Carpet and Floor Cleaning Industry Chat Forum : Truck Mounted Duct Cleaning https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:11:15 +0000 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:28:21 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.06 360 https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=88 <![CDATA[Carpet and Floor Cleaning Industry Chat Forum]]> https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_images/web_wiz_forums.png https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/ <![CDATA[Truck Mounted Duct Cleaning : I have talked to Ted about this...]]> https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=153951&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#153951 Author: Superglide Ken
Subject: 88
Posted: 19/March/2009 at 3:28pm

I have talked to Ted about this a couple of times now. Why has it not been done? My guess is that Ted is just busy and has not got around to doing it yet. When I am in Toronto next time later this year, maybe I will help him get it done. 1 day is all it would take. ]]> Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:28:21 +0000 https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=153951&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#153951 <![CDATA[Truck Mounted Duct Cleaning : Hey Ken why don&#039;t you have...]]> https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=153933&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#153933 Author: tokmik
Subject: 88
Posted: 19/March/2009 at 3:52am


Hey Ken why don't you have a demo at Teds...I've always wanted a closer look..... I wanted to get into this...but I wonder how the customer will feel about it...no big truck...




Chandler Carpet Cleaning
]]> Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:52:19 +0000 https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=153933&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#153933 <![CDATA[Truck Mounted Duct Cleaning : Most people that buy our systems...]]> https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=103179&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#103179 Author: Ken Harris
Subject: 88
Posted: 08/April/2007 at 11:53am

Most people that buy our systems use it in conjunction with other equipment if they are into duct cleaning in a fulltime way. Again, our primary customer is a carpet cleaner doing duct cleaning only part-time, in situations were it can be used. For the record, our ZX7 tool is only 3.75" long and only 1.75" wide, making it the smallest tool of it's kind in the world. It is actually more narrow than the 1.875" OD of the 1.5" vacuum hose it attaches to. It has no problem getting into over 99% of all existing vents in homes. Those in areas were vent size is smaller than that, should be using another system.

In any case, because of the extremely low price of our Silver system(only $369US), many cleaners are using it successfully to clean dryer vents only. Even if this were the only application, the low purchase price quickly generates thousands of additional dollars of income. The only people that can not make good money with our system are those that never use it. The rest find it one of the most profitable purchase decisions they have ever made.]]> Sun, 08 Apr 2007 11:53:42 +0000 https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=103179&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#103179 <![CDATA[Truck Mounted Duct Cleaning : Ken Harris wrote:I have cleaned...]]> https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=103161&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#103161 Author: Options
Subject: 88
Posted: 08/April/2007 at 8:51am

Originally posted by Ken Harris Ken Harris wrote:

I have cleaned houses that have used these so called reccomended systems. In each case , our Turboteck system was able to outclean these systems that cost up to 50X more money! For residential systems our system can't be beat. I make no claims about being able to clean the larger commercial systems with it. That is were the large systems have their best application.


Possibly, but only if a blo & go did the cleaning and even then I have my doubts!

I've been cleaning for 7 years and for the record have never simply blown air into a duct to clean it! My tools consist of a variety of pneumatic whips in 14 to 28" lengths and numbering from 1 to 8 tentacles on each 1" diameter head. These operate at up to 220psi of air pressure and will thoroughly remove all of the dirt from any duct. I do make a final pass with a forward or reverse air sweep, but this is simply to remove anything heavy that may have been left behind. I also have Heat Seal's Scorpion Brush which has a built-in air sweep and is only about 6" long. It too fits thru a 1" hole and uses very inexpensive trimmer line. It will remove even the most stubborn dirt from any of the smaller branch ducts and dryer vents. All cleaning rods and tools sold by Heat Seal and Duct Cleaners Supply come with interchangeable locking quick connects making it easy to mix and match their accessories.   

Granted the equipment I have is more expensive than yours, but then again it actually works and not only is it faster, but I've never needed x-ray vision to figure out which 10 to 20% of the homes have HIDDEN obstacles or oversized ducts that can't be cleaned with your system!       

