Flexible ducts are basically what they sound like — instead of having a rigid ductwork system that cannot bend, flexible ducts are able to be bent and manipulated. You might have seen this type of ductwork running from your dryer to the exhaust output , or in a basement ceiling to get around plumbing. Flexible ducts consist of three layers: an outer polyethylene protective liner, fiberglass insulation and an inner polyethylene liner.
There are several reasons to use flexible duct work. The first is that it is easy to assemble and manipulate. Therefore, many homeowners use flexible ducts as their dryer exhaust duct work. If you must avoid obstacles with your duct work, such as pipers, electrical wiring or structures in the home, flexible ductwork is a great choice.
Additionally, flexible ducts are cost-effective because they are insulated and inexpensive. In short, yes! Flexible ductwork, or flex duct, can be cleaned, and should be cleaned regularly, just like the regular HVAC ductwork in your home. When the cold air from your air conditioning and the heat from your attic combine it causes condensation. The moisture that is collected over time provides a good breeding ground for algae or mold to grow.
This algae or mold are not always detectable by the human eye, so you could have an issue with mold growth without even being aware of it.
If there is mold in your walls or attic, duct cleaning can pose a health risk because it could cause very small mold particles to be dispersed in the air around your home. At Smart Air, the health of our clients is our number one priority. To make sure your other systems are running safely and efficiently, our Houston HVAC team also offers heating system check ups for all types of systems. Contact Smart Air today at to schedule ductwork services in Houston.
Choose Smart Air! Say No to Duct Cleaning! Duct Cleaning Can Damage Flex Ducts In order to understand why Smart Air doesn't recommend any sort of duct cleaning for flex ducts, you need to know how flex ducts are designed and made. Popular Methods of Duct Cleaning The two most popular ways to clean a duct system are with a vacuum or a brush. These cleaning methods can cause damage to your HVAC system: Problems With Vacuum Cleaning - most duct systems are very old, and the vacuum cleaning method causes a rapid increase or decrease of pressure inside the duct.
Ductwork has a longer lifespan than the HVAC system but it will eventually need to be replaced. If your ducts were installed more than thirty years ago it would be wise to have an HVAC technician evaluate if they need to be replaced. This can result in a home not cooling properly or even worse having bits and pieces of the eroding metal trunks blown back into the living areas. As described above, if you suspect that your flex ducts have a felt lining, the air duct cleaning equipment will only exacerbate the situation.
Some duct cleaning professionals will use a soft bristle spinning brush that attaches to the head of a power drill. When the brush is activated it will loosen the debris from the air ducts. In a scenario where there is shedding felt, the brush will remove even more of the lining causing excess debris before the service man even started the cleaning. They officially are supposed to tape up the vents and registers and not allow any debris to escape in the house.
In such a setting all of the eroding material from the old ducts will most likely escape back into the living areas which can be dangerous to anyone especially those with compromised respiratory systems like seniors and children.
There are certain signs to look for before requesting an estimate from a reliable duct cleaning company, like dust around the grills and registers. Sometimes you may notice mold around the bathroom fan that could signal that there might be mold present in your ducts.
Always be on the lookout for possible duct cleaning scams. This type of duct consists of a metalized polyester jacket reinforced with fiberglass scrim. The idea behind the fiberglass flex duct is to provide extra installation for keeping the air warm until it reaches the conditioned areas. Sometimes a duct might run through an attic or crawl space that gets really cool during the winter time and may have an impact on the warm air running through the ducts.
The fiberglass insulation will keep the air which passed through nice and hot for ultimate warmth during those cold frigid winter days.
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