Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana, Catalina Foothills, Vail and Sahuarita
Mold and Duct Sanitizing in Tucson, AZ
A musty smell from the vents, dark spots inside a register, or growth you can see on the coil. Sanitizing treats the surfaces inside the ducts after they have been cleaned. It is the second step, never the first, and it only lasts if the moisture that caused the problem is dealt with too.
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- Free quotes
- Cleaning first, then treatment
- Honest about what it can and cannot do
- Homes and rentals
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What’s included
What duct sanitizing includes
Sanitizing is not a substitute for cleaning. Spraying a product onto dust does nothing useful. So every sanitizing job starts with a full air duct cleaning, and the treatment goes onto clean duct surfaces.
What a standard job includes:
- InspectionThe tech looks for the source: a swamp cooler, a blocked drain line, a duct under the slab holding water, or a leak. If we cannot find a moisture source, we say so.
- Full duct cleaningSupply, return, registers, plenum and the blower compartment, under negative pressure with brushes and air tools.
- Sanitizing treatmentA product applied to the inside of the ducts and the plenum. We typically use a product registered with the EPA for use in HVAC systems. Ask us which product and we will tell you before the visit.
- Coil and drain panThe usual place growth starts in a Tucson home. See AC coil and HVAC cleaning.
- Plain adviceWhat caused it, what we did, and what you need to change so it does not come back.
Not part of this service: mold remediation on drywall, insulation or framing, air testing, and anything behind a wall. If the growth is beyond the duct system, we tell you and you call a remediation company.
How it works
How a sanitizing visit goes
Three steps, and you know the price before any work starts.
- Call or send the formTell us what you smell or see, where, and whether you run a swamp cooler. You get a quote before anyone comes out.
- Find the source, then cleanThe tech checks the cooler, the coil, the drain and the ducts, then does the full duct cleaning.
- Treat and explainThe sanitizing product goes on the clean surfaces. You hear what caused it and what to change. The whole visit typically takes 3 to 5 hours with the cleaning. Ask us and you get a time estimate with the quote.
Why Tucson is different
Why Tucson ducts get musty
- Swamp coolersThe number one cause we see. Damp air plus dust in a duct is exactly what growth needs. See swamp cooler duct cleaning.
- Monsoon seasonFrom June 15 to September 30, humidity jumps. The AC coil runs wet, the drain line works harder, and a blocked one overflows into the air handler.
- Ducts under the slabOlder Tucson homes with metal ducts under the floor can hold water after a storm or a leak. Standing water in a duct is a problem no spray fixes. We tell you if we find it.
- Closed-up housesSummer here means windows shut for months. Whatever is in the ducts recirculates.
- Dust as foodGrowth needs something to live on. Desert dust in a damp duct is that something, which is why cleaning comes before treatment.
Check your home
Signs your ducts need more than a cleaning
- A musty smell that comes back a few days after a regular cleaning
- Dark spots or fuzzy growth on the inside of a register or just behind it
- Visible growth on the evaporator coil or in the drain pan
- Water stains around the air handler or a register
- The smell is strongest when the swamp cooler or AC first starts
- A duct that has been flooded, from a roof leak, a cooler overflow or a plumbing leak
If you only have dust and no smell, you probably need air duct cleaning, not sanitizing. Call and ask. We would rather sell you the smaller job.
What it costs
What duct sanitizing costs in Tucson
Sanitizing is priced on top of the duct cleaning it goes with. The total depends on the size of the system, how many registers, the source of the moisture and whether the coil needs cleaning too. Call or send the form and we will give you a quote before anyone comes out. More on the duct cleaning cost page.
Can you just spray the ducts without cleaning them?
No. Product sprayed on dust sits on the dust. The ducts have to be clean first for the treatment to reach the duct surface. That is why sanitizing is always sold with a cleaning.
Will sanitizing get rid of mold for good?
It treats what is in the ducts now. If the moisture source is still there, growth comes back. Fixing the source, usually a cooler, a drain line or a leak, is what makes it last.
Is the product safe for my family and pets?
We typically use a product registered with the EPA for use in HVAC systems and follow its label. Ask us for the product name before the visit and we will send it. If you have a specific concern, tell us and we can talk about it.
Does duct sanitizing improve air quality or help with allergies?
It removes dust and treats growth inside the ducts, and it helps with musty smells. The EPA says duct cleaning has not been shown to prevent health problems, and we do not claim it does. If someone in the house has a health condition, talk to a doctor about air quality, not to a duct cleaner.
Do you test for mold?
No. We do not do air sampling or lab testing. If you want a test, an indoor air quality company does that, and we are happy to clean afterward.
Do I need to leave the house during the treatment?
Typically you can stay home. The tech will tell you how long to keep the system off after the treatment, which depends on the product. Ask us when you book.
My ducts were flooded. Can you fix that?
We can clean and treat ducts that got wet and have dried out. A duct that is still holding water, or a flex duct that got soaked, usually needs replacing, and we tell you that before doing any work.
Get a free duct sanitizing quote
Call or send the form. Tell us your zip code, what you smell or see, and whether you run a swamp cooler. We call you back with a quote.
- Tucson
- Oro Valley
- Marana
- Catalina Foothills
- Vail
- Sahuarita
Get a free quote
Five quick questions. We call you back.