From what I've seen your equipment has the same limitations that Rotobrush and its other knockoffs do. In addition to being an underpowered vacuum, the hose and brush assembly are simply too large to get past many of the obstacles in the wall cavaties, panned returns and branch ducts. Nor can it fit thru anything but the largest of vent openings except possible those that go directly into attic spaces. The most common floor openings here are less than 1 1/2" wide and are rarely more than 2 1/2" deep in the walls. In ranch style homes with vents located on the outer walls and at least the first floors of multiple story homes, these are generally followed by one or more 90 degree ells directly below the floor. Those nice sharp zip screws securing the ducts together and the nails holding the molding to lower wall surfaces must also play real havoc with your hose covering!

Although your website doesn't mention it - the small suction openings in your vacuum hose aren't likely to be big enough to pick up much of anything except the finest dust and I suspect that you have no immediate way of knowing when they plug up which presents the very real possibility that some homes are going to need dusted when you're done!

My hoses range in size from 8 to 12 inches and I have yet to find anything large enough to plug even the smallest of those. Nor do I have a large rectangular brush pushing the heavier dirt ahead and into a corner somewhere, so I never have to worry about leaving large construction debris, banana peels, toys, crayons, paper or other debris behind and I've always been able to remove the occasional dead mouse when I've been called to rid the home of their unpleasant odor!   

I too have the same fiberglass (chimney cleaning) rods that you supply. As these don't bend very, I only use mine for cleaning commercial dryer vents and am curious how those owning your equipment manage to negotiate the 90 degree turns or tees occasionally found in the main ducts that are located above finished ceilings without having to cut additional access holes in these surfaces?    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Edited by Options - 08/April/2007 at 9:04am]]> Sun, 08 Apr 2007 08:51:11 +0000 https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=103161&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#103161 <![CDATA[Truck Mounted Duct Cleaning : I have cleaned houses that have...]]> https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=103130&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#103130 Author: Ken Harris
Subject: 88
Posted: 08/April/2007 at 1:33am

I have cleaned houses that have used these so called reccomended systems. In each case , our Turboteck system was able to outclean these systems that cost up to 50X more money! For residential systems our system can't be beat. I make no claims about being able to clean the larger commercial systems with it. That is were the large systems have their best application.]]> Sun, 08 Apr 2007 01:33:01 +0000 https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=103130&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#103130 <![CDATA[Truck Mounted Duct Cleaning : Food For Thought? ]]> https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=103094&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#103094 Author: Hammy
Subject: 88
Posted: 08/April/2007 at 12:43am

Food For Thought?        ]]> Sun, 08 Apr 2007 00:43:42 +0000 https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=103094&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#103094 <![CDATA[Truck Mounted Duct Cleaning : Superglide Ken wrote:Limitations:...]]> https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=103093&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#103093 Author: Options
Subject: 88
Posted: 08/April/2007 at 12:37am

Originally posted by Superglide Ken Superglide Ken wrote:

Limitations: Not all houses can be cleaned using these systems. Many of the newer homes have dampner doors that you may shut accidently if you do not use a video camera system. Larger homes(bigger than 2000-3000 sq ft also may pose a problem with muliple furnace and main and return systems. But these comprise no more than 10 to 20% of most markets in Canada, and there is still 80 to 90% that you can do with no problems. With experience, you can tell the ones that cause you problems and do the rest.
!


I'm not familar with construction in Canada, but do know several Canadian duct cleaners from the duct cleaning forums and all use negative air machines and pneumatic cleaning tools and this equipment will clean any type of construction and do an excellent job of it! With this equipment you aren't limited to just residential systems either and the best money is in cleaning commercial and industrial applications.

The Viper (Duct Cleaners Supply) and Scorpion (Heat Seal) cleaning systems do an excellent job and require only a 1" opening. Regardless of size or number of systems, these tools will clean any duct system that is too small to crawl or stand in to clean.

