Unfortunately, a forced air ventilation system is quite effective at spreading smoke throughout your house. When a fire occurs and the furnace or cooling system is on, it acts as a vacuum and sucks in all the smoke and redistributes it throughout the house. 

It creates an unbelievable mess that no one should have to go through. Being in business for as long as we have, most restoration companies call us when they need to clean the air ducts so they are able to clean the rest of the house. Think about it… would you change the oil in your car and NOT change the filter? So would it not make sense to clean the air ducts before the entire house is cleaned?

At City Duct Cleaning we have been involved quite heavily in the field of fire and water damage restoration, and this has been since day one. We have developed some very unique procedures and techniques that we use while handling this type of duct cleaning procedure.

We work in conjunction with most of the top restoration companies in the Toronto Area, and have been doing so for many years. If you have ever experienced a fire or flood in your home then it is quite possible that we have cleaned your air duct system before.

If you are interested in having your duct system cleaned for maintenance reasons or to help your family breathe cleaner air, we are always available for private appointments.

City Duct Cleaning is a very reputable, award-winning company and we do excellent, guaranteed work.

I think its comical when I go surfing other duct cleaning sites on the web sometimes and I see them showing a picture of their truck and their equipment… sometimes they’ve got a cube van with all the hoses displayed on the ground in front of the back door, and you can see right into the truck. There’s ladders hanging there, you can sometimes see a small shop vac in the picture and way up near the front you can see a compressor.

But what I’d like to know is where is your vacuum equipment? Is what you’re showing us supposed to be impressive? Certainly not to someone like me who happens to be a highly-qualified expert in the field.

What you’re showing me here is an empty truck. All that stuff could fit into a mini-van. So you’re driving around in a cube van just to impress people, correct?

Some of those other guys who say they are cleaning people’s ducts must be using invisible duct cleaning equipment. Or, if the thing is so small that you can’t even see it in the picture, what kind of suction are they going to have at the end of the hose by the time they run it 100 or so feet from the truck to your furnace? Could it even suck up a kleenex?

Here’s what a real truck-mounted vacuum system looks like. The vacuum system alone uses up most of the truck. There is a gas-powered 4 cylinder engine that runs the vacuum and the compressor. If you were to put your hand up to the end of the hose when it is running, it would suck your whole arm into the hose.

It is true that the suction doesn’t do all the work when you are getting your duct system cleaned. It’s actually a combination of the compressed air and the vacuum working together. But to do a real job, they do both have to be powerful.

Having the right equipment alone is not just enough to get a quality cleaning either, but at least its a good start. Another very important factor is that the technician has to know how to use the equipment properly.

We once walked into a job site where some other company was cleaning some ducts and saw the technician struggling like crazy trying to get his air snake to work properly. The hose was bunching up and the thing just was not co-operating. You could tell that he was getting quite frustrated. So John says, “Give me that”, and took the thing out of his hand and fired the air snake right down the duct just like nothing. The guy was quite surprised and asked him, “How did you do that”? It was pretty funny, but the sad thing is that this is something that is fairly typical. We’ve seen similar situations many times.

So how did John manage to send the air snake straight to the end of the duct with almost no effort at all? That comes from years of experience and knowing how to use your tools.

If you want quality workmanship and experienced duct cleaning technicians who use real truck-mounted vacuum equipment, then give us a call. While we are at your home you can come out to the truck and see the equipment for yourself if you want to. It’s big, its real and its powerful, and you are always welcome to test our suction for yourself. We have nothing to hide.

So in short, if you want it done right, call City Duct. Our pricing is reasonable and all our work is completely guaranteed. (416) 293-1800

At City Duct we’ve had an excellent quality assurance program in effect for many years. A part of that program is our quality questionaire that we ask our customers to fill out while we are in their home.

Here are some of the comments that came off the bottom of those same questionaires. These are almost the same as duct cleaning reviews that you would see online, only we actually have these and plenty more in writing.

I grabbed a bunch of these off the top of the pile, and as you can see, we have a near-perfect rating.

Thanks again to all our customers who took the time to add their comments.

