Duct cleaning

[Guest guest]

I have a friend who is hypersensitive to mold and still wants to use his AC this

year, but thinks it would be better to have the ducts cleaned first. I agree,

but what type of cleaning to look for, and should they spray a sanitizer? What

questions to ask the perspective duct cleaners?

[Guest guest]

You are so wise to be concerned about the quality of duct cleaning. Bad duct

cleaning is worse than no duct cleaning, as contaminants can be stirred up and

later aerosolized if not effectively removed during the cut cleaning. The

National Airduct Cleaners Association, nadca.com is a good starting place for

information. Some questions that should be asked of a prospective duct cleaning

company

(1)What is the procedure? A combination of " push/pull " methods should be used.

The pull should be a high powered truck mounted vacuum system (not a portable in

the back of a pick up or van). The push is a compressed hose with special

agitation tools attached.

(2) What precautions are taken to prevent aerosolizing debris and contaminants?

The supply registers and return vents must be sealed with a non-residue tape to

pre-vent aerosolizing particulates.

Additionally, furniture and other items under the ducts in the basement should

be covered with plastic. A note to consumers, if a lot of settled dust is

present on the outside top surface of ducts, this will get stirred up during

duct cleaning. Most duct cleaning services do not include cleaning this. It is

advisable to check this in advance and HEPA vacuum this and damp wipe or hire

someone to do this. The duct cleaners might offer this for an extra fee.

(3)Who is responsible for moving furniture away from vents and registers?

(4) Will the vents and registers be removed? This might not be required if no

ceiling is installed under the ductwork in the basement. If they must be

removed, how will the paint or wallpaper be preserved? Sometimes touch ups are

required.

(5) Does the duct cleaner have the appropriate certification from NACA and state

licensing?

(6) What sanitizing products are offered? Ask for the MSDS sheets in advance.

The products must be EPA registered for use in the ductwork. The only ones I

know of are Oxine and EnviroconIn my opinion, they are not necessary, as once

the debris is removed, a breeding ground for mold and bacteria does not exist.

However, if flushing of the AC coils might be advisable. I prefer Envirocon for

this, as it is safer than Oxine. The manufacturer recommends that occupants be

out of the home for 2 hours after use of Oxine. Many states require that

applicators of sanitizers have a pesticide license. Envirocon is a deodorizer.

Oxine is a sanitizer and usually required a license for applicators.

(7) How are the access ports in the ducts sealed? The access for the vacuum

hose is usually an 8x8 in square patch. It must have gaskets to get a good

seal. One inch plugs are used for the small compressed air hose openings

(usually every 5 to 10 feet).

(8) Do the techs wear shoe protectors and do they wrap hoses to prevent marking

up walls.

(9) How close to the home is the truck parked? Most are diesel, and produce

exhaust fumes.

(10) If the ducts are concealed with a drywall ceiling, how will they access

the ductwork? Usually access holes into the drywall are required. If not, dust

could get stirred up, but not removed.

(11) If the ducts are in a crawlspace or slab, how will they access them?

(12) If the house was built before 1978, asbestos containing material might

exist around the ducts or at the vents and registers. If the house is older

than 1978, you might want to call an asbestos contractor to evaluate in advance.

I hope this helps, please feel free to email me if you have additional

questions. NADCA can provide a list of certified duct cleaners in your area.

Connie Morbach, M.S., CHMM, CIE

Sanit-Air, Inc.

>

>

>

> I have a friend who is hypersensitive to mold and still wants to use his AC

this year, but thinks it would be better to have the ducts cleaned first. I

agree, but what type of cleaning to look for, and should they spray a sanitizer?

What questions to ask the perspective duct cleaners?

>

>

[Guest guest]

speaking of ducts and the difficulty of cleaning them, it seems to me

that the " oldfashioned " way of having separate heaters in each room that

you can keep off when no one is in them is actually a better design. A

while back someone posted about a heater company that made electric

stainless heaters with no offgassing, etc. any one remember the name of

the manufacturer?

thanks, sue

>You are so wise to be concerned about the quality of duct cleaning. Bad

>duct cleaning is worse than no duct cleaning, as contaminants can be

>stirred up and later aerosolized if not effectively removed during the

>cut cleaning. The National Airduct Cleaners Association, nadca.com is a

>good starting place for information. Some questions that should be

>asked of a prospective duct cleaning company

[Guest guest]

,

There are two biocides that are " supposed " to be non-toxic that I've seen some

air duct companies use. They are oxine and enviro-con. The oxine from what I've

read is much stronger and has to be used with great care making sure that anyone

with lung problems especially is nowhere near it when used. The envrirocon is a

weaker solution of the same. As Carl has stated, you would be better off having

people who are NAADC certified. Although there are no guarrantees there either.

Maybe Carl and some of our other experts can weigh in here. Also with regards to

the above mentioned biocides as my info is only second hand research and I am

for sure no expert.

