Cherokee Carpet & Air Duct Cleaning

Dirty Ducts Can Make a Home Environmentally Unsafe

 A faint odor permeates the house, but the source cannot be found; the children’s allergies are a bit worse this year; an elderly relative’s respiratory problems seem to flare after visiting. It’s not a noxious gas or a perilous pathogen, but what may be causing any of  the above scenarios is dirty duct work. 

 More precisely, a buildup of dust, mold, building material particles, or even an abandoned sandwich may be the problem.  Fortunately, air duct cleaning services exist.  “You’d be surprised at what we see “ said Sam Hughes who works for Cherokee Carpet & Air Duct Cleaning. “Especially in newer homes, we find potato salad or sandwiches that the workmen had left.” With the proliferation of central heating and air condition systems in today’s homes and businesses, there are fewer reasons and opportunities to open the windows and let the air circulate.  Fibers, dust, gases, pet dander, and air just stay there.  This all goes back to the energy crunch of the ‘70s, when they built houses tightly sealed with insulated windows to cut down on heating and cooling costs, but then you don’t have the turnover of fresh outdoor air.  

Your home is efficient, but you pay a price in your health.  Allergists agree that central heat and air are good systems but they need to be maintained and people don’t understand that is part of moving into a nice new home.  There is a lot more maintenance involved.  There has been a rise in the number of  allergy-related respiratory cases in the past decade.  Duct cleaning can be done while the family is at home or employees are in the office. 

 Cherokee uses a cleaning system that involves a high pressure air wash that loosens debris, combined with a high volume vacuum that sucks the dirty air into a filter.  The Abatement Technologies HEPA Air 2500 Portable vacuum used operates at 2500 cubic feet per minute and sends the debris laden air from the ducts through a High Efficiency Particulate Air HEPA Filter. 

 The history of the HEPA filter goes back to the making and testing of the atomic bomb.  They needed a filter that would prevent dangerous particles from getting to people.  HEPA filters are also used for asbestos removal.  The fine filter makes eradicating pet dander, dust, and anything else that may be inhabiting the duct work easy to do.  The benefits are unbelievable.  Odors are gone and you notice you are sneezing less.  Customers have the opportunity of examining the contents of the filter pouch in hopes of finding lost treasures or at least gawk at the former residents of their air ducts.  What are the signs that the duct work needs to be cleaned?  Well, one is visible dirt at the register returns and another is simply the age of the duct work.  If the house is over 3 to 4 years old there is a need.   Another reason to have duct work cleaned is if recently there has been extensive remodeling  or painting which cause an increased burden of particles in the air system.  Duct cleaning can be done any time of the year for people with allergies.  The normal cleaning and sanitizing process can be done in one day in most cases.  The size of the house or the building would, of course, impact cleaning time.  After the initial cleaning, the process should be repeated every five years to minimize the contaminants in the air system, thus allowing everyone to breathe easier.