F.A.Q

How clean is the air in your building / home?

Indoor air contamination is a serious health hazard affecting thousands of Canadians yearly. Researchers claim that it contributes to more than half of all illnesses, including: sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma and many more. Surprisingly, hundreds of contaminants thrive in the warm indoor environment. Well known household pollutants, for example: mold, dust, pollen, and animal and insect remains. Heating and cooling systems are perfect collection areas for airborne pollutants like mold spores and dust and the moist, temperate environment is also a prime habitat for bacteria and fungi to develop, continuing the contamination process.

Reducing the sources of pollutants that could trigger a health reaction is an important part of keeping the atmospheres’ air clean. Cleaning and maintaining the heating and cooling system on a regular basis will remove allergens like mold and dust from the air distribution system, which services all indoor environments.

How does the duct system get dirty?

Dirt, dust and lint collect in the heating and cooling system(s) of all forced air systems. Every heating or cooling system depends on the flow of air. As this air circulates, it picks up some of the lint, dust particles, cobwebs, pet hair plus a good supply of cheerios, lego and bouncy balls, and other kinds of dirt, which normally occur in every home or business (regardless of the furnace), and deposits it within the ductwork where it collects and builds up. Dirt, dust and debris fall into vents and make their way into the ductwork.

*Note: New homes should be cleaned as contstruction dust, new flooring, etc fall into the duct work.

Does duct cleaning remove dust mites?

Dust mites, along with dust and debris will be removed from the ductwork. However dust mites exist throughout your home in all your rooms. If you are interested in additional ways to reduce the dust mites in your home, consider an indoor air quality product such as an air cleaner.

Will duct cleaning get rid of cigarette smoke?

Smoke odours exists and linger within your home. This is because as the air circulates throughout, it self-bonds itself to various materials and fabrics, including curtains and furniture. Duct cleaning will not completely free the home of smoke odour, but would certainly help to reduce its effects. If you are interested in additional ways to reduce odours in your home, consider using an indoor air quality product such as an air cleaner. Cleaning and replacing old filters within the furnace on a regular basis will also help to reduce odours.

Will the technician remove the registers?

NAT prefers to remove registers during the cleaning process, however and especially in older homes where registers have been painted over or wallpapered in place. If the assigned technician cannot remove the register without risking damage, the air wand would then be used for cleaning. It is about a quarter of inch in diameter and is inserted directly into the register itself.

Is the duct cleaning process dirty?

NAT Â technicians are very neat and tidy and have ways to keep the disturbance of dust in the home to a minimum. The duct cleaning process is not dirty. Your home does not require cleaning after we complete a job.

Is the duct cleaning process noisy?

No, the duct cleaning process is not noisy inside your home.

Do I have to leave the house during the cleaning process?

No, there is no need to leave the home during the process. The process and the technician are very neat and tidy, and no chemicals are used that would force anyone to leave the house. The technician will turn off the furnace or central air conditioner prior to cleaning the ducts, so could cool the home temperature down some in the winter, and make it warmer in the summer. If there is anyone within the home that may be sensitive to the temperature change, consider finding an alternative location for that particular person throughout the cleaning.

Do I have to move anything?

Whenever possible please make sure that the registers and returns are not hidden, and if they are, please be prepared to point them out to the technician. Most technicians will try to move furniture whenever possible.

How long does the whole cleaning process take?

Duct cleaning can take between 1.5 and 3 hours. Larger homes may take a little longer or if the set up of the equipment is difficult, however we are in you home until the job is completely finished.

How much does a Custom Quote Cost?

The original call is free of charge and can take approximately 5 to 7 minutes.

Will you have to make a cut-in?

If this is the first time your home has been duct cleaned, then yes, we will need to make a cut-in into the ductwork. It is approximately a 10″ opening, allowing us to insert our robot assisted camera and telescopic equipment into the ductwork. This cut-in is then repaired with a plate which covers the opening, and the plate has a neoprince seal which is screwed in place. We need 2 to 3 feet of open ductwork around your furnace to access you duct work for the cleaning. If the furnace is enclosed in a small space we may need to cut through the drywall to access the ductwork.

How does the technician clean the ducts?

By using powerful compressed air, NAT uses a combination of blowing and vacuuming, plus direct contact brushing of the main duct line portion of the ductwork.

With this system, NAT can remove all the layers of dirt and debris found in the home’ duct work. Starting from the highest vents in the house, the technician uses tools to dislodge dirt and debris that is then blown down the ducts towards the main line by using very powerful compressed air. The technician continues this process with all the vents in the home working towards the main line

At the main line in the basement, a powerful vacuum powered off of the truck with up to 15, 000 cubic feet per minute, vacuums the dirt and debris blown down from all the vents in the home. The main line is also cleaned using direct contact brushing.