Cleaning ventilation ducts: an overview of the most effective ways to clean a ventilation duct

Heavy stale air is depressing both physically and mentally. Not only the general microclimate of the dwelling, but also the well-being of household members largely depends on the purity and composition of the air in the room, right? But ventilation does not always help to establish air exchange: due to blockages in the general ventilation duct or ventilation pipe additional exhaust system, the thrust may drop significantly, after which the circulation of air flows will not pass properly way.

Routine cleaning of ventilation ducts is an important procedure, on the quality and regularity of which the health and even safety of residents depends. And in crowded places, industrial premises, medical institutions or catering establishments cleaning the ventilation system should be carried out even more often and more thoroughly.

In this article, we will consider the reasons why you should not neglect the maintenance of the ventilation system, we will talk about effective ways of cleaning ventilation ducts and air ducts and we will figure out whether it is possible to put in order on our own ventilation shaft.

Why is air duct cleaning necessary?

Undoubtedly, clean air is one of the foundations of human life. Natural and forced ventilation promotes air exchange in the room, making the stay in the apartment comfortable and safe.

However, an increase in the amount of mud deposits inside the air ducts inevitably leads to the migration of debris and pathogens into the housing itself. Unwanted particles move into the apartment and imperceptibly poison the health of all residents.

And after removing dirt from the walls of the mine and effective disinfection, the air entering the apartment does not bring with it harmful suspensions or pathogenic bacteria. Natural ventilation and forced draft systems work more efficiently and the equipment itself is subject to less wear and tear.

Ventilation pollution is fraught with extremely undesirable consequences:

1. Increase in the level of fire hazard due to the accumulation of enough combustible particles: dust, cobwebs, layers of fat.
2. Decrease in the efficiency of air inflow and outflow due to a decrease in the diameter of the duct.
3. More rapid wear of ventilation devices due to increased load on motors and constant overheating of working units.
4. Accelerating the formation of subsequent mud deposits: in every place where even a small amount of debris has accumulated, new mud will settle faster.
5. Deterioration of the general microclimate in the room due to poor air circulation, increased humidity and the usual temperature.
6. The negative impact on human health due to an increase in the number of disease-causing bacteria, fungi and allergens.

In addition to the direct effect on health, dirty air with a low oxygen content provokes a decrease in performance, accelerates fatigue. Therefore, it is necessary to clean ventilation ducts not only at home: in offices and other rooms with a large number of people staying, it is necessary to carry out routine maintenance activities and disinfection more often.

Types of air duct pollutants

Exhaust and supply air ducts and ventilation ducts are the main links of the ventilation system that require careful maintenance.

Gradually, various contaminants settle on their surfaces, which significantly affect the functioning of the entire exhaust complex.

Cleaning methods for household ventilation ducts are highly dependent on the types of pollutants filling the air ducts.

The main ones remain:

• common dust and dirtpenetrating the premises and the mine from the street;
• rust and other depositswhich, over time, can concentrate on metal surfaces due to high levels of humidity;
• fungi and mold;
• plaque from water, which is formed due to the movement of moist air masses or the formation of condensation when the air temperature drops;
• fattysediments, the source of which is the heat treatment of food;
• colonies of microorganismsdeveloping in a favorable humid environment.

In specialized institutions, such as laboratories or production halls, on the inner surface of ventilation units particles of reagents or chemicals can settle, which, due to their nature, require a special approach to neutralization and removal.

A separate and rather complex subspecies of pollutants are deposits after fire or the flood. Combustion products require immediate removal from the mine and air ducts, since inhalation of these substances has a very detrimental effect on human health.

The aftermath of the flood are no less insidious: the abundance of humid air and condensation contribute to the growth of fungal colonies inside the ventilation system. Spores easily move through the air ducts, penetrating into living quarters, after which the development of mold continues directly in the apartment - on the walls, ceiling of living rooms.

Exhaust ventilation ducts become dirty more slowly than supply ducts. In the latter, in addition to street dust, allergens are retained, for example, pollen, chemical compounds from exhaust gases or industrial emissions.

The most polluted ventilation units

Air ducts used to build a ventilation system differ in size, material of manufacture, shape, design and connection method. but ventilation pipes have a sufficiently large cross-section and a straight direction, and air with unwanted suspensions passes through these areas most easily. Therefore, the direct ventilation duct is least of all susceptible to clogging.

It is much more difficult to cope with the dirt in certain nodes of the system, which, due to their configuration, trap more debris.

These elements include:

• ventilation outlets;
• tees and crosses;
• flexible inserts and rectangular wefts;
• areas near filters;
• valves;
• diffusers and lattices;
• adapters, etc.

It is these elements that must be given maximum attention during cleansing.

It is worth considering the fact that it is quite difficult to process these zones without special equipment, so you cannot do without calling a team of specialists.

