Commercial HVAC Cleaning Schedule

When should clean each part of your commercial HVAC system depending on the use of the facility and type of facility? Each commercial HVAC system is made up of air handling units, supply ducts, return ducts/exhaust ducts, cooling towers, ductwork, and more. Based on our experience cleaning commercial HVAC systems in various facilities over the past 14 years, we have put together a recommended cleaning schedule with a few caveats based on needs. We follow NADCA recommendations for annual inspection recommendations which often inform how often the cleaning needs to be done at your facility.

Recommended Cleaning Schedule

Annual Inspection for Air-Handling Unit, Supply Duct, and Return Duct/ Exhaust Duct – This is a thorough inspection looking for wear and tear, damage, mold/bacterial growth, and build-up.

Cooling Towers – 2 times per year (Spring before startup and Fall after shutdown)

Air-Handling Unit – 2 times per year (special attention needs to be paid to the evaporator and condenser coils to ensure the energy efficiency of the unit)

Supply Duct* – every 2-4 years depending on the use of the facility.

Return Duct / Exhaust Duct* – every 2-4 years depending on the use of the facility – this should match the supply duct cleaning.

*Supply Duct and Return Duct / Exhaust Duct

The frequency of duct cleaning at your facility will be dictated by the type and function of the facility.

Office Buildings:

We have found the office buildings can on the whole have a full duct system cleaning every 4 years on average.

Casinos and Smoking Facilities:

Casinos and other facilities that allow cigarette smoking typically require a cleaning every 1 to 2 years due to the build-up in the vents, when more time passes between cleaning, the buildup gets to be too much and overwhelms the system.

Manufacturing / Mechanical / Industrial Facilities:

Facilities that often deal with a lot of soot due to manufacturing, assembling, forging, etc. may need to have their ductwork cleaned more often depending on the dust and smoke collection systems in place.  Without collection systems in place, the vents likely need to be cleaned every year or two but with collection systems in place, it may be possible to prolong the cleaning to every three to four years.

Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities:

Hospitals and healthcare facilities don’t typically have a quick buildup in the ductwork but they do carry a lot of germs through them and can benefit from sanitizing on at least an annual basis if not more frequently.

Ready to schedule your recurring inspection and maintenance plan? Schedule your facility walk-through today!