Before cleaning the ducts; wouldn't it be a good idea for your friend to test

the system first? Then at least they'd know what they were dealing with.

Sam

 I have a friend who is hypersensitive to mold and still wants to use his AC

this year, but thinks it would be better to have the ducts cleaned first. I

agree, but what type of cleaning to look for, and should they spray a sanitizer?

What questions to ask the perspective duct cleaners?

[Guest guest]

Oxine is a water solution containing 2% chlorine dioxide gas. It is the chemical

that was used to disinfect buildings suspected to be contaminated with anthrax a

few years ago. It is commonly vaporized or sprayed as a mist into the air

system. It really works quite well. But it is a strong irritant, having an odor

similar to chlorine bleach. All occupants should be removed from the building

during use, and the building should be aired out prior to reentry.

It kills almost all mold in the air handling system. However, if the system

was not thoroughly cleaned, or if top quality filters are not installed, mold

growing conditions will remain and mold will come back. Depending on how

sensitive you are, an oxine treatment can last several months, or maybe just a

few weeks. My employer used oxine for the HVAC that had made me sick. The first

treatment was in September, just starting into heating season, and lasted until

May. After having problems and griping all summer, the system was finally

cleaned and treated again the next September. I worked comfortably only until

December. Eventually treatments helped less than a week as I grew increasingly

more sensitive. Oxine was used as a shortcut to allow duct cleaners do an

incomplete job. It is a gas which gradually dissipates and decomposes. It leaves

zero residual protection.

Gil

Re: Duct cleaning

Posted by: " Sam " yaddayadda53@... yaddayadda53

Date: Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:28 pm ((PDT))

,

There are two biocides that are " supposed " to be non-toxic that I've seen some

air duct companies use. They are oxine and enviro-con. The oxine from what I've

read is much stronger and has to be used with great care making sure that anyone

with lung problems especially is nowhere near it when used. The envrirocon is a

weaker solution of the same. As Carl has stated, you would be better off having

people who are NAADC certified. Although there are no guarrantees there either.

Maybe Carl and some of our other experts can weigh in here. Also with regards to

the above mentioned biocides as my info is only second hand research and I am

for sure no expert.

Before cleaning the ducts; wouldn't it be a good idea for your friend to test

the system first? Then at least they'd know what they were dealing with.

Sam

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[Guest guest]

Gil, I am sorry you experience adverse health symptoms in your place of

employment. Sanitizing airducts without removing debris is never acceptable. If

mold is present, it can be killed with direct contact with Oxine. However, dead

mold can cause adverse health effects. Therefore, removal of the mold and

correcting the underlying cause of excess moisture is necessary.

If mold is growing in an airduct system, a moisture problem must exist. This

can come from improperly operating AC systems, plugged drain pans, poorly sized

systems, leaking humidifiers, among others. If mold is repeatedly growing in an

HVAC system, the source of moisture should be evaluated.

Many times, bacteria growth as opposed to mold is the culprit in complaint

buildings. Gram negative and gram positive bacteria that can amplify in HVAC

components, especially on AC coils can cause varying health effects from

headaches to infections and allergic reactions. A build-up these bacteria on

coils in buildings where the HVAC system are scaled down on weekends or other

low occupancy times has been traced to many building related problems.

Bacteria growth in HVAC systems can sometimes be controlled by routine cleaning

of the coils, which requires a licensed HVAC contractor. In very humid

climates, installation of an ultraviolet light system above the coils can be

effective.

The repeated use of Oxine in your place of employment appears to be

inappropriate. The system should be evaluated by a qualified HVAC contractor or

indoor air quality consultant with HVAC knowledge.

Connie Morbach, M.S., CHMM, CIE

Sanit-Air, Inc.

cleanlinest.wordpress.com

>

>

> Oxine is a water solution containing 2% chlorine dioxide gas. It is the

chemical that was used to disinfect buildings suspected to be contaminated with

anthrax a few years ago. It is commonly vaporized or sprayed as a mist into the

air system. It really works quite well. But it is a strong irritant, having an

odor similar to chlorine bleach. All occupants should be removed from the

building during use, and the building should be aired out prior to reentry.

>

> It kills almost all mold in the air handling system. However, if the system

was not thoroughly cleaned, or if top quality filters are not installed, mold

growing conditions will remain and mold will come back. Depending on how

sensitive you are, an oxine treatment can last several months, or maybe just a

few weeks. My employer used oxine for the HVAC that had made me sick. The first

treatment was in September, just starting into heating season, and lasted until

May. After having problems and griping all summer, the system was finally

cleaned and treated again the next September. I worked comfortably only until

December. Eventually treatments helped less than a week as I grew increasingly

more sensitive. Oxine was used as a shortcut to allow duct cleaners do an

incomplete job. It is a gas which gradually dissipates and decomposes. It leaves

zero residual protection.

>

>

>

> Gil

>

>