Do I Need To Clean My HVAC After Fire Damage?

6/2/2022 (Permalink)

Don’t let your property be a victim of fire damage, SERVPRO of Hockessin / Elsmere is only a call away.

Wilmington Residents Want Their Homes Properly Cleaned After Fire Damage

People living in Wilmington know that an HVAC system is a boon for any household. An HVAC helps ventilate the space and keep it fresh in the heat of summer, too.

Residents in Wilmington who need fire damage restoration might not realize that fire damage encompasses their HVAC system. That is why SERVPRO includes HVAC assessment and cleaning as part of our fire damage service.  

What Does Smoke Do To HVAC Systems?

Smoke and soot can get sucked into HVAC systems during a fire. Even if you switch the unit off, air currents can still carry particles inside. 

Soot is a sticky residue composed of tiny hydrocarbon particles produced during the incomplete combustion of materials like wood. Soot is acidic and contains all kinds of chemicals and nasties, including:

• Traces of metal
• Dust and soil
• Chemicals from charred materials such as plastic

Soot bonds easily to surfaces and are challenging to remove. Smoke and soot can make your HVAC less efficient and clog up the filters. If your HVAC contains residue, the system can spread that soot throughout your home.

Can I Clean My HVAC System Myself?

SERVPRO recommends calling in an expert to clean your vents. If you wash them yourself, there is a risk that you could dislodge particles and send them back into the air. You might also end up breathing in smoke and soot particles. Regular household cleaners are not strong enough to handle smoke residue, and household aprons and gloves do not afford proper protection.

Soot particles are tiny, and your vacuum may not be powerful enough to trap them, thus leaving them free to circulate through the air in your home.

Professional technicians know how to remove residue without compromising air quality. SERVPRO teams also come equipped with full personal protective equipment to handle all aspects of soot and fire damage safely.

What Can SERVPRO Do For My HVAC System?

We examine your HVAC system as part of fire damage remediation because we understand that smoke can compromise filters and clog vents. We aim to leave your home “Like it never even happened,” which includes removing soot sources so they cannot spread.

We take good care of your belongings while working on your HVAC system. Our team will cover nearby items with plastic sheeting and ensure that no particles fall out of the vent onto your carpets or furniture.

Our trained technicians use the most appropriate cleaning method, depending on how severely affected your HVAC system is. We use gentle scrubbing methods that do not damage vents, and we have powerful HEPA vacuums to capture the tiny soot particles. HEPA filters undergo rigorous testing to ensure they remove 99.97% of particles of 0.3 microns in size.

What About The Rest of My Home?

SERVPRO of Hockessin / Elsmere can assist you with every aspect of fire damage cleanup. Our technicians will:

• Assess your home and draw up an appropriate remediation plan
• Vacuum and pump away leftover water from fire hoses
• Clean away soot residues from the structure of your home – the floors, walls, and ceilings
• Use a range of scrubbing, spot cleaning, and immersion techniques to clean furniture, upholstery, drapes, and personal belongings.

Our teams keep you in the loop at every stage, and we will not do anything to your home without your permission. We understand that the aftermath of fire damage is stressful and will do everything to make the remediation process easier for you.

We can even talk with your insurance adjuster and give them useful information about your home and insurance claim. This makes the claims process smoother and saves you the stress of dealing with the adjuster alone.

Can You Help Me With Leftover Smoky Smells?

Yes. Deodorization is an integral part of our fire damage cleaning process. Smoky smells have an unpleasant tendency to linger long after the fire is extinguished. We take care of odors using professional equipment, including air scrubbers, carbon filters, fogging, and ozone generators. 

Cleaning your HVAC system helps remove odors by eliminating the risk of soot spreading through the ducts. Getting your HVAC system back in good working order leaves it free to ventilate your home and improve air quality, leaving your house fresh and clean-smelling.

Once your home is clean, and your HVAC system is working correctly, we remove all cleaning waste, so you cannot even tell we were there. The difference you will notice is your home looks and feels like your own once more.

If you are concerned about the effect of fire on your HVAC system, call SERVPRO of Hockessin / Elsmere at (302) 992-0104.