David and Kim Adams, owners of DUCTZ of Charleston, a professional air duct cleaning and restoration company, are natives of Summerville, SC. They are well-versed in the region's high humidity and its impact on air quality, including the growth of silent air contagions and biological growth that can wreak havoc on a home's air quality.
Kim is HVAC certified, and David is certified by NADCA. Together, the Lowcountry couple purchased the business in May 2020 after David worked for the previous owner since 2010. With years of experience, they and their team of professionals offer reliable duct cleaning services for commercial and residential clients, dominating air quality with their expertise.
Their services include air duct cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, and HVAC restoration. Air duct cleaning is a key component of maintaining a healthy indoor air environment as dust, dander, and pollutants can accumulate over time. This build-up can lead to poor indoor air quality and a range of potential respiratory problems and health concerns. Kim says that “if you have asthmatic family members, it’s best to keep your home very clean, especially during the spring-time.”
Don’t Duct Out on Safety
Dryer vent cleaning is another essential service offered by DUCTZ of Charleston. Over time, lint and debris can accumulate in dryer vents, creating a fire hazard and reducing energy efficiency. David warns of real dangers associated without taking proper precautions.
“I’ve done a decent amount of restoration jobs for people who have had dryer fires. I’ve been in homes that have been completely engulfed by the dryer fire."
-David Adams
David had first-hand experience a few years ago, when his child’s grandparents’ home burnt down due to a dryer fire. “Turns out, they hadn’t cleaned the dryer out for almost 5-6 years and lint had clogged up.”
DUCTZ offers expert dryer vent cleaning services to ensure that dryers are operating at maximum efficiency while keeping their customers safe from the risk of fire.
Top Three Air Quality Offenders
DUCTZ also provides comprehensive HVAC cleaning and restoration services to maintain peak efficiency and prevent wear and tear caused by dust and debris buildup. Homeowners should be aware of abnormal growth around vent covers due to air pressure changes and on top floors where heat rises.
“On the barrier islands specifically, there is so much humidity. Homeowners should really try to open windows and doors to allow a breeze. When the air is contaminated, there are thousands of different growth variants and colors, and some can cause serious illness. Most of the time, the abnormality and discoloration homeowners see could just be soot and dust, but it provides peace of mind to get it checked out,” David says.
NADCA recommends cleaning the ducts every two years, while Kim and David stress the importance of quarterly deep cleans for homes with pets, children, or smokers - the top three air-quality offenders.
“You need to be extra cautious if you have vents on the main living floors because your animals likely lie on top of them for relief. The vents will get clogged with their hair. And kids like to store and hide toys and crayons in them,” she says.
The DUCTZ owner also revealed her biggest pet peeve. She says that when servicing homes, condos specifically, homeowners with cats often place the litter box directly underneath the HVAC unit. “They do this to conserve space and because it is unsightly in most living spaces but think about it! The contaminated air is getting sucked up into the HVAC unit and dispersed around the home. It is greatly reducing air quality,” she says.
Warning Signs
The Adams caution against ignoring warning signs that your HVAC unit or dryer needs attention. Most dryers have lights that warn you when something is wrong. Additionally, if you put clothes in the dryer and it takes two or more cycles to fully dry, you might have a clog in the vent. You also might notice lumps of lint around the dryer’s exterior.
The air-quality experts recommend that homeowners maintain proper filter rotation, a clean environment, vacuum regularly, and clean under larger pieces of furniture, like beds, couches, and rugs.
“We know when we’ve entered a home with an HVAC unit that needs to be replaced or restored,” David says, “We can feel the difference in the air. Plus, there’s usually a specific musty, damp odor.”
Home Health
For those residing in recently constructed homes, it's important to note that their ducts may not be as clean as initially assumed. The extent to which this is true may vary depending on the time of year the house was built. If the construction workers sanded the floors and walls during warmer seasons, it's highly likely that the HVAC unit was active to keep them cool while they worked. Consequently, sand and dust would have been sucked up into the vents.
To address this issue, contractors typically engage DUCTZ to ensure proper cleaning of ducts, reducing the burden on homeowners and cleaning services. In contrast, older homes tend to be constructed with tighter structures, but due to the age of the building, dirt is likely to have accumulated over time.
Another factor that homeowners tend to overlook is that those residing in warmer regions may set their HVAC units at 65 degrees in the summer, which can lead to constant running and inadequate time for coils to drain. Kim explains that an HVAC unit is essentially a dehumidifier, and in scorching temperatures, it's unrealistic for the unit to attempt to bring the temperature down to 65 degrees from 100 degrees with a heat index of 115. Running the HVAC unit excessively not only drives up electric bills but also undermines the system's performance.
Salt air can pose a long-term problem for the AC system, as it can contribute to the degradation of the outside HVAC unit and accelerate erosion and rust in any metallic components.
The Process
The team at DUCTZ will arrange a visit to your home to evaluate the vents, remove each one, and conduct a thorough inspection and cleaning to eliminate any potential growth. They clean the coil, cavity, and any other component that may come into contact with the air. Typically, this process takes approximately four hours, which is a standard time frame for a home with one HVAC unit. Larger homes exceeding 5,000 square feet often have three to four HVAC systems, and cleaning these may take a few days. David and Kim can service a maximum of two systems per day.
Helpful Tips
- Never leave your house with your dryer on.
- Make sure your dryer isn’t pushed back, flesh against the wall, kinking up the hose - So many laundry rooms on the islands are so cramped because they are trying to conserve space or make sure the closet door can close, and that causes issues.
- In the summer, set your HVAC unit no lower than 75 degrees with a fan blowing.
By choosing DUCTZ of Charleston, customers can enjoy improved indoor air quality, reduced risk of fire and other hazards, and more efficient HVAC systems.
