Learn How to Clean Your Own Air Ducts

Having your air ducts cleaned by a professional may end up costing you quite a bit of money. That is why people often neglect to have it done. Did you know that you can learn how to clean your own air ducts? It is a little complicated to do, but it is not an impossible task as long as you have the right tools available.
You will need to have a vacuum cleaner with a hose. Preferably it will be a shop vac., but any type will work. Also, you need a roll of paper towels, a stiff brush with a long handle on it, a screwdriver, and a new furnace filter. If you have all of these things available, you are more than able to clean your own heat and air unit.

Before you start cleaning, take your roll of paper towels and visit each of the registers in your home. You do not want to have dust flying out of them when you are cleaning and a paper towel will stop it from happening. One thing you definitely need to do is turn on the fan. Most thermostats have a fan only option and this is great. Use it if you have it. Otherwise, you will want to turn on the heat blower.
Your first task will be to venture down into the basement or under your home where the air ducts are located. You will need to use the brush handle to beat on the ducts and loosen some of the dirt that may be stuck to them. Do not hit hard, a tap will work well enough. After you have done this, you can venture back into your home and start on each of the registers in your home.
Take the register off and use your vacuum hose to catch dust that may come out of it when you do. Use the brush you have to reach as far into the duct as possible. Always hold the vacuum hose where you are working so that you do not get a face full of dust.
After you have visited each of the registers, you will need to clean the air return register, which is usually a large vent that holds your filters. Open it up with the screwdriver and clean all parts of it thoroughly. When finished there, you will need to locate and clean the main ducts that lead into your home.
If you feel confident in your abilities, you can also turn off the power supply to your unit and clean the fans that are inside of it. This can be dangerous unless you know how to turn off the power to your air conditioning unit. If you are not comfortable with this, contact your local air conditioner company and have them come clean the fan.