What Happens During a Duct Cleaning Appointment?

Air duct cleaning is a professional service that removes dust and debris from deep within your home’s duct system. There are many benefits to this service, but homeowners often wonder what happens during an air duct cleaning appointment. Novak Heating and Cooling explain the professional duct cleaning process as well as the benefits it provides your household.

What Happens During Duct Cleaning Service?

What happens during duct cleaning service isn’t a mystery, but the process may be a little different than you imagine. When you set an appointment to have your air ducts professionally cleaned, expect the service to last a few hours. The larger a home, the more time it will take to clean all the ducts and vents throughout the residence. All you need to do to prepare for your air duct cleaning appointment is to make sure your duct cleaning team has easy access to the supply and return vents throughout your home.

When your duct cleaning team arrives, they will first inspect your home’s entire ductwork system. These professionals will examine the access points and look into the duct system to assess the condition and determine what happens during duct cleaning, as far as which cleaning methods are used. Camera inspection equipment may be used to look deep into the air duct system and visualize those inaccessible areas. Any damage or leaks can be fixed at this time so the air ducts shouldn’t be filled by outside sources like rodents or insects anymore.

Air duct cleaning isn’t a job anyone can do, you need professional equipment. A vacuum system and collection unit are used to trap debris from the ducts and remove them from your home’s HVAC system without causing a mess. The duct system is placed under negative pressure to prevent debris from blowing out into your living areas.

Brushes and other professional tools are used to reach into the ducts and loosen debris from the interior duct walls. Ducts and vents on both the supply and return sides of the system are cleaned and debris is vacuumed out. Compressed air may also be used to remove particles from inside the ducts.

Once the inside of the ducts are complete, the vacuum system is detached and removed from your home. Vent covers are cleaned and the HVAC system is inspected for proper operation.

Benefits of Professional Duct Cleaning

A duct cleaning visit from a professional HVAC company like Novak offers many benefits for homeowners in the Cedar Rapids area. Key benefits of professional duct cleaning service include:

  • Improve indoor air quality, by removing particle pollutants that can recirculate in the home’s air.
  • Increased energy savings, due to the removal of debris that can accumulate and stress HVAC system components, causing them to consume more energy. You may even notice lower energy bills following your air duct cleaning appointment.
  • Protection for your HVAC equipment, as potentially harmful debris is kept out of the equipment’s interiors when you have your air ducts cleaned. This debris can increase wear and tear and increase your HVAC system’s energy consumption.
  • Cleaner living areas, as duct debris are completely removed and no longer able to recirculate back into your rooms where dirt and dust buildup can come to rest on surfaces, causing them to appear dirty.

Schedule Duct Cleaning in Cedar Rapids

Now that you are aware of what happens during duct cleaning service, take time to schedule an appointment for your Cedar Rapids area home. Contact Novak Heating and Cooling today and request duct cleaning service from our skilled team.

Why is my Heat Pump Freezing In The Summer?

During the hot and humid summer months in Iowa, the last thing you want is for your heat pump to stop working. When you notice that your heat pump isn’t cooling your home like it usually would, one of the first things you should do is to inspect your outdoor unit. If you find that your unit is covered with frost, you might be confused. Why is it so hot, but my heat pump looks like an ice cube?

Novak Heating, Cooling, and Air Duct Cleaning has the answers as to why you have a frozen heat pump in the summer and what you can do to fix it. Usually when your heat pump is freezing, it means that something is not working properly. Sometimes defrosting your heat pump will solve the problem, but other times you may need to call a professional HVAC company for help.

Common Causes For Your Heat Pump To Freeze In The Summer

Even if it’s hot outside, it’s not uncommon for your heat pump to have ice build-up. There are many common causes for frozen heat pumps, but these are the most common.

Insufficient Air Flow

Take a look at your outdoor unit and make sure that there is nothing blocking it and cut back any weeds or grass growing too close to it. Debris and grass clippings can clog up your heat pump system can prevent air from flowing through the unit.

But more often than not, poor airflow issues are caused by dirty air filters. Your air filter should be changed every 90 days to maintain good air quality in your home. If you’ve noticed that you have a frozen heat pump, you could have a clogged air filter. Try changing your air filter to see if that helps prevent ice accumulation.

Dirty Evaporator Coil

Your heat pump works by using refrigerant to transfer heat out of your home in the summer months. If this coil becomes dirty it can impact the ability to cool your home. Every year, schedule your heat pump tune up with the team at Novak. We’ll clean your HVAC system to make sure its ready for spring, and that includes your heat pump’s evaporator coil. Scheduling this annual maintenance appointment will help prevent heat pump freezes from happening in order to prevent any unnecessary heat pump repair.

Low Refrigerant Levels

Refrigerant is a chemical that turns hot air into a liquid in order to transfer it out of your home. It should only be handled by a heating and cooling professional. Refrigerant is not like oil in your car, it does not need to be replaced or refilled regularly, unless there is a leak somewhere in your system. If you notice pools of liquid outside your outside unit when its frozen, its might not be melted water. Call Novak for heat pump repairs.

What To Do If Your Heat Pump Freezes?

If you’ve changed your air filter and your heat pump is still frozen, there are a few things you can do to try to thaw it out.

  • Shut off the heat pump: The refrigerant is what is causing your heat pump to accumulate ice. Shut off the heat pump and see if the warm temperatures help to melt the ice.
  • Turn on the fan: You can speed the process along by turning on the fan on the heat pump without it cooling your home. Check your thermostat to turn the fan on, and make sure the temperature is not set to cool.
  • Use Defrost Cycle: It’s not uncommon for heat pumps to gain ice on them during the cold months, and that’s why they have a defrost mode. You can also use the defrost mode to help melt the ice on your heat pump in the summer too.
  • Call an HVAC Company: If you’ve done all of these steps, and the ice hasn’t melted off in a few hours, or if the ice melts, but then reforms once you set your heat pump to cool again, then it’s time for some professional help. Contact the team at Novak to take a look at your heat pump to see what the problem is.

Call Novak To Fix Your Frozen Heat Pump

The heating and cooling professionals at Novak are experts at fixing heat pumps. Heat pump issues don’t just go away on their own, and ignoring them for too long can make issues worse. Novak offers 24 hours emergency service, so you aren’t without cool air on the hottest summer days. Call Novak today for help.