Does Duct Cleaning Remove Smells?

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does duct cleaning remove smells
Contaminated Ductwork

We’ve all walked past a fast food restaurant on the high street and had our stomachs turn at the smell from the grease extraction system. In the same way you walk quickly past, so do potential customers.

Does duct cleaning remove smells? Yes duct cleaning does remove smells, however, it is important to find and remove the source of the bad odour before cleaning and disinfecting. The most common causes of bad smells in ductwork are food fryer fat, oils and greases, dead rodents/insects, gas leaks and burning smells.

There are, however, other reasons that ductwork can smell and we listed below the four main causes of bad odour emanating from commercial ductwork.

What’s the smell coming from your ducts?

Before you call somebody to clean out your air ducts, figure out what the smell is.
A few reasons why your air ducts might smell include:

  1. Food fryer fat, oils and greases
  1. Dead rodents/insects
  1. Gas leaks
  1. Burning smell

Food Fryer Fat – mostly from grease extraction ducts

Food fryer fat is by far the most common bad smell that emanates from commercial ductwork. It’s important to deal with this immediately as customers find this smell very off putting.

We do not recommend using any “air freshener” type products as the chemicals they contain often combine with the bad odour and form a sweet sickly smell.

The best approach is to have the ductwork professionally cleaned and disinfected.

It’s also worth noting that the root cause of the smell emanating ducts may be that the filter system needs servicing. There are many options for filters such as sheeps’ wool and carbon, however, each requires regular servicing in order for them to work.

Before

does duct cleaning remove smells
Internal ductwork heavily contaminated

After

does duct cleaning remove smells
Internal ductwork professionally cleaned

Dead Rodents/Insects

As off putting as this sounds, if you have a bad smell coming from your ductwork it may well be caused by a dead rodent or insects and you need to check your air ducts.

During winter, animals seek warmth and what better place to go than inside your air ducts! 

The simplest way to get rid of the smell of a dead animal is to remove the animal. First, figure out where the animal is located within your air ducts. You should be able to smell it and locate its corpse via the smell.

Once the body you’ve located the body, begin the removal process. Remember to take given safety precautions when handling a dead animal. You’ll need rubber gloves and a mask.

Properly dispose of the animal and then you need to clean and disinfect your duct work.

You must also find and seal the area of the ductwork that the rodents/insects are entering to prevent the problem re-occurring.

Gas Leaks

Ductwork does not contain any form of gas or gas pipework, however, it is possible for gasses to enter the ductwork be distributed to other parts of the building.

In these cases you must switch off all electrical power and call the Gas Board. Once the Gas leak has been detected and repaired the ductwork may need time to clear any existing gases left inside before the smell disappears.

Your premises should also have carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors installed and where appropriate a sprinkler system.

In addition to being a safety requirement, CO2, Gas and Smoke Detectors will be required in order to meet the requirements of your Insurance provider.

Burning Smell

A burning smell could be caused by many issues, but should never be ignored.

Check the buildings heat source and any hot surfaces to make sure nothing is touching them that could melt.

A burning smell could be caused by a fault in the buildings electrical system which is extremely dangerous.

You should evacuate the building until the source of the smell has been confirmed and the building made safe.

If your premises smells and you have checked your extraction ductwork then you should also check any air ducts in the air ventilation. Also, check your cooling and heating units. A regular HVAC and duct cleaning schedule is important for the health and wellbeing of you staff and customers.

Dirt build-up inside your air ducts can cause your building to smell. Uncleaned air ducts can collect mould which makes some people sick and mould creates spores which can also worsen allergies.

The benefits of duct cleaning include:
Greater comfort for staff and customers
Increased safety
Compliance with regulations
Compliance with insurance providers terms and conditions
Reduced ph levels of dirt build-up
Reduced levels of airborne toxins (caused by mould)
Prolonged life of duct extraction/air ventilation system

Our Services

You may have wondered ‘Does duct cleaning remove smells?” The simple answer is yes.

Unclean air ducts trap dust and harmful allergens inside if they’re not cleaned for a long time. Instead of cleaning your ductwork yourself, call a professional.

A professional will remove anything lodged within your ductwork or ventilation system while cleaning. They’ll also remove any large amounts of dust or mould and in addition to cleaning they will disinfect the ductwork.

They’re trained to remove these harmful things safely, so it’s safer than cleaning your ducts yourself.

Call us now on 08000 197 794 or email us using the form below

Simone Hart-Sibbald, Founder & CEO

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