Dampers and panned returns aren't a problem and neither are floor openings or wall cavities with wiring, plumbing and other obstacles inside. These tools are also far more versatile and will clean larger ducts as well as long runs. Specific designs will also safely and thoroughly clean fiberglass (ductboard) and internally insulated metal ducts.

Here's a list of those manufactuers that I'd recommend:
In Canada:
Heat Seal Duct Cleaning Equipment
Canadian Caddy-Vac Inc.
Biltwel Duct Cleaning Equipment

In USA:
American CaddyVac
Meyer Machine and Equipment
Wm. Meyer and Sons
Nikro
Harold's Power-Vac
Duct Cleaners Supply

]]> Sun, 08 Apr 2007 00:37:36 +0000 https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=103093&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#103093 <![CDATA[Truck Mounted Duct Cleaning : Regardless of the many conflicting...]]> https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=70517&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#70517 Author: Superglide Ken
Subject: 88
Posted: 10/November/2006 at 12:16pm

Regardless of the many conflicting opinions about this subject, I am still convinced of 2 things regarding cleaning residential ducting: The Cleanco IAQ system and our Turboteck System are the 2 most best way for cleaning ductwork that you can buy.The Cleanco System came out first in 1995 and took into consideration all the requirements needed to clean ductwork well in the CANADIAN marketplace. That market is comprised of primary main and return ducting and secondary ducting running to the vents of the rooms. Cleaning the secondary ducting is the easy part. The ducting is mostly 4" and 5" in diameter in the older homes, with most homes newer than 30 years old using 6" ducts. The original Cleanco system used 3 different brushs to clean these different sizes. I had a better idea in 1998. I built just one tool that would take all 3 brush sizes. Next, I knew that these types of ducts(4" to 6" rounds) would clean up better is there was a rotating brush at the front of the tool to remove more debrie than the fixed support brushs were doing, so I asked Cleanco if they would be interested in me developing such a tool for them and them buying it from me. This was in March 1998 at the Orlando ASCR show. Instead, Cleanco developed their own tool instead, so the following year(1999) I started selling my own rotary system to distributers under the name of Spinmax. This system(as well as Cleanco's) work great with 200 cfms of airflow to power them.

They work by being screwed onto 25 ft of 1.5" carpet cleaning vacuum hose by the reverse threads on the aluminum tool body. This is the part of the hose that actually goes into the vents. The 1.5" hose is connected to 100 ft or more of 2" vacuum hose that is connected to the waste tank of your TM. The tool has 3 vacuum intakes at the front of it to take in the debrie found in the ducting, mostly the duct wall. There is an aluminum turbine located in the center of the tool that spins on a front mounted high speed bearing via a stainless steel shaft. The bearing is rated to 25,000 rpm , but since it only spins 1000 to 4000 rpm in the Turboteck Tool, it lasts for years. Most of these that I sold in this decade are still working on their original bearings.The turnine spins a counterweight at the front of the tool to which are attached screw in brushs. These brushes are worth $20/set and last an average of 10 jobs, reducing the cost to only $2/house, the lowest cost in the industry.After you finish a job, you un-screw them till the next job.

The Cleanco system and the Turboteck system use the same type of rectangular shaped brushs for cleaning the main and return system. You can't clean a rectangular duct properly with a ROUND BRUSH, cause you miss the corners. So you must cut a 12"X12" hole into the furnace Plenum in the basements of most houses. Then you connect your vacuum hose to these larger rectangular brushs and you sweep these large Ducts with the brushs that are connected to fiberglass rods that screw into each other. If your access hole is located near the middle of the ducting, you will not have to go much more than 15 ft in either direction to accomplish this. Most of the contaminates are on the Return side of the system, and thats where you will spend the most time cleaning. When done, you place a 14" X14" patch over the access hole and use zip screws to seal it up. Duct tape covers all sharp edges as the final step. If you have a video inspection system, you show the customer the job you did before you seal it . Vacuum the blower wheel on the furnace, clean all the vent covers and you are done.Most smaller homes can be done in 2 hours and larger homes (up to 2000 sq ft )can be done in 3 hrs or less.

