The First Atlantic Difference
We will make it happen. Our professional duct cleaning specialists are ready to get your air ducts back in top shape. Air duct cleaning should be done every three to five years for a healthier home.
From in-home estimates to professional duct cleaning, your satisfaction is our priority.
As a member of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA), First Atlantic Restoration provides indoor air quality solutions for commercial and industrial facilities. When air quality concerns or problems are evident, we provide practical, reliable, and industry-backed knowledge. An air duct cleaning involves:
If you suspect you might have a problem with your air quality, give us a call – we’ll help discover and fix the cause of the problem. Our inspection process involves:
Our cleaning procedure begins with shutting off power. This prevents cross contamination and keeps our technicians safe. Next the cleaning begins. Supply registers and return grills are removed and cleaned with an antimicrobial solution. While the registers and grills are cleaned, a portable rotary brush HEPA vacuum is used to disturb and extract contaminants from the ductwork. Access is made through register and grill openings and vacuuming occurs until the ductwork is visually clean.
For a coil cleaning, a dry cleaning and a wet cleaning is performed. The dry cleaning involves contact vacuuming with a HEPA filtered dry vacuum. The wet cleaning involves a commercial grade acid and alkaline free coil cleaner.
Upon completion, results are documented and photographed.
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems have been shown to collect a variety of contaminants such as mold, fungi, bacteria and very small particles of dust that have the potential to affect overall health, The removal of such contaminants from the HVAC system and home should be considered one component in an overall plan to improve indoor air quality.
The best way to determine if the HVAC system cleaning was effective is to perform a visual inspection of the system before and after cleaning. If any dust or debris can be seen during the visual inspection, the system should not be considered cleaned. While you can perform your own visual inspection using a flashlight and mirror, a professional cleaning contractor should be able to allow you better access to system components and perhaps the use of specialized inspection tools.
Frequency of cleaning depends on several factors, not the least of which is the preference of the homeowner. Some of the things that may lead a homeowner to consider more frequent cleaning include:
The most effective way to clean air ducts and ventilation systems is to employ source removal methods of cleaning. This requires a contractor to place the system under negative pressure, through the use of a specialized, powerful vacuum. While the vacuum draws air through the system, devices are inserted into the ducts to dislodge any debris that might be stuck to interior surfaces. The debris can then travel down the ducts to the vacuum, which removes it from the system and the home.
Antimicrobial chemicals are applied by some companies to the interior surface of the air ducts to treat microbial contamination such as fungi (mold), viruses or bacteria. Before any antimicrobial chemicals are used, the system should be thoroughly cleaned. It is critical that any antimicrobial treatment used in your system be registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency specifically for use in HVAC systems. The use of antimicrobial chemicals is an additional service that is not part of a typical air duct cleaning project.
NADCA members have signed a Code of Ethics stating they will do everything possible to protect the consumer and follow ACR, the NADCA Standard, for cleaning to the best of their ability. Air duct cleaning companies must meet strict requirements to become a NADCA member. Among those requirements, all NADCA members must have a certified Air System Cleaning Specialist (ASCS) on staff who has taken and passed the NADCA certification examination. Passing the exam demonstrates extensive knowledge in HVAC design and cleaning methodologies. ASCSs are also required to further their industry education by attending seminars in order to maintain their NADCA certification status.
Research by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has demonstrated that HVAC system cleaning may allow systems to run more efficiently by removing debris from sensitive mechanical components. Clean, efficient systems are less likely to break down, have a longer life span and generally operate more effectively than dirty systems.