Cleaning the ac ducts in your home or office is not an everyday task. Depending on the size of your living or work space, a considerable amount of preparation is necessary.
Unfortunately many people find themselves cleaning out their ac ducts because of an emergency such as a health inspection at your work place or a bunch of rats ran past you and dove into the vents during a dinner party at your home.
With good planning and preparation, this will never happen to you.
There are several things to consider as you prepare for ac and duct cleaning at your house or office.
We will begin by reviewing a few to get you off on the right track.
Budget
How much you are willing or able to spend is a major factor affecting the cleaning operation you will carry out. Prices offered by cleaning companies vary greatly based on the amount of work, the type of equipment to be used and the service provider’s preferred profit margin.
Depending on the competition in your area, service rates are usually negotiable if you are on a fixed budget. Planning early also gives you room to shop around and confidence to bargain.
It is tough to play hard ball if you are looking for a cleaner during a rodent convention at your home, or when the health inspector is knocking on your door.
Timing (how long it takes)
It is important to know in advance how long it will take for the cleaners to purge your ac ducts of all impurities before they begin the work.
Depending on the mess they have to work with or their particular work ethic, ac duct cleaners could take between one hour and one day to get the job done. In some cases they may need more than a day.
If you know it is going to be a lengthy process, you can plan for the cleaners to come early in the morning, work through the day and be done by the time your kids come home from school.
You could also consider having your kids stay over with a friend or relative during the cleaning exercise especially if you have household members with asthma or other allergies. You never know what could trigger an allergic reaction and add hospital visits to your schedule on an already busy day.
If you are planning the to clean the ducts at work and the activity is set to take a lot of time, it is advisable to select a company that is willing to work over the weekend, through the night, or on a public holiday.
This is important so that you don’t disrupt your work schedule or give your staff reasons to miss work deadlines.
There are many other things you need to consider as you plan your duct cleaning operation that we cannot cover fully in this article.
Basically, if you plan your duct cleaning process well, you will enjoy it from beginning to the end, avoiding all possible surprises.
Our next blog post outlines everything you need to know about getting your furnace and air ducts ready for winter.