Limitations: Not all houses can be cleaned using these systems. Many of the newer homes have dampner doors that you may shut accidently if you do not use a video camera system. Larger homes(bigger than 2000-3000 sq ft also may pose a problem with muliple furnace and main and return systems. But these comprise no more than 10 to 20% of most markets in Canada, and there is still 80 to 90% that you can do with no problems. With experience, you can tell the ones that cause you problems and do the rest. The market demand for this service is still bigger than the demand for carpet cleaning, and the money is better. There is no reason that you need to leave it to someone else. The biggest fear that stops most people from acting is fear of the unknown. With an entry fee of only a couple of thousand dollars(including tools)on these types of air duct cleaning systems, the only big unknown IMO, is how many thousands in profits are you losing each year by not offering the survice?

Thanks for reading all this. Hopefully is helps some of you from seeing that it is not rocket science. It is only the fear of doing something new that keeps people out of it. The same fear that stops most from cleaning furniture in the home, or asking the customer if they would like Scotchgard. Get over it. It is costing you to much!]]> Fri, 10 Nov 2006 12:16:18 +0000 https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=70517&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#70517 <![CDATA[Truck Mounted Duct Cleaning : Some of you guys are really missing...]]> https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=67171&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#67171 Author: heidelhook
Subject: 88
Posted: 29/August/2006 at 2:02pm

Some of you guys are really missing the point.  Yes, the EPA stated that there may be no benefit to cleaning your ducts.  They also said-IF IT IS NOT DONE PROPERLY!  Also, this is an older study, as the industry has evolved.  DIdn't carpet manufactures at one time say that if you had your carpets professionally cleaned it would void the warranty?  The EPA also wisely stated that you needed to clean up mold with bleach!  They since retracted that, but the damage was done.  How many "remediators" just wipe down mold with bleach and walk away? 

Also, keep in mind the standards.  How many of you would be furious with a carpet cleaner that just comes in and cleans the carpet how they see fit?  With no regard to IICRC, or any other standards?  Yet you want to clean ductwork with no regard for the standard.  NADCA ACR:2006 clearly states that to properly clean the ductwork you must have the system under full negative pressure.  With the carpet cleaning attachment and the ROTOBRUSH, you cannot achieve negative pressure.  You only have local vacuum.  This is a clear violation of the standard, and is not acceptable unless you have an additional vacuum source for your negative pressure.  An air scrubber is not enough either!  There seems to be a lot of animosity between the two groups for some reason, but there doesn't need to be.  If everyone respected the standards, and everyone worked together, it would be much better.
 
Please keep in mind too, how many "air cleaners" are being sold.  Why?  Because the homeowners are complaining about more dust and debris in their home.  Why treat the symptom instead of the culprit?  Clean the air ducts AND the carpet, and the homeowner will have less dust.  Most times for about what they would spend to put an "air cleaner" in a couple rooms of their house.
]]> Tue, 29 Aug 2006 14:02:46 +0000 https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=67171&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#67171 <![CDATA[Truck Mounted Duct Cleaning : Actually I heard from my gas...]]> https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=61525&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#61525 Author: Mo fo yo money
Subject: 88
Posted: 19/January/2006 at 10:11pm

[QUOTE=MR. STEAMER]

Actually I heard from my gas man that it's acutally a better clean...what kills a furnace is all that crap being blown down into the furnace...it could screw the burners and fry the fan...this only sucks...

 

Any competent duct cleaner blocks off the furnace until it's time to clean the furnace, coils, etc. 

]]> Thu, 19 Jan 2006 22:11:49 +0000 https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=88&PID=61525&title=truck-mounted-duct-cleaning#61525