughout the house. They can be a flexible addition since they can be switched to air conditioning mode during the summer months.

Radiant systems provide even heat throughout the house. Most in-floor radiant systems use plastic water tubing inside concrete slab floors or attached to the bottom of wood floors. They are very quiet compared to other home heating systems. There are also in-floor radiant heating systems that use electrical wiring to work with ceramic or stone tile materials.

While they are slow to heat up and adjust to temperature changes, in-floor radiant systems are energy efficient and provide heated comfort to every inch of the house.

Electric resistance heating systems or electric heaters are not used as the primary home heating system due to the high cost of electricity. However, they are a good supplemental heating system for home offices, basements, season rooms and homes without other heating systems.

Electric heaters are easy to install and relatively inexpensive. Theyre usually portable, making them easy to transport from room to room. They also dont have any moving parts, requiring virtually no maintenance, ductwork, air handlers or any other equipment.

Hot water baseboard heater systems, also known as hydronic systems, are a modern form of radiant heat that can be highly efficient. Using a central boiler, these systems heat water that circulates through a system of water pipes to low-profile baseboard heating units. These are updated versions of the traditional upright radiator system. They help heated air rise from the baseboard unit while pushing cold air toward the unit for heating.

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Also known as portable or plug-in space heaters, electric heaters can be affordable for homeowners who dont live in cold weather. These are excellent temporary solutions that can provide targeted and controlled heat within minutes of being plugged into an electricity source.

Electric space heaters are oil-filled and convert electric current directly into heat, similarly to how a toaster works. Some modern electric space heaters also have cooling fans that can be used during warmer days, making them an excellent choice for studio apartments, home offices, basements and smaller rooms.

A more modern home heating system, active solar heating, uses solar energy to heat a fluid and transfers solar heat directly into the interior space or a storage system for later use. These are usually supplemented by radiant heating systems, boilers or heat pumps. But active solar heating systems can distribute the heat using the radiant floor, hot water baseboards or a central forced-air system.

Unfortunately, active solar systems still rely on other home heating systems to be 100% efficient.

Hybrid heating home systems combine the energy efficiency of a heat pump system with the power of a gas furnace. Most of the time, the heat pump operates at total capacity to heat the home. Then, during extreme weather conditions, the furnace will complement the system to reach the desired temperatures.

Because both systems complement each other, there is significantly less strain on each system, which means less repairs and replacements.

A modern version of the traditional furnace heating system, gravity air furnaces distribute air through ducts. However, rather than forcing air through a blower, gravity air furnace systems let warm air rise and cool air sink. A furnace in the basement heats the air, which rises into the rooms through the doors, and cool air returns to the furnace via another system of cold-air return ducts.

Understanding the many types of home heating systems will allow you to make the best decisions about how to heat your home, or decide which system youd prefer when searching for a home. Knowing which system works best for you could help you save time and money down the road.

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Types of Home Heating Systems Forbes Home - Forbes Advisor

Summary

heating, process and system of raising the temperature of an enclosed space for the primary purpose of ensuring the comfort of the occupants. By regulating the ambient temperature, heating also serves to maintain a buildings structural, mechanical, and electrical systems.

The earliest method of providing interior heating was an open fire. Such a source, along with related methods such as fireplaces, cast-iron stoves, and modern space heaters fueled by gas or electricity, is known as direct heating because the conversion of energy into heat takes place at the site to be heated. A more common form of heating in modern times is known as central, or indirect, heating. It consists of the conversion of energy to heat at a source outside of, apart from, or located within the site or sites to be heated; the resulting heat is conveyed to the site through a fluid medium such as air, water, or steam.

Except for the ancient Greeks and Romans, most cultures relied upon direct-heating methods. Wood was the earliest fuel used, though in places where only moderate warmth was needed, such as China, Japan, and the Mediterranean, charcoal (made from wood) was used because it produced much less smoke. The flue, or chimney, which was first a simple aperture in the centre of the roof and later rose directly from the fireplace, had appeared in Europe by the 13th century and effectively eliminated the fires smoke and fumes from the living space. Enclosed stoves appear to have been used first by the Chinese about 600 bc and eventually spread through Russia into northern Europe and from there to the Americas, where Benjamin Franklin in 1744 invented an improved design known as the Franklin stove. Stoves are far less wasteful of heat than fireplaces because the heat of the fire is absorbed by the stove walls, which heat the air in the room, rather than passing up the chimney in the form of hot combustion gases.

Central heating appears to have been invented in ancient Greece, but it was the Romans who became the supreme heating engineers of the ancient world with their hypocaust system. In many Roman buildings, mosaic tile floors were supported by columns below, which created air spaces, or ducts. At a site central to all the rooms to be heated, charcoal, brushwood, and, in Britain, coal were burned, and the hot gases traveled beneath the floors, warming them in the process. The hypocaust system disappeared with the decline of the Roman Empire, however, and central heating was not reintroduced until some 1,500 years later.

