Resources + Tips

Question: Why are the bags on the top of the furnace truck floppy?

Furnace cleaning trucks have a very distinct look and sound. When one is operating, you can hear it from a block away. When you see it there are normally several bags sticking out of the top of the truck. Have you ever wondered what those bags are for? 

Generally, people assume that the bags on the top of the furnace truck is the vacuum. When the bags are sticking straight up it must mean that the cleaning is underway, right?

The bags are actually an exhaust dust filter for the vacuum. Think of the little dust filters that you can buy for a shop vac that clip on the exhaust air port to prevent dust from filling the room. The bags are like those, but on a much larger scale.

The vacuum that sucks all the dirt out of your furnace system is actually located inside the truck. It’s very obvious when the vacuum is on and the cleaning is taking place – because you can’t hear anything else! The vacuum makes a very loud humming noise when operating, and as long as the sound is blasting, the vacuum is doing its job (and so are our technicians). 

If the bags aren’t sticking up straight, am I getting as good of a furnace cleaning?

Yes. Another assumption people have about the bags on the top of the furnace truck is that if they aren’t sticking up straight, the cleaning isn’t as good. But this is not the case. 

The bags filter out dust and debris from many houses, and every couple of months we have to clean them out because as you can imagine, they get filthy. The dirtier the bags are the more the airflow is restricted. This is because less air can get through the build up of dust, causing the bags to stick up in the air. 

So when you see bags that look like this:

…you know that a truck with recently cleaned bags is servicing your furnace system!

We proudly maintain our trucks at peak performance level, so whether the bags are floppy or sticking straight up in the air, you can trust that your furnace is getting the best cleaning possible.


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What Our Customers Have To Say

Arnold and his partner were a great team. He took his time to explain to me in detail what he was doing and how I can keep in cleaning in between the service due time. God bless this wonderful fellow.Service: HVAC duct & vent cleaning

- Agah Ogungboye

Great people. Great service.Andrew and Dillon were best and fully professionals.Thanks guys for the awesome services.

- Jagdeep Gill

Alberta Furnace Cleaning is a great company, their prices are very fair for the excellent service they provide. There are no hidden fees and they are upfront with their rates and any fees you may encounter when they get to work in your home so there are no big surprises. They have amazing communication with their clients, and the technicians are punctual, friendly, and efficient. If you need your ducts cleaned, definitely give them a call!

- Amber Enns

We are very happy with the service provided by Alberta Furnace Cleaning. They were fast, friendly and efficient. Fast in both the quote they provided as well as how long it took to clean all the ducts and furnace, they were in and out within an hour. Everyone we dealt with from the booking staff to the fellows who performed the cleaning were very professional and friendly. We are very happy with the cleaning they provided and would definitely recommend this company.Service: HVAC duct & vent cleaning

- Colleen Steinhilber

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