Approximately 350,000 house fires are reported in the US each year, resulting in nearly $12 billion in property damage annually. Although half of all home fires begin in the kitchen, the smoke, ash, and soot particles will settle throughout the home, along with being swept into your HVAC system. The solution in the case of a house fire or proximity to a wildfire is to schedule a professional duct cleaning. Read on for what to know about fire damage restoration for your HVAC system.

Reasons to Have Your HVAC Ducts Cleaned After a Fire

1. Healthier Air Quality

After a fire, contaminants from burned materials settle in your air ducts and will be circulated through your home when you turn on your HVAC unit. These particles can be harmful to anyone, but they are particularly dangerous for people who suffer from asthma and allergies. Consider that the particles may include burned paint, insulation, and a host of other materials that are not intended to be circulated through your home’s duct system.

To remove these potentially harmful particles from your indoor air, a thorough duct cleaning provided by a professional fire damage restoration company should be scheduled as soon as possible.

2. Odor Removal

Smoke is attracted to metal surfaces. That means that smoke naturally clings to the steel and metal components in your duct system. Because smoke collects in the air ducts after a fire, it is common to smell smoke long after the fire when you turn on your HVAC unit.

An air duct cleaning coupled with ozone treatment can help remove the smoky smell in your home from being recirculated and redistributed through your home.

3. Improve Energy Efficiency

An air duct cleaning will improve energy efficiency after a fire. When your air ducts become clogged with carbon deposits, they can cause various parts of the HVAC to wear faster. As the components wear, performance decreases, forcing your system to work harder and leading to higher utility bills. Likewise, smoke attached to any metal vents tends to obstruct the flow of air, which contributes to a smoky smell and leads to reduced efficiency.

4. Cleaner Home

Soot and other deposits circulated through your home after a fire lead to an increase in dust and dirt in your home. Therefore, duct cleaning should be included in your overall fire damage restoration plan if you’ve had a home fire.

5. Prevent Mold Growth

Any water used to extinguish a fire can cause moisture to build up in your vents. Even in cases where other chemicals were used to extinguish the fire, the heat from a fire may have caused condensation to build up in your HVAC vents. To prevent the growth of smelly and potentially toxic mold, it is best to schedule an HVAC duct cleaning as part of your fire damage restoration services.

Fire Damage Restoration in Southern Oregon

If you’ve suffered fire damage to your home, contact ProKleen to schedule fire damage restoration today. ProKleen provides Southern Oregon with award-winning fire and water damage restoration services, including HVAC duct cleaning. To schedule a restoration service, call 541-857-1818.