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Excellent job. Austin deserves a raise!
J. McCabe, Toronto

Allan was very thorough and did extra cleaning when I showed him all the dirt we had in our cold air return. Thank you!
S. Cutler, Vaughan

We have been working with you for a number of years and are quite satisfied.
F. Dev, Toronto

It took quite a bit longer than I expected. Other than that, all is well.
C. Morin, Toronto

It has been a while and it needed cleaning. Good work.
K. Robertson, Toronto

Keep up the good work!
C. Wang, Scraborough

Allan answered all of our questons. Excellent job.
M. Currie, Toronto

Excellent work!
C. Reyes, Toronto

Excellent service, I was impressed with your technician.
E. Zunde, Scarborough

Arrival was almost an hour late. Service in the home was fine.
G. Nishimura, Markham

Technician was very good & pleasant.
C. Howlett, Toronto

Technician was helpful, friendly and efficient.
P. Swinnerton, Toronto

Allan was pleasant and co-operative. Thank you!
D. Fennell, Toronto

Focused on really cleaning the system. Did not rush. Very happy with service.
J. Pheir, Toronto

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Sick Building Syndrome has become one of the hottest topics around the workplace, and while exact definitions of the term vary, it generally relates to poor air quality within a working environment.

It can be caused by everything from the growth of molds within ventilation systems to fumes given off by remodeling or improperly stored chemicals.

Common symptoms range from such things as headaches, eye, nose or throat irritation, dry cough, dry or itchy skin, dizziness and nausea, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and extra sensitivity to odors. In rare instances it can be fatal.

Usually sick building syndrome is associated with commercial buildings, but residential homes can also trigger symptoms as well.

Experts say that Sick Building Syndrome is the result of creating energy-efficient buildings after the first oil embargo in 1973. As the nation scrambled to cut its dependence on foreign oil, many buildings were built with sealed windows to reduce heat and energy loss.

Sick Building Syndrome describes a phenomenon whereby occupants of a building would become ill without explanation, and then the symptoms would appear to decrease or go away altogether once they left the building.

Improvements in energy efficiency and bulding design may be the major contributors of the problem. Indoor air pollution, biological contaminants such as bacteria and mold and inadequate ventilation have all contributed to a rise in SBS in recent years.

Adhesives, upholstery, carpeting, copiers, manufactured wood products, cleaning agents and pesticides are some sources of indoor air pollution. Also, according to the EPA, outdoor pollutants such as car exhaust can enter buildings through poorly located air intake vents and windows and become trapped indoors.

Compounding the problem is the fact that people are spending more and more time indoors, and building materials, furniture and equipment contain many more synthetic chemicals than they did years ago. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that newer, tightly sealed buildings raised the risk of respiratory sickness by 45 percent.

Not everyone is convinced though, that Sick Building Syndrome is responsible for all the ills laid at its door.

What does City Duct here in Toronto have to do with the 2010 Winter Olympics, you might ask? Well, nothing really, but I was thinking about taking a trip back to Vancouver to check out some of the games.

Vancouver is where I first got involved in the duct cleaning industry, something like 30 years ago. I have family there who are also heavily involved in the trade, so if I try to hit them up for a place to stay for a while they might be tempted to put me to work.

Its interesting for me to check out some duct cleaning jobs every time I go back for a visit, and that always gives me the opportunity to point out how we do things the right way back in Toronto.

It will be interesting to see what they’ve done to Hwy. 99 which goes from North Vancouver to Whistler since I was last there. They tell me the weather has been quite mild there lately. They’re laughing at us right now because we just got snow again. Oh yeah? It’ll be gone tomorrow. Just wait ’til it rains for four weeks in a row again and then we’ll talk.

The Olympics are all everyone is talking about in that area right now. Its all over the news and seems to be all that everyone wants to talk about for the moment. That’s good. It gives everyone something good to look forward to. The same thing would be happening here if something big like that was taking place in Ontario. It should be a good show because they’ve been planning this event for years.

Anyway, I hope I can make it out there but I also have some big family events happening this month at home too. So if the wife will allow it, I’m out of here!

We wish all the participants and especially the Canadian athletes the best of luck. Bring us the Gold!