Signs of the need to clean ventilation ducts

Visual inspection with the help of special devices for video surveillance is the surest way to personally verify the amount of debris and the need to clean the air ducts.

However, even without special equipment, it can be understood that the ventilation system needs to remove accumulations of dirt.

The following signs indicate that it is time to get rid of the air ducts of dust, grease and other pollutants:

1. The microclimate in the premises has worsened - stuffiness is felt.
2. The strength of the drafts generated when opening windows and doors has been significantly reduced.
3. Dust has started to accumulate on furniture and other surfaces.
4. The draft in the ventilation duct has dropped significantly.
5. On ventilation grill and spider webs and dust marks appear around it.

If the homeowner observes at least some of the above phenomena, it is worthwhile to conduct a visual diagnosis of the ventilation ducts. This can be done through the inspection hatch or, if it is absent, by removing the ventilation grill.

Methods for cleaning ventilation ducts

Most owners choose to do home maintenance on their own, without the help of specialists. However, cleaning air ducts requires both a certain skill and a special and rather expensive equipment. Therefore, owners who are thinking about how to clean a home ventilation duct should still contact a company that has the appropriate license and permission to carry out these works.

Experts will organize the procedure in a truly high-quality and efficient manner, and will also take samples of contamination. Analysis of samples will allow you to determine the presence of pathogenic flora in the system and select the agent that is optimal for disinfection.

The use of video equipment for channel diagnostics will make it possible to choose the most suitable method for cleaning mines.

Method # 1 - mechanical cleaning

An effective method of cleansing, most often used for the maintenance of vertical channels. It is carried out by physically scraping deposits from the walls of the air ducts.

Convenient for removing light dirt:

• dust;
• cobwebs;
• small stones;
• waste products of birds and rodents.

In fact, the cleaning procedure can be carried out both completely manually and automatically. The method is dry, as it does not involve the use of detergents and any other chemicals.

However, this method is not very suitable for neutralizing fat deposits, since the accumulations of this pollutant are very difficult to remove from the channel surfaces. Another disadvantage of this method is that it is extremely inconvenient to use in ventilation systems with a complex configuration, an abundance of bends and branches.

For mechanical cleaning, both simple and rather complex devices are used:

1. Wire rope with wire brush well removes deposits from surfaces. To increase efficiency, the design can be supplemented with an electric drive, thanks to which the debris removal is more intensive.
2. Combined unit with brushes and vacuum cleaner makes it possible to simultaneously remove plaque and absorb its particles, so that they do not spread through the ventilation duct.

If mechanical cleaning takes place without the use of a vacuum cleaner, the scraped off debris can be removed naturally, in which the air flow carries the dirt with it.

When cleaning vertical channels in residential buildings with the help of a ruff and a weight on a cable, garbage can fall into a special pocket of the mine or settle in the opening at the entrance to the apartment. In the latter case, it must be collected to avoid the spread of dirt into the house. Therefore, it remains more effective to use an additional vacuum unit, which is separately connected to the air duct and sucks out all the dirt.

More details about the cleaning process of the ventilation mine in an apartment building we reviewed here.

Method # 2 - dry cleaning with foam

The method is effective for neutralizing fatty deposits, which are difficult to mechanical stress. The method is most in demand in catering establishments, in which complex air ducts of kitchen hoods are most susceptible to the constant settling of fat particles.

During the cleaning process, a special compound is sprayed inside the air duct, which breaks down fat. The plaque is stratified and torn away from the surface, after which its particles are carried away by air masses or are sucked off with a vacuum cleaner.

Quite aggressive alkaline compounds are used as detergents. Some of them, in addition to cleansing, also have disinfecting properties. The concentration of the reagent is selected by a specialist, starting from the degree of contamination of the system.

If the foam does not kill microbes, in addition, during the cleansing process, disinfection of air ducts. The choice of a disinfectant also remains with the employee of the company. For maximum efficiency of the procedure for the destruction of pathogens, it is advisable to make samples of contaminants in order to determine the types of microorganisms inhabiting the air ducts.

Method # 3 - combined cleansing method

The method involves the use of mechanical devices + special cleaning foam. This tandem allows you to achieve good results in the presence of various types of contamination.

The procedure can be either completely manual or automated, in which vacuum devices are used to remove the remaining dirt.

Method # 4 - cryogenic blasting

At its core, this relatively new method is a kind of chemical purification. However, blasting deserves special attention due to its effectiveness and gentle action. In the process, the so-called dry ice is used, which has properties that are optimal for cleansing the walls.

The unit supplies dry ice to the air duct. The substance, in contact with the walls of the ventilation duct, almost instantly begins evaporation, during which microexplosions are produced. Thanks to them, the deposit of dirt is separated from the walls, but the surface of the shaft itself is not damaged. Dry ice breaks down into carbon dioxide, which leaves the channel with a stream of fresh air.

