My Furnace vs My CPAP

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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LSAT
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My Furnace vs My CPAP

Post by LSAT » Sat Mar 14, 2020 6:13 pm

We recently had our heating ducts cleaned and I was thinking about how similar my furnace was to my CPAP. So many people obsess over daily cleaning of their CPAP hose...I wonder how many have ever cleaned their heating ducts...(Excuse my art)
Furnace.jpg

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chunkyfrog
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Re: My Furnace vs My CPAP

Post by chunkyfrog » Sat Mar 14, 2020 6:31 pm

In both cases the filter does the most work---if you let it.
Now clothes dryers are a lot different.

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: My Furnace vs My CPAP

Post by ChicagoGranny » Sat Mar 14, 2020 7:05 pm

Good point, LSAT.

The EPA is not big on HVAC duct cleaning.
... Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. This is because much of the dirt in air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space. It is important to keep in mind that dirty air ducts are only one of many possible sources of particles that are present in homes. Pollutants that enter the home both from outdoors and indoor activities such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or just moving around can cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts. Moreover, there is no evidence that a light amount of household dust or other particulate matter in air ducts poses any risk to your health.

You should consider having the air ducts in your home cleaned if:

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There is substantial visible mold growth inside hard surface (e.g., sheet metal) ducts or on other components of your heating and cooling system. There are several important points to understand concerning mold detection in heating and cooling systems:

Many sections of your heating and cooling system may not be accessible for a visible inspection, so ask the service provider to show you any mold they say exists.
You should be aware that although a substance may look like mold, a positive determination of whether it is mold or not can be made only by an expert and may require laboratory analysis for final confirmation. For about $50, some microbiology laboratories can tell you whether a sample sent to them on a clear strip of sticky household tape is mold or simply a substance that resembles it.
If you have insulated air ducts and the insulation gets wet or moldy it cannot be effectively cleaned and should be removed and replaced.
If the conditions causing the mold growth in the first place are not corrected, mold growth will recur.
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Ducts are infested with vermin, e.g. (rodents or insects).

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Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris and/or particles are actually released into the home from your supply registers.

Full article: https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality- ... ed#Summary

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Lifeisabeach
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Re: My Furnace vs My CPAP

Post by Lifeisabeach » Sat Mar 14, 2020 7:42 pm

We had our ducts cleaned once about 10 years ago. The house was built in the 60's and I doubt it was ever done before. I certainly have no intentions of doing it regularly, if ever again to be honest. There's too much controversy over the practice and I can't even remember why we decided to do it... I think it was something that was being touted quite a bit at the time and with my wife's allergies and the age of the house, we decided to give it a whirl. We've since replaced the HVAC system and ductwork, and they found holes in the old ductwork. There's no telling how old any of those were (this house has had a lot of sloppy work done in the past, as I keep finding out since buying it), and may have even been from the duct cleaning for all I can say for sure. If it wasn't, then "maybe" having had it done was helpful if those compromises were leading to allergens, mold, or whatnot getting into the ductwork. Obviously replacing the ductwork for holes is the correct approach, not cleaning it, had I known they were there. I'm more inclined today to believe that regular inspection and upkeep of your HVAC system and timely replacement of your filter is all that's needed.

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Goofproof
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Re: My Furnace vs My CPAP

Post by Goofproof » Sat Mar 14, 2020 8:04 pm

Mold in your furnace duct is unlikely, 1. when running the A/C, it removes moisture from the air, 2. when heating, the heat and air flow keep the ducts dry. If water in your ducts are a mold problem, you need to train the mice and rats to use the toilet and flush. :roll: Jim

Dust and Dirt yes, maybe varmint bones ect....

Why doesn't mold grow on furnace filters.. Same!
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