Service illustration · not a completed customer projectTHE WORK, EXPLAINED
Start with the condition.
Understand the scope.
Ask which accessible system components will be assessed and how observed conditions and access limits will be recorded. EPA recommends considering cleaning in response to specific conditions rather than as a routine service. Keep any cleaning or replacement proposal separate from the assessment findings.
What may be involved
- supply ducts
- return ducts
- registers
- air handler
Ask the provider to distinguish existing parts to inspect, proposed replacements, and tools, materials or reports included in the service. Confirm the work and exclusions after assessment; this list does not mean that every item will be supplied or replaced.
LOCAL RESEARCH / Martha Gardens
Local context
The US Environmental Protection Agency does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned routinely, but only as needed, and lists the conditions that would justify it: substantial visible mould inside hard-surface ducts or system components, ducts infested with vermin such as rodents or insects, and ducts clogged with excessive dust and debris that is released into the home. EPA also says no chemical biocides are currently registered for use in internally insulated air duct systems, and that sealants are not recommended for routine use. Ask to be shown the condition before agreeing to a scope. EPA guidance describes when cleaning may be appropriate; it is not a diagnosis of your system.
Source ↗Planning your work
California’s energy code can require HERS field verification and diagnostic testing on heating and cooling work. The California Energy Commission says that, depending on the work being done, HERS testing may be mandatory, and that properly permitted work will trigger any necessary HERS testing. It adds that a contractor should be able to explain permitting requirements to the homeowner and that HERS testing should be part of that discussion, and that a rater should identify themselves with a photo badge. Ask early whether the proposed work is a duct or equipment alteration that needs a permit, because cleaning and replacement are not the same scope. Confirm the permit position with your local building department.
Source ↗Area-wide context does not establish the condition of your property or equipment.
Before the visit
Building age and weather cannot establish duct contamination. The system itself needs to be inspected.
