Cleaning HVAC Ductwork?
We are having a complete new HVAC system installed. Saw “Flushing a hydronic system” by Ray Wohlfarth talks about the importance of flushing a hydronic system before replacing a boiler in this Boiler Room Detective video.
Which made me wonder if we should have HVAC ductwork professionally cleaned prior to installation of new system? System dates back to about 1978 when condominium complex was built.
Comments
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I would never pay someone to clean ductwork.
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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why?
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Unless they run a camera thru the entire ductwork, live, to prove to you that it's actually ALL clean and sanitized. Which they won't, because it won't be.
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Ductwork is difficult to clean and probably impossible to get all the dirt out. Some of it is a scam some is legit.. They can say they cleaned it but how do you know?
I know of oil service techs who go in a basement plug the vac in to clean a boiler and turn it on to make noise but they don't clean the boiler
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Hi, I would shadow the contractor. Look over all equipment before installation. If you find mouse droppings or some other trouble, don't let that get installed unless it gets cleaned or replaced. If someone is cutting corners, or doing something you don't understand, get involved and make them satisfy you about it. They will do better work if they know you're watching. They may not be thrilled… but it is your house 🤠
Yours, Larry
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Thanks guys!
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And what did you do about it (The oil service techs) ?
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I'd assume he shook his head in disappointment and went about his business.
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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"I know of oil service techs who go in a basement plug the vac in to clean a boiler and turn it on to make noise but they don't clean the boiler"
I was hired by a homeowner who told me the story, he heard the vac running quite a while. When he went downstairs to check the tech shut the vac off and the boiler was all closed up and the tech told him he cleaned his boiler and "just finishing up"
He had me check the boiler and nothing had been cleaned. New nozzle and new oil filter only. There are some that used to toss in a soot stick and call it a cleaning.
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The techs who "clean" a boiler without cleaning should be happy with low sulphur oil. My experience is that boilers have much less accumulation of dirt than they used to. I find most boilers with very little dirt after several years and some hardly need a vacuum after 8 yr. My own oil boiler I installed 7-8 yr ago and haven't opened it yet.
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Your right but it wasn't always that way. With modern burners and boilers, I don't consider oil boilers dirty but they have to be set up properly.
I agree that a lot of boilers can go maybe 4-5 years without being cleaned. But they are still thing that need to be done during a proper tune up. Nozzle, filter, electrodes check combustion and oil pressure and test safety controls as a minimum. In fact the nozzle can go many years with clean oil.
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Cleaning ductwork is not going to be 100% clean. You have to research companies in your area and find out who is a reputable company. The good ones will run a camera in the ducts and show you. In my area there is a company that specializes in duct cleaning air quality. The big thing is to stay up on changing your filters.
Owner of Grunaire Climate Solutions. Check us out under the locate a contractor section. Located in Detroit area.
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What is the reasoning behind cleaning ductwork?
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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Salesmen!
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It seems the answer is "It depends." 😏
Yours, Larry
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Cleaning ductwork helps remove dust, allergens, and debris so the air you breathe is cleaner and your HVAC system runs more efficiently.
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Great sales line.
Now explain how please.
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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You know more than I do on the subject, I have no doubt of that. So please, correct me where I'm wrong.
But, the way I see it, assuming the ductwork isn't damaged or infested or something, anything in the return is obviously not in an area of high velocity, otherwise it wouldn't be there, and since it's there it can't be restricting anything. It's also before the filter, so who cares. Maybe a layer of dust inside flex duct actually increases flow due to making it smoother?
And the supply shouldn't be very dirty since it's after the filter, and even if it is, it's just sitting there not moving. If it was being blown out, it wouldn't last and you'd have clean ductwork. You're not going to get an endless supply of dust from ductwork, either it's stuck to it and not moving, or it gets blown out and it's gone.
Maybe if you disturb something, or, increase the blower speed you'd get something for a few seconds…
If I had ductwork that was damaged or infested with something, I'd want it torn out and replaced.
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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Flex cant be cleaned!
Metal there is no benefit unless like you said infested. 99% is going to lay on the bottom and the velocity is not enough to move it anyway so no advantage.
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