Air duct cleaning every 3-5 years helps improve a home’s air quality

By Shelley Widhalm The Surveyor

With all the construction going on in Berthoud, plus the windy conditions and nearby summer fires, it’s optimal to clean the air ducts in a home’s air-handling system every three to five years.

How often the cleaning should be done depends on location, but it isn’t needed yearly as some big box companies recommend, said Jacob Killingbeck, president and co-owner of J & B Simply Clean Carpets in Berthoud with his wife, Brooke-Lynn, as well as J & B Simply Clean Car Wash, also in erthoud.

“If you don’t clean them, the air quality won’t be as great,” illingbeck said. “It can make allergies bad from the poor air quality and reduce the efficiency of the furnace and air-conditioner. They run harder and work harder.”

Killingbeck has been cleaning carpets and air ducts through his business for 10 years, starting out in Austin, Texas, and working the last four years in erthoud. e uses high-powered brushes operating at 1,000 RPMs and a 40 horsepower motor in his van to provide suction behind the brushes to be able to clean out the air ducts, the air returns and the pressure and trunk lines that are part of the duct system.

Air ducts are throughout the home to handle outgoing air from the air-handling system — there is roughly one air duct or air return per every 1 square feet. The air returns in the air duct system are the points where air draws back into the system and is sucked into the furnace a furnace filter catches dust and debris and optimally should be changed every two to three months. Pressure and trunk lines are cavities connected to the furnace and run between the subfloor if there is a basement and under the house, if there isn’t one. They are the rectangular boxes that appear in the ceilings of unfinished basements.

“Depending on square footage, air duct tubes are running to the trunk line. They are the main cavity for the air to flow throughout the house,” illingbeck said. “Every ounce of air circulating through the system is coming through this one access point.”

Killingbeck does an air duct cleaning by going through the entry of every air duct and air return where the lines are connected to a furnace and cleaning those out, plus the trunk and pressure lines. As long as he keeps his equipment maintained, he’s able to contain what he collects and not get it in the house, he said.

“The brush contacts the entire tube going down to the trunk and pressure line,” Killingbeck said, adding that he cleans forward and back, not just one way.

As he cleans, illingbeck finds the usual accumulated dust, dirt and pet and animal hair, plus a few oddities, like coins and small toys that can fall through the cracks of a register.

“The coolest thing I ever found was a 1 -year-old antique back scratcher,” illingbeck said. “It was a family heirloom.”

On occasion, Killingbeck comes across the bodies of mice, snakes and birds, as well as construction debris from careless builders, like drywall, wood, tile, grout, nails, screws and light switches.

“ uilders don’t care and use air returns and vents as trash cans,” illingbeck said. “A lot of times they will just sweep stuff in there and call it a day.”

For that reason, Killingbeck recommends getting air ducts cleaned when moving in, even if the house is new.

“Air duct cleaning is not something a lot of people know about,” Killingbeck said. “It’s definitely gotten more popular in the 2 s, and the equipment is better.”

Killingbeck warns against air duct cleaning scams in a highly unregulated business, where companies will underbid jobs and not use the proper equipment, nor have the needed experience. e also warns against flat rates he charges for the first eight air ducts and a fee for each additional air duct — and the use of unfounded scare tactics like the absolute need to remove germs and bacteria.

“People can’t see into air ducts and have to put their faith into the company doing the cleaning for you,” illingbeck said. “A lot of times my company ends up cleaning other people’s messes.”

Killingbeck recommends homeowners call a professional to do the job since getting all the dust and debris out is not possible without the right equipment. A shop vacuum, for example, can only hit the first few feet of the air duct system, he said.

“Every one of these tubes is connected together. Everything runs to one point, which is the furnace,” illingbeck said. “If there is dust in one area of one duct and it circulates air throughout the house, it will make its way back to the furnace and blow back through the air duct.”