Would you know what to do if an animal got trapped in one of your air ducts? According to Brandon Kirk of Planet Duct, the best thing to do is to shut off your furnace, open it up and take out the filter. Placing a pillow on the return drop will provide a soft landing in case the critter falls through. After that, call Planet Duct!

Kirk, 52, started the business in March 2019. With 15 trained employees, Planet Duct proudly serves customers as far east as La Junta and Rocky Ford, west to Salida and north to Boulder. Powerful equipment, combined with their certification and high standards for excellence, make them the local go-to duct cleaning company. 

AN OTHERWORLDLY CLEANING

Depending on the size of the home and project scope, professional air duct cleaning typically takes about three to five hours. Planet Duct works on residential housing as well as bigger spaces, from mansions to commercial businesses.

Crew members give your air ducts a cleaning that is “out of this world,” said Kirk. 

Planet Duct’s ventilation system blows dust and other particulate matter through a vacuum hose and out of your home. Each side of a house’s duct system is isolated to achieve the best possible airflow and suction. 

After the duct system has been cleaned and resealed, they run a carbon monoxide check. If necessary, the customer is referred to a trusted HVAC company.

Heating ducts installed before the 1980s used insulation containing asbestos that is now known to cause cancer. Kirk said those who own an older home containing asbestos should completely replace the ducts rather than clean them out.

SURPRISES IN THE DUCTS

“People will call complaining of a weird smell or odor in their homes, and we will send our cameras down to investigate,” Kirk said. 

His crew has found live and dead animals, such as birds, snakes, hamsters and woodpeckers that come through the fresh intake vents and try to climb or fly into the home to get warm. 

Other unusual objects show up as well.

“I’ve found a nice collection of matchbox cars and other small toys, along with six wedding rings and many cell phones,” Kirk said.

But not every find is sought after
or valuable.

“One family we work for has a child who is a magician—he makes stuff disappear. We found a whole bunch of diapers in their ducts!” Kirk said with a laugh.

CLEAN YOUR VENTS ANNUALLY

In the wake of the 2021 Marshall Fire, Planet Duct was summoned to Louisville and Superior to clean soot and ash out of damaged homes’ air ducts. They worked on over 100 contaminated homes, cooperating with various mitigation companies. 

Planet Duct recommends getting your dryer vents cleaned out once a year, to prevent a fire in your home. Lint-clogged dryer vents are the number-one cause of home fires in the U.S. A thorough dryer vent cleaning also prolongs the life of a dryer and shaves minutes off drying time. 

HVAC systems also need maintenance. Planet Duct’s equipment collects all the dust, debris and microbial growth when they clean the coils. This restores lost airflow and unit efficiency and improves the longevity of your system. And the air quality dramatically improves! 

“[Seniors] will often complain of sniffles and allergens from the air, dust particles and unknown odors that they’re breathing in their homes, and we want to help them,” said Kirk.  “We don’t just want to make HVAC more efficient, but we want to give our customers better air to breathe.” 

To get your ducts cleaned, call Planet Duct at 719-728-5111 or visit Planet Duct's website.