Duct Cleaning 101

Duct cleaning can be effective in improving the indoor air quality of your home or building by removing debris, dust, and contaminants from your HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system. Here are some steps that can be taken to ensure effective duct cleaning:

  1. Assessment: A professional duct cleaner should inspect your HVAC system and ductwork to determine if cleaning is necessary and what the best cleaning method is for your specific situation.
  2. Equipment: The duct cleaner should use professional-grade equipment specifically designed for duct cleaning, such as high-powered vacuums and specialized brushes.
  3. Method: A variety of methods can be used to clean ducts, including brushing, air washing, and vacuuming. The method chosen should be appropriate for your specific ductwork and the type of contaminants present.
  4. Access: In order to effectively clean ducts, the duct cleaner should have access to all parts of the ductwork, including hard-to-reach areas.
  5. Containment: To prevent the spread of contaminants throughout the building, the duct cleaner should use proper containment procedures, such as sealing off the ducts during cleaning.
  6. Clean-up: After the cleaning is complete, the duct cleaner should remove all debris and contaminants from the building and dispose of them properly.

Overall, effective duct cleaning requires the use of proper equipment, techniques, and procedures.

What It Looks Like To Start a Duct Cleaning Job

repair duct cleaning

Here’s a look at our team at Small Solutions LLC as we get prepared to clean ductwork in a customer’s home. This gives you an idea of what our duct cleaning unit looks like and how we get it ready to suck debris, pet hair, bugs and other random stuff from ductwork. Every job is different!

Cleaning ductwork in your home can take several hours. It varies depending on where your ducts are located and how easy it is for us to reach them. Small Solutions LLC serves the Northern Virginia area for duct cleaning, HVAC installation and maintenance.

 

Keep Your Ducts Cute

duct question duct cleaning

While most people prefer to spend time with or look at cute ducks, we actually have a hoot with the dirty ones…the dirty ducts, at least! Ducts that are ignored or forgotten (so easy to do when you don’t see what’s inside them), they can get pretty nasty inside! Pet hair, bugs, lint, random scraps, crayons, Barbie shoes…all this stuff balled up in your ducts gets pushed and filtered into your air.

Of course, we all forget about this stuff when we aren’t staring at it every day. But, in our case, we actually DO stare at it every day because we get to clean the duct work. Trust us, it’s not cute. But we can get your ducts clean so it’s not a problem for you!

Repeat colds, respiratory issues, allergies…this can all be reduced or eliminated with cleaner air filtering through your house.

We offer duct cleaning in the Northern Shenandoah Valley Virginia area. We’re locally owned and operated, and we’re a friendly bunch that loves to do the job and get out of your hair.

Give us a call at (540) 425 – 3479 to schedule an appointment to make your ducts spick and span again in no time.

 

What’s swimming in your ducts? Bet it’s not this cute.

swimming ducks duct cleaning

Little ducks are adorable! Ducts in your house? Not so much. We don’t even want to share what we’ve found cleaning ductwork in homes. Sometimes it’s sticky. Sometimes it’s very smelly. Sometimes it’s even alive.

And always, it’s a surprise to the people that live in the home with the ductwork! It’s not something you want to be surprised by—seeing what has accumulated in your duct work after a long stretch of time without general duct maintenance. It’s the stuff you breathe, and though it’s out of sight, it’s unfortunately not out of your environment.

We have the latest ductwork equipment to efficiently and effectively clean out your ducts, generally within a few hours: we come to your house, bring our special ductwork machine (it’s kind of like a mega vaccuum), affix it to your ductwork and suck them clean. We promise we’ll leave it better than we found it!

We serve Winchester, VA and the northern Shenandoah Valley. Schedule a duct cleaning today and avoid un-cute surprises!

What’s in YOUR ducts?

found groundhog in duct duct cleaning

How clean are your ducts? Do you even want to know? Here’s a sampling of the fascinating things we can stumble upon in our duct cleaning adventures…we’d love to know what you find in yours!

When was the last time you checked them out?

Do you know we even have a little camera where we can show you what loves the inside of your duct work? Ask us, we’re happy to stick a camera up your ducts.

We love getting dirty in your ducts, so you don’t have to. We are happy serve the Northern Virginia and Shenendoah Valley area. Thanks for watching!

Don’t be dirty. Clean your ducts.

dont be dirty duct cleaning

A dirty duct isn’t a happy thing. It’s actually pretty gross. Don’t be dirty…be happy! Get your ducts clean and bring a smile to your face, knowing that you aren’t living with a dirty duct. We help keep your ducts clean to improve your air quality in the Northern VA area.

We’re excited to kick off our YouTube channel with our first video!

 

7 Houseplants That Keep Your Air Clean And How To Take Care Of Them

House Plants to Keep Air Clean Duct cleaning

Houseplants are not only easy to find and purchase, but most are also just as easy to take care of! Often, we think it’s difficult to keep a plant alive; remembering when or if you’ve watered it that day, where it should be in the house, etc. But, some houseplants are actually quite easy to take care of- and they keep your air clean!

In other articles, we’ve discussed the importance of your indoor air quality and different ways to keep your air clean. We’ve also talked about the difference chemicals you can find in your home and how to know whether or not you’ve been sick from indoor air pollution. One of the most prevalent toxins you find in your home is actually formaldehyde! There is a lot of possible sources of formaldehyde, including but not limited to: natural gas stoves, disinfectants, plywood, deodorants, and so many more!

