For building owners and facility managers
Commercial Air Duct Cleaning in New City, NY
Absolute Air Duct Cleaning provides commercial air duct cleaning in New City, NY. That is New City in the Town of Clarkstown, Rockland County, not New York City. Building owners and managers elsewhere in Rockland and Orange Counties can call too.
We have been in business for 16 years. To book, call 917-914-2601 or email us.
NADCA’s standard
What commercial air duct cleaning involves
The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) publishes ACR, The NADCA Standard for Assessment, Cleaning and Restoration of HVAC Systems. NADCA calls it a performance standard that also sets minimum procedural requirements, and says it is laid out to follow the flow of an actual job. The summary below comes from the 2021 edition, which NADCA offers as a free download.
- Inspection. ACR uses an inspection to decide whether cleaning is needed and to set the scope of work, the engineering controls and the safety measures.
- Work plan. Before cleaning starts, the contractor provides a written plan that names the components to be cleaned or restored.
- Engineering controls. The section being cleaned is kept under negative pressure compared with the rooms around it, so loosened dust stays in the system. Vacuum equipment that exhausts indoors has to use HEPA filtration rated at 99.97% at 0.3 micron.
- Cleaning. Agitation tools knock debris loose from the inside surfaces, and vacuum collection equipment captures it.
- Verification. The work is checked right after cleaning, before the system runs again. The minimum result is visibly clean. The standard also recommends documenting the work, which can include written records and photos.
Restoration, the R in ACR, only happens after cleaning. Damage found during cleaning is documented and brought to the client’s attention. Repairing or replacing faulty mechanical parts is outside the standard.
These are the standard’s steps, not a promise about any one company. Ask any contractor, us included, whether their written work plan covers each one.
Sources: NADCA, ACR, The NADCA Standard, 2021 edition (PDF) and Industry Standards, Specifications and Resources
Is it needed?
When commercial duct cleaning is worth considering
EPA’s duct cleaning guide, “Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned?”, is written for homeowners. It describes duct cleaning as work on forced-air heating and cooling systems, including the supply and return ducts, registers, coils, drain pans, fan and air handler housing. Our home page sums up EPA’s advice to clean only as needed.
NADCA’s standard calls for an inspection before and after every cleaning project. It recommends cleaning when an inspection or the building’s history shows conditions such as these:
- Dust and other particles have built up inside the system.
- The system is blowing visible dirt or debris into the rooms it serves.
- Birds, rodents or insects have infested the system.
- Fire, smoke or water damage has contaminated the system.
- Construction dust or debris has gotten into the system.
The standard also recommends that a system that is part of a construction, retrofit or remodel project be inspected and verified clean before it runs.
Suspect mold? EPA’s mold guide for schools and commercial buildings says, “Do not run the HVAC system if you know or suspect that it is contaminated with mold.” Mold remediation is separate work. Under New York State’s Mold Program, a contractor needs a mold license to advertise or perform it, with limited exceptions.
Sources: U.S. EPA, “Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned?” and Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings Guide, Chapter 3. NADCA, ACR, The NADCA Standard, 2021 edition (PDF). New York State Department of Labor, Mold Program
Before you hire
What to ask any commercial duct cleaning contractor
NADCA publishes a checklist for commercial buyers to review before hiring anyone. The questions below are drawn from it, and they apply to every contractor, including us.
- Will you assess the system before the work starts?
- Will I get a written proposal and a written work plan?
- Does the plan list which components will be cleaned, which are left out, and anything you need on site, such as power, water or lifts?
- How will you keep the system under negative pressure? If your vacuum exhausts indoors, does it use HEPA filtration?
- Will you use any chemical products? If so, which ones, and may I see the Safety Data Sheets? Before agreeing to one, see air duct sanitizing and EPA’s caution on our home page.
- Will you report any damage you find in the system?
- How will cleanliness be verified, and what records will I get at the end?
What to have ready when you call
- The building’s town and the hours it is occupied.
- What prompted the call, such as dust coming from supply registers, signs of rodents or insects, or recent construction.
- Mechanical or floor plans, if you have them. ACR says to use them during the work when they are available.
- Who can open mechanical rooms, roof access and ceilings.
Call 917-914-2601 or email info@absoluteairductclean.com about your building.
Sources: NADCA, Commercial Checklist and ACR, The NADCA Standard, 2021 edition (PDF)
Areas we serve
We offer commercial air duct cleaning in New City and in the towns below, across Rockland and Orange Counties.
Rockland County
Our other services
For homes, our home page covers air duct cleaning and when EPA says it is worth it.
Questions about commercial duct cleaning
How often should commercial ductwork be cleaned?
NADCA’s standard ties cleaning to inspection. For commercial buildings, it recommends a visual cleanliness inspection at least once a year for the air-handling unit, supply ducts and return or exhaust ducts. The inspection decides whether cleaning is needed.
Does a cleanliness check test for mold?
No. ACR says cleanliness verification checks for dust and other particles, not for microbial growth or hazardous materials. If suspect mold turns up, ACR recommends that an indoor environmental professional or another appropriate professional assess its cause and extent where needed.
Is kitchen exhaust hood cleaning the same thing?
No. Commercial kitchen exhaust falls under a separate standard, NFPA 96, which sets fire safety requirements for commercial cooking operations. It is a different job and is not covered on this page.
Sources: NADCA, ACR, The NADCA Standard, 2021 edition (PDF). NFPA, NFPA 96
Book commercial air duct cleaning
Call or email and tell us about your building. You can also reach us at info@absoluteairductclean.com.