Gentle cleaning, safety and environmental friendliness make cryogenic blasting the best choice for residential and catering applications.

Air duct cleaning technology

In fact, the cleaning of ventilation ducts and air ducts takes place in two stages. The first one is held inspection of internal surfacesto assess the degree of contamination of the mine. For this, special equipment is used, equipped with cameras and small floodlights.

The image is displayed on the screen of a computer or other equipment, so that the operator can assess the scope of the upcoming work. Additionally, garbage samples are taken for subsequent analysis for the presence of pathogenic organisms.

In the second stage, the activities are directly carried out cleaning work, the course of which depends on the chosen cleaning method. When mechanically cleaning the vertical channels of a residential building, specialists launch a cable into the mine with weight and a special brush, which effectively removes deposits and large blockages from the walls duct. Before connecting special equipment, workers close the valves, inlet and outlet openings of the ventilation system.

If vacuum units are used in the cleaning process, they are connected to one of the air duct outlets. After this, the cleaning procedure begins, which can include only mechanical action or also the use of chemical detergents.

If necessary, after cleaning, disinfection is carried out with agents selected by a specialist. These can be preparations based on peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide or other substances neutralizing pathogens.

How to clean the ventilation duct on your own?

Self-cleaning of air ducts in a residential building is a rather complicated procedure, which is still better to entrust to professionals. It is extremely difficult for a home owner without special equipment to remove contamination with high quality and not violate the integrity of the system.

Also, ventilation complexes are common property, so the management company should be engaged in their maintenance. Physically, a resident can clean only the section of the mine adjacent to his apartment, which will not be enough to restore the full functioning of ventilation.

However, part of the work can still be done. It is first necessary to warn the neighbors about the upcoming cleaning, since in the process of work there will be noise is generated, and debris can fly into the living space from the ventilation openings on the floors below.

Before starting work, you also need to take care of personal protective equipment: respirator, durable gloves, glasses. It is better to cover the floor under the ventilation hole with a rag, since a large amount of debris may spill out during work.

The procedure for cleaning the ventilation duct is as follows:

1. Remove the ventilation grill or disassemble exhaust fan. Rinse the grate or clean the hood according to the instructions.
2. Visually inspect the ventilation duct, illuminating the cavity with a flashlight.
3. If there is large debris in the mine, such as stones, remove it by hand as carefully as possible.
4. Using a metal brush or spatula, gently scrape off any deposits from the shaft walls.
5. Remove the remaining dirt with a vacuum cleaner without using brushes. However, it is this stage that is rather unsafe; below we will explain why.
6. Wipe cleaned walls with a damp cloth.
7. Replace the ventilation grill or reassemble the exhaust fan.

The use of an ordinary household vacuum cleaner in the process of cleaning the ventilation duct is an extremely dubious step that most apartment owners still resort to. The danger of such cleaning is that bacteria and fungi from the mine can easily bypass the filters of the equipment and get into the apartment in large quantities. It is also forbidden to use the vacuum cleaner in the blowing mode, since all the litter through the ventilation holes on other floors will simply fall into other people's apartments.

In addition to blowing out with a vacuum cleaner, when self-cleaning the ventilation duct, it is forbidden to use special chemicals for cleaning and disinfection. Without knowledge and skills, an ordinary user will not be able to correctly calculate the concentration suitable for spraying. Too aggressive composition can damage the walls of the air ducts or cause poisoning of the residents. The only substance acceptable for household cleaning is dry ice.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

In the video below, the wizard talks in detail about the types of air ducts and types of connecting fittings:

The process of cleaning air ducts using the electric flex shaft technique is demonstrated below:

A detailed procedure for all stages of cleaning the ventilation in the food block is shown by the specialists of the cleaning company:

Cleaning the air ducts of the ventilation system in a domestic environment should be carried out at least once every one to two years. For industrial enterprises, catering establishments, scheduled cleaning should be organized several times a year. This important procedure cannot be neglected, since deposits of dirt in the ventilation duct can have an extremely negative effect on the health of residents and on the operation of exhaust or climatic equipment.

However, due to the complexity of the design analysis and the extremely low quality of self-cleaning, it is better to entrust the maintenance of air ducts to employees of specialized companies. Serious equipment, effective reagents for cleaning and disinfection, experience and skills allow the teams to quickly and efficiently deal with all types of contamination in the air ducts.

Have you recently done your own duct cleaning and want to share this with other users? Or you are an employee of a company that specializes in cleaning and disinfecting ventilation and air conditioning systems and want to supplement the above material with useful information? Write your comments and recommendations, ask questions - the comment form is located below.