Over the years we have cleaned the dryer exhaust ductwork in literally thousands of condos throughout the GTA. Many times we do this work for the building’s management company and in this case we would clean the dryer exhaust ductwork and the fan in every suite throughout the building.

We very often work directly with individual condominium owners as well. We can clean the dryer exhaust system on any floor, because for this type of job we must use our portable vacuum equipment. What we do is bring our equipment right up to your door, and then run our hoses into your suite during the cleaning process.

The dryer exhaust fan is usually accessed through an existing trap door in the ceiling of your laundry room, and is controlled by a regular wall-mounted light switch. Before we touch anything, every fan is first tested to confirm its operation. During this 30 second test, we learn how well the exhaust system is working, and if the fan is making excess noise.

We then remove the fan completely, and use that opening to insert the hose from our portable vacuum system. Compressed air is then used, along with our high-powered air snake, and that device goes inside the pipe, all the way to the exhaust outlet on the side of the building, and in the process blows all the lint from your system back torwards the vacuum.

The exhaust duct is cleaned thoroughly, including the pipe that leads directly from your clothes dryer to the fan. Any in-line lint traps are cleaned as well. We also clean the fan itself, as this is a crucial part of the cleaning process.

The outside grill where your dryer vents is cleaned in most cases. If there is any possible way for us to reach the vent then we will clean it with compressed air. In some cases it is necessary to install another access door in an existing bulkhead or drywall box inside your suite to allow us to clean this vent, but this is in extreme cases.

The dryer exhaust fan sometimes serves as the same exhaust fan for a nearby washroom, so in these cases we must also clean the pipe leading from the fan box to any attached washrooms.

When we do this job on behalf of your property management company, there is always a pre-arranged price. But when we do this for an individual suite owner, we charge hourly for this service. Because most of our time is spent actually setting up our equipment and packing it up again when we’re done, many owners also choose to have us clean other systems in their suite while we are there. We also do washroom exhaust systems, kitchen exhaust systems as needed, and often clean and deodorize any ducted HVAC system in the suite as well.

This is a typical dryer exhaust fan that you would see in most condos throughout the GTA. The owner called us because she was having dryer exhaust blowing into one of her washrooms whenever she used the clothes dryer. This was happening because her exhaust fan was not working, and also the exhaust pipe leading from the fan to the outside was about 80% full of lint.

This fan motor was actually seized completely and was not in working condition when we arrived. We could have cleaned this fan perfectly in about a minute while our equipment was there, but in this case the owner absolutely needed to have a new fan installed.

The fan that is shown above is a very extreme case. The rust on the casing is rarely seen and it was obvious that this fan had not worked in years. It even had mold growing on it. The amount of lint on the fan itself is something that we do see quite often. This would more than likely be due to the fact that most people wait until there is a problem before they call for this type of service… out of sight, out of mind!  

This is what your dryer exhaust / washroom exhaust fan should look like when it is properly cleaned.

We returned at a later date to replace the motor and also ended up replacing the flexible dryer exhaust hose with a fire-retardant material and installed a quality commercial (steel) lint trap on the wall that has a plexiglass door and a screen attached. This is easily cleaned by the homeowner, and will help protect the fan and the exhaust pipe from getting dirty as quickly. You’d be surprised at the amount of lint that actually gets past the lint trap in your dryer!

Need a new humidifier or is it time to upgrade?

About 15-20% of the homes we visit in the GTA still have the older drum-type humidifiers on their furnaces. And easily more than half the time they don’t work anyway. They’ve been disconnected because they were either leaking water all over the place or else the motor was making noise.

The older types usually have a yellow humidifer pad that turns in a tray full of water. The tray had to be completely level and the float had to be adjusted properly at the beginning of each heating season or every time the humidifier was cleaned. But since the process of setting it up properly each time was not always being done by many homeowners, they found that their humidifiers were constantly leaking water, which eventually lead to them turning off the water completely and just eliminating it’s use altogether.

The trend for the last 4 or 5 years has been to replace these humidifiers with a modern flow-through model. By flow-though, I mean a type of humidifier that does not store any water at all. Whatever water enters the new type of unit is either used for the humidification process or is discarded through a drain tube that is usually connected to your floor drain. If you already have central air conditioning, then there is already some type of drain tube present.

The only maintenance that is required for these new units is to replace the metal mesh pad inside it once per year. And that’s it! When we do this for our customers we usually clean out the bottom part of the unit anyway, and that removes any scale that may have collected there. We also turn the humidifier on and quickly check its operation. And then of course, we shine it up using a cleaner and a cloth. Changing the pad and giving the unit a quick once-over usually takes less than five minutes, and that is all the maintenance that it usually requires.

The flow-through model is way more efficient and is easier to maintain. It came about in the first place because of the concern that many people had regarding their drum-type humidifers holding water, and there was even some mention about the contents of that grimy water causing Legionaire’s Disease. We’ve seen some very scummy water in alot of these old humidifiers, and that can’t be healthy. Can the stagnant water in the trays of the old humidifiers really cause so many health problems for some people? That’s up to the experts to decide for certain, and as far as I know, that is the general concensus.

