Can Flexible Air Ducts Be Cleaned?

Flexible ductwork has been around since the 1970s but right out of the gate it raised an important question: can such a thing be effectively cleaned? Given that a typical flexible duct has hundreds of accordion-style ribs that provide it flexibility, but also provide countless places for airborne dirt and debris to accumulate, it's a fair question. In the past, the answer was "No". Fortunately, times and technology have changed and the answer now is "Yes, but you'll need to use an air duct cleaning company that knows what it’s doing.”

Professional Air Duct Cleaning In Arvada

Steve’s has been providing Colorado homeowners with high-quality home maintenance services for nearly 45 years. If we had a dollar for every time someone asked us if we can clean flexible air ducts we’d have quite a nice roll of bills by now. Cleaning flexible air ducts is in fact one of our specialties. Our field technicians have been rigorously trained in the proper way to handle this type of job and have been provided the tools necessary to ensure it’s done right. The first time. But before we go on, let’s back up for a minute.

What Exactly Are Flexible Ducts?

Most people first encountered flexible ducts running from the back of their dryer to a vent on the outside of their house. In fact, for many, the flexible dryer vent is the only type of flexible duct they have ever seen. But that is only one kind of flexible ductwork and separate from what we are discussing here. For the purposes of this article, we are talking about flexible ductwork that's a part of the HVAC distribution network in your house.

These days flexible HVAC ducts are used in a variety of places around the house, typically anywhere the ductwork needs to shimmy around an obstacle, or where rigid ductwork simply isn't necessary. Common places you will find flexible ductwork include the crawl space, the attic, the bathroom (for the bathroom exhaust fan), and for certain delivery and return air applications should there be both need and available space.

Why Flexible Ducts Are Not Used Everywhere

Flexible ducts have several advantages over rigid ductwork. First, they are very easy to assemble. Second, they are easy to manipulate. And third, they are affordable when compared to rigid ductwork. They cannot, however, be used in every situation because they are more prone to infestation (since they can be chewed through relatively easily), and the shape of the duct tends to promote reduced airflow. The third major concern, of course, is cleaning and sanitizing air ducts. If a long, flexible duct is ensconced inside a sealed wall no one will ever be able to clean it properly. That is also why most flexible ductwork is relatively short. Because the more twists and turns it has the harder it is to clean.

Not Everyone Can Clean Flexible Air Ducts

If you have been conducting internet searches for “air duct cleaning near me” in an effort to find someone to clean your flexible ductwork you have probably discovered that, while there are a lot of people who offer air duct cleaning, there are precious few who clean flexible air ducts. There’s a good reason for that: cleaning flexible ducts is not easy. It takes lots of training and the right equipment and most companies don’t want to be bothered.

Flexible ducts are much more fragile than rigid, galvanized steel ducts. At the same time, they tend to get dirtier, faster than standard ductwork, so the technician needs to be at the top of their game. Hiring someone with little or no experience with flexible ducts, or someone who lacks the right equipment, is asking for trouble. Ducts can get torn or crimped, putting a major damper on airflow throughout your house. In addition, if the person or company you hired is uninsured and they damage your ductwork, you will be the one who winds up paying for repairs. That will never happen when you hire Steve's Duct Cleaning Service. We're fully insured.

Trust Our Professional Air Duct Cleaners

Ductwork has not yet been made that can clean itself or alert you that it needs to be cleaned. You need to stay alert for the signs that a cleaning is required. Some of those signs include:

• Unpleasant odors - If foul smells are emanating from the ductwork it's time to call Steve's.
• Dust and dirt on the vents - If you see dirt and dust on the vent covers it's time to call Steve's
• Frequent changing of the air filter - If you need to change the air filter in your HVAC system all the time it means there is dirt in the ductwork.
• Weak or uneven airflow - If air doesn't seem to be kicking out of the vents the way it used to it's time to schedule a thorough duct cleaning
• You have just renovated - Remodeling and renovation projects throw huge amounts of dust and debris into the air. If you have just remodeled the kitchen, bathroom or any other part of the home you need to have the ducts cleaned. All of them.

Our years of experience and proven dedication to the wellbeing of our customers is your assurance that when you enlist Steve’s to clean the flexible ductwork in your Arvada home, you will get your money's worth.

If the flexible ductwork in your home has never been cleaned, or if it is sending one of the above-listed signals that something is wrong, get in touch with Steve’s Air Duct Cleaning and rest easy.