FAQ

Air Duct Cleaning FAQ

How often do you recommend that air ducts be cleaned?
In order to make sure that the air ducts in your home are completely clean, free of any debris and harmful allergens and functioning the way that they should be, we recommend that you first have your home inspected by a professional air duct cleaning company that can help you decide the right frequency for cleanings, based on the size of your home, the number of pets in your home and any unique health or environmental issues in your household.

Does it really make that big of a difference if the HVAC system in my home is dirty?
You cannot completely prevent the build up of dirt and dust on your home’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, but that does not mean that you shouldn’t take steps to keep it clean. The air ducts and the coils inside of your home’s system can become covered with dust, dirt, pet dander and insects that will decrease the efficiency of your system, as well as increase energy costs for you. Damaged or dirty fins on the condenser can also cost money. According to various studies, heating and cooling systems that are not well maintained can increase your household energy costs by 20% annually, and can cause equipment failure. There will also be higher and more frequent repair bills to pay, which is why it is recommended that you have your home’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems cleaned regularly.

Does your company have the right kind of equipment needed to clean my home’s air ducts?
Affordable Air Duct Cleaners’ expert cleaning professionals use only high quality and specially designed cleaning equipment that will produce the best possible results. We use high powered truck mounted vacuums, along with portable brushes and vacuum cleaners, which will get the job done right, the first time.

Are there any health concerns for my family if my home’s air ducts are not cleaned properly?
Air ducts which have not been professionally cleaned on a regular basis can dramatically reduce the indoor air quality in your home. When allergens like pet dander, dust, dirt, insects and other harmful particles have built up inside of your air ducts, they will be circulated all over your home when you turn on your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, and pollute the air that you breathe. If you or any of your family members breathe in this polluted air, it may trigger allergies, asthma attacks or other respiratory problems. Since you and your family probably spend a large amount of your time at home, it is important to keep your air ducts clean in order to avoid these health problems.

Should I worry about hidden charges from your air duct cleaning services?
Affordable Air Duct Cleaners offers its clients flat rates for our air duct cleaning services, which is the reason that you will not have to worry about any hidden costs at all. Even before our technicians arrive, you will be fully aware of what the final charges will be. Our technicians will provide you with all of the information you request about the cleaning and repair needs of your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, so that you can decide beforehand what you would like to have done in order to keep your system working efficiently.

Dryer Vent Cleaning FAQ

Can my clothes dryer be vented to a basement?
It is not recommended to vent a clothes dryer into any kind of indoor space. The combination of heat and moisture from a dryer vent can encourage mold growth on the ceilings and on the walls of any room. Any accumulation of mold can be very unhealthy and can lead to a lot of home maintenance and safety problems.

Why isn’t my clothes dryer working as fast as it used to?
One explanation is that there might be a problem with your clothes dryer’s heating element. Another very common reason that clothes dryers do not work as fast as they should, and take longer to dry clothes, is that there is a significant blockage in the dryer vent. A dryer’s lint screen can become completely covered in lint. If your dryer vent is blocked with lint, you should have it professionally cleaned as soon as is possible, because a blocked dryer vent is a significant fire hazard. In fact, many accidental fires at home are caused by blocked dryer vents. If you do have a blocked dryer vent, it is recommended that you do not run your clothes dryer for any significant period of time until you can have it professionally cleaned, because running a dryer with a clogged vent can cause very high internal temperatures in the dryer that can lead to fires.

Why is it important to have my dryer vent cleaned?
The exhaust duct from your dryer should be professionally cleaned on a regular basis—meaning semi-annually, or at least annually—according to the guidelines provided by your local fire department. With regular cleanings, the efficiency of your clothes dryer will be substantially increased. Having your dryer vent cleaned is also an important precaution to take for the safety of your home and family, because a blocked dryer vent can cause fires. Another major benefit is that, once you have had your dryer vent cleaned, the clothes dryer’s efficiency will increase and you will have lower energy bills.

Why does a blocked dryer vent cause fires?
Since homes today tend to be larger than in earlier days, dryer vents also tend to travel for longer distances. This provides more area for lint to gather and to become trapped. Though there are lint traps in clothes dryers, a considerable amount of lint will still escape through the trap and accumulate within the vent. Also, if there is inadequate space between the wall and the clothes dryer, the dryer can crush the material of the vent, which will further reduce the vent’s efficiency. When your dryer vent is blocked by lint, the combination of reduced air flow and the higher temperature at which the clothes dryer is forced to operate can lead to accidental fires.

How does Affordable Air Duct Cleaners clean dryer vents?
Affordable Air Duct Cleaners uses very powerful tools that supply high pressure air to fully clear your dryer vents. Even if there is tough and compacted debris, our powerful tools will be able to completely clear the space. Our skilled technicians would ensure that all of the lint is cleared, so that your dryer will work more efficiently and there will be no risk of fire.

Chimney Sweeping FAQ

Why do chimneys break down?
The main reason that chimneys break down is because of the acidic moisture that results from condensed flue gas. This type of moisture will attack your chimney from the inside out, which is why your chimney might look clean and new from the outside, but is actually deteriorating rapidly on the inside. When you have used your chimney for years through winters and wet seasons, acidic moisture can definitely take its toll on your chimney’s condition.

What is the source of this moisture?
For each cubic foot of gas that is burned, two cubic feet of water vapor will be created. Considering the amount of gas that will be burned over your heating system’s lifetime, there will be a great deal of moisture produced that can negatively affect your chimney. Water vapor will easily travel up the chimney, and in colder weather, condense on surfaces within your chimney, which will mean that there will be plenty of acidic moisture drops soaking your flue. This problem is seen more frequently today in the high efficiency modern furnaces that we use, because they extract more heat from fuel than conventional furnaces. As a result, less heat would travel up the chimney, which will keep the temperatures there lower, which in turn will result in more acidic moisture that can damage chimneys at a faster rate.

Why are cracked flue tiles harmful?
Damaged chimneys can be a potential disaster for you and your family, though you might have not have thought of them as such. If any carbon monoxide leaks through any cracks in your chimney’s flue lining, that carbon monoxide can then easily enter your home. Even very small amounts of carbon monoxide can cause severe health problems for you and your family. Another major risk is the chance of chimney fires, which can cause great damage to your home. If there are cracks in your flue tile and in the mortar that surrounds the bricks, flames can easily escape through them and set the house on fire. Chimney fires can be more than 2000 degrees in temperature, which is enough to bring the structure of your chimney down in a matter of moments. You can imagine how much damage that kind of fire can cause in your home.

How often should chimney cleaning or sweeping be performed?
Chimneys at home should be cleaned on a regular basis. In order to know exactly how often, you should ask a professional team to come and inspect your fireplace and chimney to get a clearer picture of their condition. The frequency with which you need to have your chimney cleaned depends on quite a few different factors.

What sets Affordable Air Duct Cleaners from other chimney cleaning companies?
Affordable Air Duct Cleaners is known as one of the best chimney cleaning companies on the east coast. We have been providing cost effective, efficient and professional services for years. We complete the task at hand with full dedication and no mess at all. Before we begin our work, we will explain our cleaning processes to you and get your approval. We will treat your home as carefully as we treat ours.

Please call Affordable Air Duct Cleaners today for the highest quality chimney cleaning services available in the greater Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, DC areas.