Central heating was adopted for use again in the early 19th century when the Industrial Revolution caused an increase in the size of buildings for industry, residential use, and services. The use of steam as a source of power offered a new way to heat factories and mills, with the steam conveyed in pipes. Coal-fired boilers delivered hot steam to rooms by means of standing radiators. Steam heating long predominated in the North American continent because of its very cold winters. The advantages of hot water, which has a lower surface temperature and milder general effect than steam, began to be recognized about 1830. Twentieth-century central-heating systems generally use warm air or hot water for heat conveyance. Ducted warm air has supplanted steam in most newly built American homes and offices, but in Great Britain and much of the European continent, hot water succeeded steam as the favoured method of heating; ducted warm air has never been popular there. Most other countries have adopted either the American or European preference in heating methods.

The essential components of a central-heating system are an appliance in which fuel may be burned to generate heat; a medium conveyed in pipes or ducts for transferring the heat to the spaces to be heated; and an emitting apparatus in those spaces for releasing the heat either by convection or radiation or both. Forced-air distribution moves heated air into the space by a system of ducts and fans that produce pressure differentials. Radiant heating, by contrast, involves the direct transmission of heat from an emitter to the walls, ceiling, or floor of an enclosed space independent of the air temperature between them; the emitted heat sets up a convection cycle throughout the space, producing a uniformly warmed temperture within it.

Air temperature and the effects of solar radiation, relative humidity, and convection all influence the design of a heating system. An equally important consideration is the amount of physical activity that is anticipated in a particular setting. In a work atmosphere in which strenuous activity is the norm, the human body gives off more heat. In compensation, the air temperature is kept lower in order to allow the extra body heat to dissipate. An upper temperature limit of 24 C (75 F) is appropriate for sedentary workers and domestic living rooms, while a lower temperature limit of 13 C (55 F) is appropriate for persons doing heavy manual work.

In the combustion of fuel, carbon and hydrogen react with atmospheric oxygen to produce heat, which is transferred from the combustion chamber to a medium consisting of either air or water. The equipment is so arranged that the heated medium is constantly removed and replaced by a cooler supplyi.e., by circulation. If air is the medium, the equipment is called a furnace, and if water is the medium, a boiler or water heater. The term boiler more correctly refers to a vessel in which steam is produced, and water heater to one in which water is heated and circulated below its boiling point.

Natural gas and fuel oil are the chief fuels used to produce heat in boilers and furnaces. They require no labour except for occasional cleaning, and they are handled by completely automatic burners, which may be thermostatically controlled. Unlike their predecessors, coal and coke, there is no residual ash product left for disposal after use. Natural gas requires no storage whatsoever, while oil is pumped into storage tanks that may be located at some distance from the heating equipment. The growth of natural-gas heating has been closely related to the increased availability of gas from networks of underground pipelines, the reliability of underground delivery, and the cleanliness of gas combustion. This growth is also linked to the popularity of warm-air heating systems, to which gas fuel is particularly adaptable and which accounts for most of the natural gas consumed in residences. Gas is easier to burn and control than oil, the user needs no storage tank and pays for the fuel after he has used it, and fuel delivery is not dependent on the vagaries of motorized transport. Gas burners are generally simpler than those required for oil and have few moving parts. Because burning gas produces a noxious exhaust, gas heaters must be vented to the outside. In areas outside the reach of natural-gas pipelines, liquefied petroleum gas (propane or butane) is delivered in special tank trucks and stored under pressure in the home until ready for use in the same manner as natural gas. Oil and gas fuels owe much of their convenience to the automatic operations of their heating plant. This automation rests primarily on the thermostat, a device that, when the temperature in a space drops to a predetermined point, will activate the furnace or boiler until the demand for heat is satisfied. Automatic heating plants are so thoroughly protected by thermostats that nearly every conceivable circumstance that could be dangerous is anticipated and controlled.

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Heating | process or system | Britannica

COMFORT SYSTEMS USA INC Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (form 10-K)  Marketscreener.com

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COMFORT SYSTEMS USA INC Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (form 10-K) - Marketscreener.com

Grab a Refurbished Ecobee Smart Thermometer for as Little as $87 and Cut Your Utility Costs  CNET

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Grab a Refurbished Ecobee Smart Thermometer for as Little as $87 and Cut Your Utility Costs - CNET

This restored 1884 Irving Spencer House is the oldest in Portlands Irvington neighborhood  OregonLive

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This restored 1884 Irving Spencer House is the oldest in Portlands Irvington neighborhood - OregonLive