PORTLAND, OR – By the time April comes around in the PNW, everyone is ready for Summer. The idea of blue skies, warm evenings, long days… Summer has a lot going for it. Unfortunately, it’s about this time of year that we have to deal with the allergies of plants waking up out of winter hibernation. The pollen count is typically highest in the spring and fall.  Those who deal with allergies have a Zyrtec on them at all times. Some even carry tissues, eye drops, and allergy medication just to be fully prepared in the case of an attack. Unfortunately, these allergens are not necessarily confined to the outdoors, and have an easy time making their way into your home via windows, doors, and other nooks and crannies. Your HVAC system then circulates them throughout your home on an endless loop, and suddenly there’s nowhere to go to escape.

Luckily, there is something you can do about it! Professional air duct cleaning comes highly recommended not only by home maintenance professionals, but we’ve even had clients whose doctors recommended they have their air ducts cleaned as a solution to bad allergies.

How often should I clean my air ducts?

The NADCA recommends that you have a professional clean your air ducts every 3-5 years. Not only does this help you keep your indoor air at its best, but it helps the longevity of both your furnace and your ducts.  When you wait for debris to gather in the ducts and build up, the furnace has to work a lot harder to get air flowing properly within the ductwork. It is therefore more prone to wearing down faster. Not only that, but a furnace that’s working harder is going to inevitably lead to a higher electric bill.

For the sake of your home, your wallet, and your home’s air quality, utilize a professional air duct cleaner.

How to pick the right air duct cleaner?

Whether you’re picking an ice cream flavor or choosing a business to service your home, sometimes the plethora of choices can become a headache. So what kinds of things should you consider when you’re choosing an air duct cleaner?

What kinds of methods does the company use?

Some companies utilize air duct cleaning methods that involve brushes or other intrusive items being pushed through your ducts and along the edges. We use a system called RamAir. If you go to our website, you can see a Youtube video that narrates and shows how it works. Mike did extensive research on different methods and products for air duct cleaning before choosing RamAir. He liked it the best because not only did he feel like it had the best end results, but it also eradicated the potential for brushes damaging the interior of the ducts and ensured that debris wasn’t just moved from the air ducts into your home.

In case you don’t want to watch the video… here’s a brief description of how the RamAir process works! First, we need a parking space 50 ft from the entrance to your home and a working water spigot to hook up to 50 feet from the parking space. We aren’t putting water in your ducts; the equipment being used will take a small amount of water to rinse out our equipment in the van as we clean.

Once we are set up and ready to go, the technician will clean each vent individually, one at a time. Approaching a vent, the technician will remove the cover. He will then place our RamAir cover over the open vent, which has two holes—one for our vacuum hose and one for our air hose. Once the cover is in place, the technician attaches the vacuum hose, which will suck the loosened debris back towards the van. He will then insert the air compressor hose, which can go 20-40 feet into your ducts. After the hose is inserted as far as it can go, the air compression is turned on, blasting the debris within the vent back towards the register as we draw the hose back out. Once the air hose is back to the cover, we are able to drop the high-powered vacuum hose in to remove any larger or heavier items that weren’t able to be removed with the air compressor hose. Finally, we power vacuum the register itself and secure the cover back into place.

When you are looking to hire a professional air duct cleaner, make sure you are asking what their methods are in order to ensure that your ducts are getting the treatment that they need.

How long as the company been in business?

When you’re searching for a company, you want to make sure that they have the experience needed to get a job done right the first time. As for A+ Carpet Cleaning, we’ve been cleaning air ducts for almost two decades!

What kind of reviews does the company have?

The most reliable way to tell the quality of a company’s services and customer care is to read online reviews. If you see a lot of mixed perspectives on a company’s online profile, it might be a good sign to click that back button and find someone else. Knowing the ratio of 1 star reviews (low reviews) and 5 star reviews (stellar reviews) can be a helpful tool in choosing the business you want to support. This is your home being cared for, and prioritizing a business with a good reputation will make you feel more comfortable with the investment, and more confident in a job being done well.

Is this a franchise, or a locally owned company?

Okay, as a local business we are a little biased, but supporting local has become a huge movement in the PNW area and we believe in it not only through our business but by using local companies ourselves! By supporting local businesses, you are investing into your community. When you enlist the help of a franchise or a global company, you are losing an opportunity to “buy in” to Portland and the surrounding areas!

We’ve been in the Portland area for almost twenty years. We know the neighborhoods, the businesses, and the priorities of our customers. When Mike & Tiki started the business, their heart was to serve their neighbors, and that’s still the case! Whether you’re five minutes from the shop or forty-five, we consider you neighbors and treat your home the same way we treat our own. We know you’re “buying in,” and locally-owned service businesses want to “buy in” back! A local company will take special care to know your specific, individual needs, and have more flexibility with services and timing. Supporting local is a win-win!

How do I schedule?

We hope this is the question you’re asking! If it is (or even if you’re still not sure), we’d be happy to work with you and welcome you into the A+ family! You can email us at info@aplusqualitycleaning.net or call 503-314-7453. Let’s make 2024 the year of refreshed air ducts!