Cleaning system helps owners keep "ducts" in a row.

WOLFSON, STEVE

Air quality is not a new issue. For decades we all worried about smog and automobile emissions fouling up the air that we breathe. Now we see and hear repeated reports about the increased danger of skin cancer as we continue to burn up the ozone layer. Sorry to bring you more bad news and another place where you must be concerned about the air that we breathe. What about Indoor Air Quality?

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, "most people are aware that outdoor air pollution can damage their health but may not know that indoor air pollution can also have significant effects. EPA studies of human exposure to air pollutants indicate that indoor air levels of many pollutants may be 2-5 times, and occasionally, more than 100 times higher than outdoor levels. These levels of indoor air pollutants are of particular concern because it is estimated that most people spend as much as 90% of their time indoors.

In recent years, comparative risk studies performed by EPA and its Science Advisory Board have consistently ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health."

At first glance it does not seem difficult to keep the quality of indoor air clean and healthy. Open a window when it is not raining and air out the house. If you get you heating and air-conditioning via a duct system there is more that you must do. Over time these duct systems build up dust mites, animal dander, molds and fibers that float through your home.

It is very difficult to open a window and air out your duct work. As a matter of fact it is almost impossible. The best way to clean your interior duct work is with a high pressure, specially filtered vacuum cleaner.

Over the years we have experimented with various systems to clean in home heating and air-condition ducts. We learned from work in cleaning kitchen and bathroom vents in high-rise buildings.

Normal household vacuum systems both built in and portable do not have enough power. Even the most powerful vacuums do not have strong enough filters to catch a high enough percentage of what they stir up. The best way to clean duct work is a HEPA-VAC system. This system removes the allergy and disease causing contaminants that continuously circulate throughout the duct system.

HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Arresting.

It is used in a variety of critical applications in the scientific fields as well as in asbestos abatement. When you are ready to clean your heating/air-conditioning duct system make the contractors explain the method they are going to use before you sign on the dotted line.