Knowing this can be quite unsettling, but luckily there are easy ways to help prevent dangerous chemicals, like formaldehyde from remaining in your homes air! Houseplants are a great way to decorate your home and keep your air clean.

Here is a complete guide on 7 houseplants that can keep your improve your indoor air quality and how to take care of them:

1. English Ivy
Removes: Formaldehyde; airborne fecal-matter particles
Grows Best: 4 or more hours of direct sunlight; moist soil

2. *Bamboo Palm
Removes: Formaldehyde, Benzene, and Trichloroethylene
Grows Best: part sun or shade; also called reed palm

3. Chinese Evergreen
Removes: Formaldehyde, Benzene, Trichloroethylene, and Carbon Monoxide
Grows Best: low light; like humid air, mist if too dry

4. Gerbera Daisy
Removes: Benzene and Trichloroethylene
Grows Best: at least 6 hours of sunlight; mist leaves couple times a week and make sure pot has drainage holes

5. Red-Edged Dracaena
Removes: Formaldehyde, Benzene, Xylene, and Trichloroethylene
Grows Best: moderate sunlight, high ceilings!; can get as high as 15ft

6. Mother-In-Law’s Tongue
Removes: Formaldehyde, Benzene, Xylene, and Trichloroethylene
Grows Best: any type of temperature or light; very hardy succulent, careful not to over or under water

7. Chrysanthemum
Removes: Formaldehyde, Benzene, Trichloroethylene
Grows Best: bright, direct sunlight;

Notice: Plants with a * are houseplants that are non-toxic to house pets. Therefore, be warned, all other plants on the list are toxic to pets. Keep these plants out of reach of pets or only buy houseplants safe for pets.

With this guide, finding a plant to improve your indoor air quality and taking care of it should be a piece of cake! Consider one or many of these plants to be not only a great decoration, but also a life saver! But if you’re still feeling uneasy and like a few houseplants isn’t enough- we understand! Consider getting a whole-house air purifier to ensure that your home or businesses air is clean. Find out more information air purifiers here.

Leaf blowers and ductwork?

Leaf Blowers use for Duct Cleaning Services call 540-425-3479

Who hasn’t thought of a hundred ways to use a leaf blower? Oh, we can count the ways… maybe not this way, though. A perfect demonstration of a DIY-er hoping to fluff out the dust in his ducts. If you want a serious solution (or at least a more effective one) for your ductwork and you’re in the Northern Virginia area, we can help!

 

Don’t try this at home, folks. Not really effective. Buck here can attest to that. Just gets things more dusty and it’s really loud. I mean, I guess you could try it, but don’t blame us for the idea.

Better to call us to help.

Why Should You Have Your Air Ducts Clean?

Air Duct Cleaning before after duct cleaning

“Why should I get my air ducts cleaned?” If this is something you’ve found yourself saying, then we’re glad to bring you 4 different reasons why you have your air ducts clean. A lot of people don’t even give their air ducts a second thought, but they can affect a lot more than people seem to think.

Here are 4 reasons why you should get your air ducts clean:

1 Improves indoor air quality:
Your air ducts are responsible for being the main entry way for air to enter into your home, therefore the air you breathe is affected by everything that is within your air ducts. That can be scary! Things like mold, allergens, and dust are just a few things that collect in your air ducts. If you want to learn more about the importance of indoor air quality, check out another one of our posts here.

2 Increase indoor comfort:
With your air ducts clean, your HVAC system is able to work properly and keep rooms at their correct temperature. If you find that you’re having trouble keeping rooms at the correct temperature, no matter what you set your thermostat to, that could be a sign that you need your air ducts clean.

3 Decreases fire hazards:
With things like dust and allergens collecting in your air ducts, there’s a risk of it aiding in fire or even being the cause of a fire. By making sure your air ducts are clean, you can feel safe knowing there isn’t a risk within your air ducts that are in your homes walls and ceiling.

4 Prevents larger problems:
By keeping your air ducts clean, you are preventing the potential issue of the air ducts becoming clogged. If the air ducts are clogged, or even halfway clogged, this can cause your HVAC system to struggle and work harder. This could cause other issues with your HVAC system or make it have a shorter lifespan and break down sooner then it should.

If you’re not sure if you’re home needs your air ducts clean, we recommend regularly cleaning them every 1-2 years. By doing regular maintenance, whether it’s your air ducts or HVAC system, you are learning more about your home and helping to prevent larger issues from occurring.

We recommend that you do NOT attempt to clean your own air ducts. If not done properly, you can stir up and simply move dust, molds, and allergens throughout your home’s air, rather than removing it. If you’re in the Virginia area and are looking for your air ducts to be cleaned, our expert technicians at Small Solutions, LLC are happy to come out and and give you a hand. By scheduling an appointment through this website, you will automatically save 10% off, feel free to also call or contact us for any other HVAC needs today!

5 Indoor Air Quality Categories of Concern from the EPA

asthma trivia duct cleaning

 

When it comes to your living environment, the Environmental Protection Agency identified 5 areas of indoor air quality that can create cause for concern. Things like asthma, allergies, carbon monoxide, mildew, mold and fungal spores can become toxic if levels increase without awareness.

Often it’s a need for better ventilation that can eliminate these concerns.

Pet dander, pollen, insect debris, smoke and dust mites can build up and create irritation for your nose and throat or asthma.

Colds, flu, bacteria and germs can be reduced with proper air filtration and ventilation in your home.