HVAC Cleaning

Cleaning cigarette smoke odor out of your HVAC system is vital. Any efforts to clean the air in your home will be largely undone if the air is then moved through air returns, a furnace, and ducts which are re-exposing the air to nicotine and tar buildup. This problem is complicated by the furnace being a source of heat. Heat causes tar and nicotine to build up more strongly. As a result, it is harder to remove.

Your Whole House Fan

Your HVAC system is tasked with circulating air throughout your home. If your goal is to eliminate smoke odor, cleaning cigarette smoke odor out of your HVAC system is an obvious requirement. Any efforts to clean the air in your home will be largely undone if the air is then moved through air returns, a furnace, and ducts which are re-exposing the air to nicotine and tar buildup. This problem is complicated by the furnace being a source of heat. Heat causes tar and nicotine to build up more strongly. As a result, it is harder to remove.

If you are following advice from our Keep the Air Clean article, cleaning the HVAC system and cleaning it well is a must.

Furnace

Cleaning a furnace can vary depending upon the furnace and it’s age. In theory, it’s a simple process.

  1. Ensure furnace is not running. Turn off breakers for furnace.
  2. Carefully open access panels on furnace.
  3. Clean any buildup of dirt or dust from inside furnace using a shop vac or vaccuum.
  4. Replace access panels.
  5. Re-enable breakers and ensure furnaces works as expected.

    6. Great Care Required

    It’s vital that you be very careful anytime you are working on your furnace. While it is possible to clean it on your own, professionals are likely to have a better understanding of the furnace and pose a lot lower risk of damaging it. Furthermore, their experience, knowledge, and toolset make it likely they will clean it far more thoroughly.

    Ducts

    filthy air duct

     Cleaning the duct work is nearly impossible to do on your own.  The ducts running throughout the house are very difficult to access.  Because of this, hiring professional duct cleanings is the best option.

    Having your air ducts cleans has a lot of benefits beyond cleaning cigarette smoke odor out of your HVAC system. Ducts collect dirt, dust, and allergens. Your indoor air quality is apt to be greatly improve if you have them cleaned.

    The average cost of duct cleaning is $300 – $500 for the whole home, and should include a cleaning of the furnace as described above.

    Professional Cleaning

    Put simply, a professional cleaning is a much more effective and more more safe option for the HVAC system.

    What to Expect

    Cleaning typically includes use of brushes and vacuums which can be extended into the ducts, along with the application of chemicals to help remove contaminants.  Cleaning methods can vary greatly depending on the service provider as well as the specific type, model, and age of your system.

    As with all third party services, I recommend getting a few different quotes and definitely looking online for some reviews before making any decisions. I’d start by contacting any services who sell systems and ask if they also do cleanings. If they are willing to do an in home evaluation, the quote they provide should be very accurate.

    I’d recommend speaking with them directly about your goal of Cleaning cigarette smoke odor out of your HVAC system. They may have specific ideas or experiences to help with your goals.