This is a great question and something we get asked frequently, as we are also an IAQ (indoor air quality) company and often find ourselves performing both services on the same day. In order to do a proper clean, you will need to turn all of your HVAC system fans on high. Therefore, this means that all of the air that has been sucked through the HVAC system will blow through any cleaned ducts and out into the space where the mold air sample would be collected. So what does this mean in real life? It means that you can collect an indoor spore trap sample soon after the cleaning, but if it’s outside or inside near a return register, it’s going to show a much higher spore count than if you had waited at least 30 minutes before collecting an indoor spore trap sample after cleaning. Air duct cleaning near me in Lakeville MN
How long should you wait to collect mold air samples after a duct cleaning?
How long should you wait to collect mold air samples after a duct cleaning?
The answer depends on the type of duct-cleaning service that was performed. If the technician used an ozone generator, you should wait at least 30 minutes after the job is finished to collect your air sample. This is because ozone can react with spores and other chemicals in the home’s air, including those contained in dust mites, leading to false positives for mold growth. In this case, it would be best if you had the technician perform their test for you and let them know when they are done so that they can return immediately with the results (or send over any results from their testing). If there were no equipment used during your duct cleaning that may have created an unsafe environment or could have resulted in false positives—for example, if only hand tools were used—then waiting 30 minutes before collecting samples should be sufficient time for any potential reactions to occur between materials and gases.
A local trusted air duct cleaning company in Lakeville Minnesota can help answer specific questions on their cleaning process and aftercare.
This is a great question and something we get asked frequently, as we are also an IAQ (indoor air quality) company and often find ourselves performing both services on the same day.
This is a great question and something we get asked frequently, as we are also an IAQ (indoor air quality) company and often find ourselves performing both services on the same day.
IAQ refers to the quality of the air inside your home or workspace. If you have been experiencing any respiratory issues, such as allergies or asthma, it could be from poor indoor air quality. This can be caused by contaminants in your ducts such as mold spores and dust mites that need to be cleaned out with a duct cleaning service.
When you have your ducts cleaned by our certified technicians here at Duct Shine, they will take samples of these contaminants out of your system before leaving so that you can see how much damage has been done to them over time. These samples will then be sent off for testing at a lab where they’re tested against EPA guidelines regarding acceptable levels of particles in residential settings (which are much lower than what most people would consider “clean”).
In order to do a proper clean, you will need to turn all of your HVAC system fans on high.
The process of cleaning the ducts is done by blowing all dust, debris, and spores out of them. In order to do this, you will need to turn your HVAC system fans on high. It is important for you to turn on all your HVAC system fans before starting the cleaning process.
When the system is turned off, it becomes harder for us to clean because there is no airflow in the ducts or air vents. This makes it difficult to remove all particles from these areas because they tend to get stuck along walls and ceilings where there are no fans removing them from sight when they settle down onto surfaces after being blown around by air currents while moving through your home’s ventilation system during normal operation.*
Therefore, this means that all of the air that has been sucked through the HVAC system will blow through any cleaned ducts and out into the space where the mold air sample would be collected.
Our technicians will do everything they can to make sure that your air ducts are as clean as possible. However, there are some things that you should keep in mind when learning how long you should wait before collecting an indoor spore trap sample after a duct cleaning:
- The fact that the HVAC system’s blower will make all of the air it moves through any cleaned ducts pass out of your space means that any spores from moldy areas of your home will be sucked away from where you’d like to collect them. This means that if you’re hoping to get an accurate representation of what’s going on inside your home by taking an indoor spore trap sample soon after getting it cleaned, this may not actually be very useful for figuring out whether or not there was an improvement in mold levels after having got everything cleaned.
- If the only reason why you’re testing is because someone told them about a bad smell coming from somewhere inside their house but didn’t know where exactly (or worse yet had no idea what kind of condition anything was in), then it might not matter much whether or not someone took one right away or waited days before doing so; however, if both people involved want some assurance before committing themselves financially — especially if doing so means spending thousands on something like replacing drywall—then waiting until after cleaning would probably be best because then they’ll have more accurate information at hand regarding potential issues with moisture buildup and airflow throughout different areas within their home.”
So what does this mean in real life?
After duct cleaning, you can expect to get an increase in mold spores from your HVAC system. It’s not because of the cleaning, but because of all the spores that were already there.
There are two ways to prevent this from happening:
- Control how much air gets sucked through the HVAC system by turning off fans and closing windows.
- Collect an air sample for testing with a mold sniffer immediately after cleaning (within 30 minutes).
It means that you can collect an indoor spore trap sample soon after the cleaning, but if it’s outside or inside near a return register, it’s going to show a much higher spore count than if you had waited at least 30 minutes.
The reason for this is that duct cleaning operations create an initial high-level of spores in the air, which gradually dissipate over time. It means that you can collect an indoor spore trap sample soon after the cleaning, but if it’s outside or inside near a return register, it’s going to show a much higher spore count than if you had waited at least 30 minutes.
Mold spores are everywhere, but because they’re small and light they get easily carried around by air currents. So while there may be some mold spores in your home before your duct cleaning appointment happens, there will be far more when the ventilating unit is running full blast (or close to it) during the cleaning process itself. The more time that passes after a duct cleaning operation takes place in your house or building—and then once everything has been turned off—the less spores you’ll find overall; however there will still be plenty to test for even several hours later!
If you want an accurate spore trap count for post cleaning verification, wait 30 minutes after cleaning to collect your air sample for mold testing.
To get an accurate spore trap count, you should wait 30 minutes after the duct cleaning service has been performed. This will give the cleaners time to finish and clean up their equipment.
When collecting air samples for mold testing, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Don’t collect your air sample near return registers or other areas where air may be recirculated into the system (such as under furniture). These areas can skew your results if they’re contaminated with spores.
- Don’t collect samples outside because it’s difficult to tell what molds are present and how much is present in each sample.
- Don’t collect samples before cleaning has been completed; otherwise you won’t have an accurate picture of what was actually cleaned from your HVAC system. Likewise, don’t take them too soon after cleaning is complete; again, this could skew results based on whether or not everything was properly cleaned up during the ductwork cleanings process itself (e.g., did dust get stirred up by moving equipment around?). It’s best to take these types of tests within 30 minutes post-cleaning so that any new contaminants introduced afterward aren’t included as part of your total spore counts when testing against pre-cleaning values obtained beforehand through sampling methods like vacuuming/sweeping or wiping down surfaces with paper towels soaked in alcohol wipes (yes those exist!). Lastly: don’t forget about pets! Pets can bring home all kinds of nasty surprises which might end up getting tracked back into our homes after spending time outdoors doing whatever it is they do out there… so make sure not leave them behind when doing any kind o
Conclusion
If you want an accurate spore trap count for post cleaning verification, wait 30 minutes after cleaning to collect your air sample for mold testing. At Clean Air Restoration, we’d be happy to help you with any of your needs. We are your local air duct cleaners. You can trust us for your air duct cleaning near me in Lakeville Minnesota. Our services include: Air Duct Cleaning, Dryer Vent Cleaning, Clean Air Continued Care, Water Damage Restoration, Mold Remediation, Fire Damage Reconstruction, Sewage Removal Services, and More!