Resources + Tips

Finished Basement Problems (aka Buried Drop Cold)

What is a “buried drop cold”?

In an unfinished basement or basement with removable ceiling tiles, access to the main supply and return lines of your ductwork is very easy, which assists us in making appropriate access points to ensure a thorough cleaning of your system.

Unfortunately, drywalled basement ceilings can prohibit us from fully accessing your system to ensure that thorough cleaning. Of particular concern is a situation that we call the “buried drop cold”. This is a situation in which your main cold (return air) duct has a bend or drop in it, and the ducting on the lower side of this drop is encased in drywall.

Why is this a problem?

In the course of our cleaning, we use our high pressure RotoWhip and airline through each vent, to blow dust and debris down to the main ductwork in the basement, where our large vacuum hose is attached, and it can be sucked out. If the dust and debris gets trapped in the lower ductwork and the vacuum is attached in the higher section, there may be a significant amount of dust and debris that we are unable to remove from the system. Because we fully guarantee our work, we are unable to clean in this situation.

What can be done about this?

In order to complete the thorough cleaning of your furnace & ducts, you will need to either cut a hole for us, or have a contractor cut a hole and install a grate so that we can access the ductwork on the lower portion of the main duct run.

Why can’t Alberta Furnace Cleaning cut a hole in my ceiling or wall?

We are really good at cleaning furnaces and ducts, but we’re not very good at cutting holes in houses. You wouldn’t want your dentist to perform open heart surgery on you, right?


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Alberta Furnace Cleaning Reviews

Andrew led a team total of 3 to clean my furnaces on Sep 4th 2025. The whole cleaning process was very well organized, smoothly completed within 2 hours. They are very professional and use the proper tool to make sure all ducted were properly cleaned.

- Weimin Li

10 out of 10! I cannot express the detail and outstanding service that the whole team put into this endeavor. From the friendly easy booking over the phone, to my amazing in house cleaning team Ha and Lorenzo. They went above and beyond what was expected and ended up fixing an 8 year old dryer vent issue. It was difficult and those 2 would not give up. I will recommend this company to everyone!

- Danielle Lang

I'm glad i went with this company. The crew who did my furnace and carpet were excellent at their job and friendly too. Thank you for the good job! 😊

- Naila Awad

AB Carpet and Furnace cleaned our furnace and vents on Jan 30. Ruzle and Tiq were a great team as they quickly and efficiently cleaned our home. They were respectful and courteous, and I would highly recommend this duo to others. The team arranging the appointment was also wonderful as they made booking the appointment simple, and kept me well informed of the arrival time of the cleaning team. Much appreciated!

- Marilou Ledic

I can't say enough about the service I received from Alberta Furnace Cleaning. They came today to clean my furnace vents and my in-house VAC system. My Vents were almost completely clogged with construction materials leftover from when the house was built. We also have two kitties and they contributed to the overall blockage. My furnace is already working at a much more efficient level. Alfredo and Joseph were knowledgeable, polite, and efficient. They left my house and furnace room immaculate before they left. Thank you for the great service!

- Deane Eldredge

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