The Debate of Which Air Duct Cleaner to Use

Currently there are no EPA approved biocide products available on the market for cleaning fiberglass air duct linings and duct boards. Before applying this composite, make sure your air duct system is not made of these materials. 

Biocides or Ozone

Many industry professionals will suggest applying this chemical solution inside of yourduct work in order to kill mold, bacteria, and stop biological growth. An alternative to that is to apply ozone to wipeout bio contaminants. Ozone is a gas that is highly reactive; it is known to cause lung irritation if permitted into the outside air. There is a lot of debate regarding the use of these two toxic chemical in the cleaning of your duct work. 

Research Findings

There has not been much research to show the effectiveness of using ozone and biocides inside of air ducts. The fear is that once applied, these chemicals may somehow release or escape into other areas of the house. This can be quite dangerous when considering bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, area where there is constant traffic and breathing. It may cause a negative health reaction if you come in contact with these chemical solutions.

Here’s the Problem

Under Federal law regarding pesticides, chemical biocides are approved for specific use. The specifications are listed on the container in plain English for users to read, along with other pertinent information. The problem is that among the list of uses, there is no recommendation for using it for air duct cleaning. Using pesticide-type products in a manner that is not consistent with the label is considered a federal law violation.

When it comes to cleaning air duct systems that are made of bare sheet metal, there are very few products on the market that are approved by the EPA for such use. However, there are some products that are approved for the use of cleaning bare surfaces. This could include the cleaning ofduct surfaces.