The General-Air Model 1042:

We checked out several types of these new humidifiers and determined that the General Air model was superior. Since that time we have been installing this make of humidifier exclusively. It’s made of sturdy plastic, so it will never rust. The water valve is electric, and it uses 24 volts that is supplied by the furnace. There are no moving parts in this humidifier at all, so it’s operation is silent. The only noise it makes is one ‘click’ sound when the water valve first comes on, but you’d have to be standing right beside the furnace to hear it.

General Air provides a one year warranty on all of their humidifiers and its parts. Whenever we install one of these units, we also warranty the complete installation for a year as well. So if there is ever any problem with your humidifier at all in the first year, we will come back and correct the problem absolutely free of charge.

The General Air humidifier is not sold in retail outlets, and is only available from heating wholesalers. There are some similar brands of humidifiers that can be bought at places like Home Depot or Canadian Tire. It’s certainly cheaper to buy one off the shelf and hook it up yourself if you know how. But we’ve seen many humidifiers that were not installed properly at all, in fact, the way some of them were installed would end up costing the homeowner money instead of saving money on heating.

Most humidifier replacement parts are standard, and it’s convenient that those parts are readily available at the same retailers, but in my opinion they are not really doing people any favors by selling them a complete humidifier. Installing a humidifier properly is something that should be left to a professional.

Some common mistakes that we see being made while installing a humidifier are:

1. Hooking up the 24v transformer to a nearby power supply such as an elecrical box that supplies a light socket. What this does is give the humidifier power all the time, therefore water would be constantly flowing through your humidifier and down the drain non-stop. This is equivalent to leaving a water tap on, and would also cost more in wasted water than a leaky toilet would.

The humidifier comes with the transformer because it is ready to be installed out-of-the-box in almost any furnace. Most furnaces are gas and operate on a 24 volt system anyway. If the power which supplies the new humidifier comes from the furnace like it should, then it’s only a matter of connecting the wires in the right place so that the humidifier can only come on if the furnace is actually calling for heat. If the heat is on, then your humidifier can be on too, but only if the humidity in the home is below whatever the humidistat is set at. And with the unit installed properly, it cannot come on if say your central air is on, or if everything else is off.   

So basically, the transformer that comes in the box ends up being spare parts almost all the time. We have hundreds of these spare parts kicking around now, and are still looking for a way to recycle them. Save your extra 24v transformer, as you might need to replace the transformer for your doorbell one day!
 
2. Installing the water valve on the hot water pipe. The humidifier will still work, but it does it’s job more efficiently with cold water rather than hot. Whatever water is not used goes down the drain anyway, so why heat the water first?

3. Installing the water valve in the wrong position. The valve that is supplied is self-piercing and is clamped onto a half-inch water pipe. It will work if the valve is on the top, the side or the bottom of the pipe. But if it goes on the bottom of the pipe, the valve will get gummed-up within two years almost for sure, because in that position it will be more likely to be effected by the impurities in the water supply over time.

4. Not cutting a big enough hole for the humidifier by-pass tube. The tube is 6″ in diameter anyway, and a full-sized hole will allow the proper airflow through your humidifier.

A central humidifier can save you up to 10% off your heating bill if it is installed and used properly.

If you would like to have us install a new humidifier in your home or if you have any questions about your’s, please do not hesitate to contact us.

City Duct Cleaning Inc. has always specialized in fire restoration work, and over the years we have seen fires in many homes that were caused by the homeowners having removed their electronic air cleaner cells and replacing them with a 4″ or 5″ cardboard high-efficiency air filter.

This in itself is a reasonable thing to do, as these disposable filters require basically no maintenance at all as compared to the cumbersome air cleaner cells that were replaced. And if the cells were not being cleaned regularly then the cardboard replacement can be even more efficient than what they had.

It is definitely much easier and way less time-consuming to replace one filter every three or four months than it is to properly clean the cells.

But if you’re going to use a cardboard-framed air filter rather than your electronic air cleaner cells themselves, you must make sure that the power supply is properly removed from the air cleaner.

We have seen many instances of fires having started in furnaces because of this. And as soon as the furnace blower comes on, it blows the black smoke throughout the home causing untold upset and damage. Furnaces have alot of plastic-coated wiring and other plastic parts which produce toxic fumes when it burns.

If you have replaced your electronic air cleaner cells with this type of air filter then check to be sure that the 120-volt power supply has been properly disconnected. It is not enough to just turn off the switch.

Ask your furnace technician to check this for you, or check it yourself if you know how. If you would like to have one of our technicians inspect this for you then we’d be happy to schedule a convenient appointment.

People often call us not only because their air ducts are dirty, but because when their HVAC system comes on, a horrible smell emanates throughout the house.

