At On Time Home Services, we always recommend that you have your air ducts professionally cleaned by a certified HVAC technician to ensure your system is in the best condition. However, if you want to do some cleaning yourself in between professional maintenance visits, it is possible. The main challenge is that cleaning air ducts requires specialized tools, such as a high-powered vacuum and rotating brushes, which are not typically found in the average home. Additionally, if the job is not done correctly, it could lead to costly repairs.
To start, you should turn off the thermostat's climate system or turn off the circuit breaker. Then, open a vent cover to check for dirt, dust, or any other material that should not be inside. Using a workshop vacuum, vacuum up the contaminants deposited by the cleaning head at the end of the supply grid. The chimney head, which rotates with an electric drill, can clean most of the ducts.
However, it cannot touch all sides of the duct nor does it move as hard as a compressed air cleaner from a professional duct cleaning company. DIY air duct cleaning differs from professional duct cleaning because these machines are not available to homeowners and it is difficult to replicate them if you do it yourself.