Lately we’ve been hearing more and more complaints about “whole house specials” and reading about them on the internet too. Whole house specials are advertised in the Toronto area for anywhere from $99.00 to $120.00 or $130.00. It just depends where you look.

Bait and Switch is a common rip-off tactic that has been around for many years and it is also being used by some duct cleaners in our area as well. They lead you to believe that you are going to get the ducts in your entire home professionally cleaned for only $120.00, but of course, once they are in your home they hit you with all kinds of stories, extras and price increases. That $120 can easily turn into a bill of over $500.

These are the same people who quite often refer to themselves on the internet as “industry leaders”, and clearly misrepresent themselves by saying they have been in business for X number of years when that is not true. Anyone can say what they want on their website to make themselves sound better than they really are, and we’ve been noticing an increase in that type of behaviour recently. It’s almost criminal really, and there should be a way for the legitimate companies in their respective industries to report such deliberate misinformation when they see it. The internet is a good thing, but unfortunately it is also another way for some people to lie to you without doing it right to your face.

Here is an example of an advertised “whole house special” that was being used in the U.S. The owner was eventually forced to stop using this truly misleading advertising, because no one ever did get their ducts cleaned for the low price he was advertising.

Any company who really thought of themselves as being an industry leader would not use such tactics because what they are doing is hurting the industry not helping it.

There are, unfortunately, some scam duct cleaning companies in the Toronto Area, but there are also many honest people too. If you are considering having your air ducts cleaned, there are some ways that you can protect yourself:

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For many years we’ve had a quality questionaire that we ask our residential air duct cleaning customers to fill out while we are in their home, and we’ve gotten a near-perfect rating. Most of our customers say they were quite happy with our service, rated it highly, and said they would use us again.

We are always interested in reading the comments on that form too, whether they are good or bad. Every honest review that we get from a customer is another opportunity for us to improve our service.

We’ve been doing such excellent work for so many years now that our percentage of repeat business is quite high. That number is over 60% now, which I am sure is one of the highest in the industry.

Here are some recent duct cleaning reviews about City Duct Cleaning that people have posted online:

AWESOME JOB‎
By george – Feb 8, 2010

We had City Duct Cleaning here to clean the furnace and ducts in our 3600 square foot home and they did an excellent job. They did everything they said they would on the phone and more. They even fixed and cleaned our electronic air cleaner as part of the job. It took 2 guys over 2 hours to do it, but what an excellent show. My wife and I were both very impressed. Thanks Glenn and John, what an excellent team.

EXCELLENT SERVICE February 6, 2010
By: VALERYP

I found City Duct on Google and contacted them for a duct cle aning. They were very helpful on the phone and very thorough when they came to clean my ducts. They also cleaned my dryer vent and I could not believe all the lint that came out of the it.
Excellent service! I highly recommend it.

EXCELLENT SERVICE February 6, 2010
By: FRANKINAJAX

We checked around very thoroughly and chose City Duct Cleaning to clean the ducts in our house. We chose them because they have all those awards and the lady on the phone was quite helpful and explained everything precisely.

When they arrived, they did an impressive job and they were careful not to leave any mess behind. They even fixed my humidifier for no charge and adjusted some of the dampers in my ducts. The airflow is much better now.

Thanks for everything City Duct. You will always be highly recommended.

Gleen & John were exceptional
Ben in Little Italy
dryer duct installation and furnace repair Our dryer wasn’t venting outdoors and house wasn’t maintaining temperature. They fixed both jobs (furnace vents were faulty and new thermostat was required and they installed new dryer duct) in a couple of hours. They cleaned up after and everything is both working and looking great. Thanks guys!

Feb 02, 2010

ducts done right
Lisa in Leslieville
duct cleaning Having just moved into a home this summer that, shall we say, wasn’t loved the way it should have been – or cleaned the way it should have been – by the previous owners, we HAD to have the ducts cleaned before we turned the heating on. We were literally afraid of what was lurking in the ducts. City Duct Cleaning came, explained all the options and even made sure we knew about their on-line coupon, saving us $25 that we didn’t know about! They had a lot of great input for us and suggestions to improve circulation and heating efficiency and though they suggested they may need to treat our ducts and had explained the expense – something we were willing to do if needed- they ended up telling us the procedure wasn’t necessary when they could have easily done it and taken our money for it with us being none the wiser. This type of honesty always impresses me and speaks volumes about the professionalism of a company. I would highly recommend them.

