How to Clean Your HVAC Air Ducts

To help ensure the air you are breathing is clean, be sure to clean your air ducts regularly. Not only can this improve your indoor air quality, it can also reduce the dirt that can eventually causes wear and tear on the components of your systems. Let’s take a look at the steps necessary to clean the air ducts in your home:

Items Needed

Vacuum

It would be best if you use an all-purpose “Shop-Vac” vacuum. However, a normal household vacuum will work fine if that is the only vacuum you have.

Furnace Filter

You will definitely need a brand new filter after this job has been completed.

Brush

You can use a paint brush with stiff bristles. A toilet brush will also be acceptable for this task.

Paper Towels

If you plan on sweeping and dusting after you finish the process of cleaning the ducts, you will not need to use the paper towels. They may not be necessary at all if you clean your ducts on a regular basis.

Hex Driver or Screwdriver (usually ¼”)

Some of the registers might be sealed with screws. You will need whatever tool is necessary to remove these screws. A screwdriver usually does the trick.

Step 1
Begin by using a paper towel to cover the supply air registers. This will help to keep the dust down while you are working. Open the register, wrap the paper towel around it and close the register.

Step 2
Adjust the setting on your thermostat to “fan on” and then turn off the “heat/cool” mode. This will ensure that the fan is the only thing running when you begin cleaning.

Step 3
Double check that the filter is in place before you begin. This will ensure that any dust that gets shaken loose will not get sucked into the motor of the fan.

Step 4
Shake loose any dust that you notice has built up in your duct work.

Tap on any duct work that is accessible in your basement by using your brush handle. Doing this will break apart the sections of dust that have become hard on the sides of your ducts.

Step 5
Begin to sweep all of the dust out of the supply registers. Lift the cover of the register with your hose running close to the opening of the register. Try to sweep as deep as possible into the piping of the register as you can. Catch all of the dust that is blown out by the fan by using the hose. Remove any dust that has built up in the register with the brush. Throw away the paper towels that you put in the registers after you clean each one.

Step 6
Begin to sweep out all of the return air registers. You will need to use your tool to open any registers that are closed with a screw. As you did before, try to sweep back as far as you can reach into the piping of the register.

Step 7
Turn off the fan at your thermostat. You should also turn off the power to your furnace by using the breaker panel or service switch. It is very important that you do not only turn off your thermostat.

Step 8
Once the power has been turned off, access the return air boot and the blower compartment by removing the front panels of your furnace.

Vacuum up all of the dust that has built up in the return air boot and the blower compartment. Most of the dust will be located in these areas.
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Aramendia is a plumbing and HVAC company that specializes in air conditioning repair in San Antonio, TX including HVAC maintenance.