What’s that smell, is the question. Alot of times a mouse or little Suzie’s pet gerbil finds its way into the duct system creating havoc for itself and eventually the unsuspecting homeowner. It finds its way in, but unfortunately, it cannot find its way out, and succumbs to the darkness of the ducts.

It may take a few days for you to notice, but eventually the rodent starts to decompose and that’s when the foul smell starts pouring out your registers and into the house.

It is virtually impossible for the homeowner to correct this problem, and that’s where we come in. A quick scan of the duct’s interior will tell us where the problem is and in no time the rodent is removed and your ducts are disinfected and sanitized. Problem solved, except for breaking the sad news to little ‘Suzie’ about what happened to her pet.

Dust mites are not insects but are more closely related to spiders and ticks. They are microscopic and feed mostly on dead skin. They infest beds and carpets by the tens of millions, and there can be as many as 1,000 mites in one gram of dust.

Dust mites are harmless to most people. They don’t carry diseases, but they can cause allergic reactions in asthmatics and others who are allergic to their feces. Dust mites are second only to pollen in causing allergic reactions.

They are a major problem because they can cause some wheezing, itching, other allergic reactions, and possibly asthma. Dust mites are considered to be the most common cause of asthma and allergic symptoms worldwide.

Dust mites are everywhere in your home, in your carpet, the clothes in your closet, your couches, and even in your bed.

The presence of house dust mites does not indicate a lack of cleanliness. The enzymes they produce can be smelled most strongly in full vacuum cleaner bags.

The dust mite is very small and cannot be seen by the naked eye. It does not have eyes, or an organized breathing system. They are unable to drink and live between 90-120 days. The dust mite can leave up to twenty droppings a day. The dust mite has the ability to receive nourishment from its own droppings. The ideal breeding environment for dust mites are warm, damp and dark places.

The average life cycle for a male dust mite is 20 to 30 days, while a mated female dust mite can live for 10 weeks, laying 60 to 100 eggs in the last 5 weeks of her life. In a 10 week life span, a dust mite will produce approximately 2000 fecal particles and an even larger number of partially digested enzyme-infested dust particles.

It is possible to see a dust mite under a magnifying glass, when the subject is well lit and placed on a black background. A typical house dust mite measures 420 microns in length and 250 to 320 microns wide. Both male and female adult house dust mites are globular in shape and are creamy white. Larval and post-larval stages of house dust mites have eight legs. Dust mites can be transported airborne by the minor air currents generated by normal household activities.

The good news is that dust mites, and other airborne allergens in the home such as pollen, pet dander, and various gaseous chemicals, can be effectively controlled through proper air purification. True medical-grade HEPA filtration is the most effective means of controlling household allergens, removing 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns in size and larger (dust mite feces average 0.3 to 10 microns in size). For many, relief from symptoms can begin as little as 24 hours after the purchase and installation of a high quality HEPA air cleaner.

In addition to purchasing a quality HEPA filter, there are a number of other things you can do to reduce your exposure to dust mite allergens:

• wash your bed sheets in HOT water frequently

• purchase special pillow cases and sheets that are dust mite resistant

• do not let your pets sleep in your bedroom

• use a quality HEPA equipped vacuum cleaner frequently

• remove bedroom carpets and heavy drapes that can trap dander

Given that your family’s health and well being are at stake, the small investment in a quality air cleaner is well worth it.

Visit this page for more info on HEPA air cleaners.

What is it you ask? Well, it’s an organization which conducts surveys, residential and commercial alike, across North America to determine who is the number one company in a variety of services ranging from travel to car rental to in-house service work.

The Consumers Choice Award has been conducting their surveys in the GTA for the past twelve years and since 2005, City Duct Cleaning Inc. has been chosen as the NUMBER ONE Air Duct Cleaner for the GTA.

We have, since day one, always taken pride in everything we do. To be recognized by an organization such as Consumers Choice, is beyond words, because the people of the GTA have spoken, through Consumers Choice, about how they feel regarding duct cleaning, and have made us the Number One company in this field.

We are greatful for the acknowledgment and will continue to do the best we can to make you realize again that we here at City Duct Cleaning Inc. are the right choice when it comes to air duct cleaning.

Receiving the 2005 Consumers’ Choice Award for Business Excellence in the field of Air Duct Cleaning is (left) Glenn Gilbert, President, and (right) John Hardy, Vice-President of City Duct Cleaning Inc.

Thank you Toronto!

Please contact us if you would like to schedule an appointment or if you have additional questions.

Our mailing address is:

City Duct Cleaning Inc. 
40 Metropolitan Road, Unit 21
Scarborough, Ont.
M1R 2T6

You can contact us by telephone at: (416) 293-1800
Our fax number is (905) 831-7611.

Our office hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Duct cleaning appointments are available from Mondays - Saturdays.
Our office Manager Liza Broadbent will gladly assist you with any enquiries.

If you wish to contact us by email, you can do so here.

Thank you for your interest in City Duct Cleaning Inc.