Exceptional John from City Duct
Nelson from Scarborough
Attic insulation removal I recently had a raccoon problem in the attic, and needed a company to remove the contaminated insulation. None of the wildlife companies provided this service. I then found City Duct Cleaning. They were very puntual, they did an extremely thorough job without rushing, and were very professional. I would highly recommend this company to anyone experiencing a similar situation.

Have you noticed how dirty your washroom exhaust grills get from time to time? Cleaning those grills and the exhaust fans is something that most homeowners can do themselves.

In newer installations, the exhaust grill is easily removed by squeezing together two spring clips. Just pull the grill down a bit, and it will hang there by itself. Gently squeeze the clips together at the top and you should easily be able to remove the grill. The grill can be vacuumed if necessary, and then washed in the bathroom sink or in the tub. Wipe it dry with a paper towel, and that part is done.

Some grills are actually screwed into place, and if so, then the grill is also likely to be painted as well. Carefully cut around the edges before you remove it and clean as described above.

As soon as the grill has been removed, you should see the fan. If you haven’t cleaned this out for a while then you will notice that it is quite dusty. In most cases you should be able to uplug the fan and remove the complete assembly by removing one or two screws.

 
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Once you have the fan out, you can vacuum and wipe the blades of the fan with a damp cloth. A soft brush or paint brush can be used to remove all the visible dust from the motor.

Just put everything back together, plug in the fan and test its operation before you re-install the grill and that’s it. The whole job shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes per washroom.

In most cases you won’t be able to clean the exhaust duct (the part of the system that goes from the fan to the outside grill), but just cleaning the fan and grill periodically is not only good housekeeping, but it will make the fan last for many more years than it would have if you never cleaned it.

Some homes create alot more dust than others, but on average, you should do this small maintenance item once every six months.

Remember too, that cleaning of this complete system, including the grill, the fan, the duct and the outside grill is also something that can be done in conjunction with a whole-house air duct cleaning for a very minimal fee.

We’ve been cleaning ductwork for a long time, and over the years we’ve found some pretty strange stuff. Here is a partial list of some of the things that we’ve found so far.

A dead fox, a raincoat, a running shoe, a cash box, diamond rings, besides the usual stuff such as hair, cereal, coins, dead mice, pencils and lots of dust. All kinds of old hockey and baseball cards. Pop cans, coffee cups and beer bottles are usual items.

We’ve found pieces of drywall, lunch bags, and we even found an open can of sardines that was still half full and was growing.

There were several cars from an old wooden train set, marbles and all kinds of half-melted plastic toys. We used to have an aquarium full of neat stuff that we found in people’s ductwork that we used as part of a homeshow display, and I will always remember how alot of people were quite surprised to see that collection.

One time I went to do a service call because the homeowner was complaining that one of his air vents was not blowing any cooling into their family room. It was an older wall vent with big wide slots on it. I took the grill off the wall and looked down it with a flashlight and a mirror and I could see what looked like a book.

It was about 10 feet down, so with the owner’s approval, I measured it out and had to break a hole into the drywall ceiling of the basement so that I could cut a hole into the duct. I ended up pulling out 19 books, as well as 45 VCR tapes. By the time I was done there were a few good stacks of things on the table. No wonder he wasn’t getting any airflow!

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I patched up the hole in the duct with sheet metal no problem. I could have installed a grill to hide the hole in the drywaall, but the guy said he’d take care of the drywall repair himself. He was just so happy that he now had perfect air going to his family room again, because at the time it was over 30 degrees outside. He also said that he’d been wondering what had been happening to all his tapes. He had a four year old son who had been dropping that stuff down the duct.

If you need your ducts repaired or cleaned, or need a vent moved or are wondering if you can get more airflow into certain parts of your home then give us a call. We are total problem solvers in this area, and we even do the small jobs that no one else seems to want to bother with.