Cleaning those ducts, the unseen part of the house

By BethAnne Brink-Cox House and Home Feature Writer

Have you considered ductwork cleaning as you begin planning the usual spring chores, both large and small? There are varying opinions on whether or not this is a necessary task, but Ryan Ousley, Comfort Specialist for Colliers Commercial Service in Warsaw, has a good opinion on this question, with plenty of experience to back it up. “Have you ever looked inside your ductwork? Some of what we clean, it’s like pulling cats out of the ducts! So just imagine breathing in all that hair, dirt, dust. And the work of your furnace or AC can blow it all around.”

Ousley continued, “If you have respiratory issues, such as asthma, and/or if you have dogs in your house, cats in your house, you should probably have the cleaning done more frequently than the norm, which is 5-7 years. You can also consider the Reme Halo, which uses molecules of hydrogen peroxide; they attach to other particulates like mold, pollen, dander, even COVID and kill them.” A quick check for more information showed that this ionized peroxide system is U.S. Military and hospital approved; for instance, they can reduce 99% of sneeze germs by the time that sneeze can reach three feet! Ousley said, “The first couple of months you’ll see more clumps of stuff, because it’s cleaning your house, your system. I mean, we can’t completely eliminate all dust, but these Halos help with all kinds of bacteria and other issues, and it’s all through the filters. I have one in my house, and believe me, if it’s unplugged for any length of time, I can see the difference.”

What about furnace filters? Ousley explained about Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) and how the size of the filters used, which vary, can only handle so much dust and dirt. “A 1 inch filter should be replaced monthly. If you moved up to bigger box filters, the MERV ratings show them working for 9 months to a year. We’re talking carbon clean filters. They’re costly, but the result is best. Hospital air quality. But they can be installed in residential homes.”

While there are many do-it-yourself projects you can safely manage, Ousley said, “Please leave it to the pros. The machine we use is the size of a small refrigerator. We block your furnace so nothing gets pulled inside. Once it’s hooked up to the supply duct, we go to all your supply vents and cover them with plastic, create suction so anything loose can move. We wash and clean all your registers. Once that’s done, we go to the return side and do the same thing, taking each vent off the wall or the floor. Floor returns are dirtiest, because you can walk right across them. Just think of all that can fall down in there. We have a three part filtration system, HEPA filters that are hospital quality.”

Lastly, Ousley said the best time to do this kind of indepth cleaning is during what he called the ‘shoulder season’--between the end of the heating season and before the cooling season begins. “You just went through a season where it ran all winter or all summer. But honestly, even if you just built a house, you’ve got drywall dirt, fibers from carpet installation, you really just want to get a fresh start.”

And if you’re moving into a pre-owned home, you could be dealing with allergens you didn’t know were in the system, such as pet dander.

Ousley said they’re busy all year long, so add this task to your list if you were considering it. If you weren’t, you might want to reconsider. n

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