Restoration Duct Cleaning

[rhino1]

Does anyone know the difference between "light" and "heavy" duct cleaning on a restoration job? I can only assume light would mean maybe just vacuuming out the vents and heavy would entail using our negative air system, but I don't know for sure.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I've never heard of light? I don't know how you can partially clean a system.

 

[rhino1]

I've never heard of light? I don't know how you can partially clean a system.

Yeah, that is confusing to me. Maybe "light" means not cleaning the mains or the air handler.... not advisable in my opinion. Or maybe it means using a Rotobrush.

 

[SMRBAP]

It's to differentiate time needed per qty (be that linel ft or sq ft). For example:

If you have a mold abatement in a newer home, forced air natural gas system, and the ducts are virtually free of visible contams - you still have to clean before you seal. But it's a quick in and out.

Versus an abatement on a 30 yr old oil fired system that has 1/16" of soot that has to be cleaned before you can seal that takes you 3 times as long to complete the same qty/measure of.

Sometimes they want pics to justify heavy clean selection of line items.

It also depends on the reason - in a fire you'll get away with heavy clean almost everytime - if this is from a cat 1 water damage - you probably won't get the heavy rate past an adjuster.

 

[Desk Jockey]

That's possible but to do a thorough job you still have to run all the openings and return. You might spend less time on the vent covers an could possibly air wash the blower? We do the exact same process on all systems, dirty might take more to get clean but most take the same amount of time.

A lot like carpet cleaning, you still have to clean every sq/ft even if its light, it will be a little faster and use less chems than dirty but nothing crazy. Unless you're comparing light to trashed. ???

 

[SMRBAP]

The light vs. heavy all got started on the fire restoration side and it's been slowly washing down into other service line items.

I'd say 90% of it applies to structure and contents in this situation: Cleaning dry smoke residues from a hot fast burning fire that are, dry, non-smearing particles, happens a lot easier than cleaning wet smoke residues from low temp slow burning/smoldering situation where the particles are smeary/greasy.

That's probably the best use example I can give of the line of thinking in the different rates.

I think in water and mold line items it has it's places as well - it all boils down to justifying the use of the higher paying selections to the adjuster.

In many cases the adjuster doesn't argue it because it is much less costly to do what you have to to salvage than it is to replace, be it contents or structure.