Having a powerful extractor duct and fan system installed is a great way to prevent steam, mould, and airborne bacterial build-up in hotel and student accommodation bathrooms. However, your extractor system won’t run at peak efficiency forever without regular proactive maintenance, and irregularly cleaned ducts are prone to clogs, combustion, and backdraft. Regular clean-outs are the answer to both issues.

Why Is It Vital To Regularly Clean My Bathroom Extractors?

All air exchangers, vents, and one-way air ducts suffer from some dust accumulation, and a light coating of dust isn’t usually a threat to human health. We live and breathe in dust every day, after all. However, long-term layering of dust within the air extraction system can gradually cake internal duct walls in a thick carpet of dust.

As well as being a fire risk, thick dust accumulation often causes secondary issues. Over months, vent outflow speed, capacity, and reliability can reduce as free-flowing airspace steadily contracts. Vents become blocked while extraction machinery (e.g. powered fans, exchangers) may eventually fail.

A domino effect occurs in wet spaces as the entire system stalls. As dust builds up, the trapped, hot water vapour takes far longer to dissipate from the room. Increased humidity in the bathroom helps viruses, bacteria, and black mould spores reproduce more easily. Bathroom pathogens are linked to a range of respiratory problems, inflammation, and diseases (e.g. Legionnaires Disease) as they enter the lungs through water particles.

Regular duct cleaning helps keep bathroom air extraction systems clean, dry, and ready for regular use. It also saves you from costly liabilities – it’s a UK legal requirement to keep your ducts safe to use in hotels and student accommodation bathrooms!

Do Any Bathroom Extractor Systems Need More Cleaning Than Others?

Yes. Systems using long or sharply curved extractor ducts with 90-degree angles, units installed in older, brickwork-heavy, poorly maintained buildings, and those used daily in high-traffic, high-volume public areas (e.g. shared showers, swimming pools) are all prone to dust accumulation. Generally, the longer a water extraction system runs per day and the more dust it handles, the quicker its overall performance will decline without maintenance.

Advantages Of Deep Cleaning

As well as preventing health issues and machine faults, regular extractor cleaning optimises your ducts for efficient performance.

  • Reduces odours – faster extractors reduce the damp smell often found in bathrooms and make them cleaner, and more pleasant to use.
  • Reduces your lifetime repair bill and extends the life of your equipment.
  • Lower dust retention – reduces the need for manual interior cleaning and vacuuming
  • Reduces blowback – keeps air moving in and out of the extraction system in a continuous flow
  • Stabilises interior heat and pressure
  • Fireguards – in the event of disaster, flames will find it harder to jump between floors using dust-clogged ducts

How Can I Clean Out My Bathroom Extractors?

The best way to keep on top of your hotel or student bathroom air extraction systems is to undertake regular professional cleaning. At Europa VCS, we offer fast and cost-effective deep cleaning services for all types of extraction system – sustaining efficiency and avoiding unexpected repair bills. To find out more, please give us a call.

Image Source: Unsplash