Intelligent Airnozzle: duct cleaning with compressed air and camera

How does cleaning with a compressed air nozzle and camera work?

The nozzle is attached to a 20 metre hose that comes with the delivery. The nozzle propels itself using the air pressure and blows the dust off the duct wall as it goes. So you do not need to push or rotate anything, as you would with a shaft and brush.

The head contains a camera and LED lighting. The black and white image runs through a standard A/V output to a monitor, which you buy separately. The Airnozzle can be connected to the Danduct Clean control boxes and is supplied in a transport case.

The work cycle in four steps

1. Seal off the duct section and put it under negative pressure with an extraction unit.
2. Insert the nozzle through a grille or inspection hatch and open the compressed air.
3. Follow the progress of the head on the monitor and linger at bends and connections.
4. Pull the hose back slowly and check the image once more for any remaining dirt.

What does your compressor need for compressed air duct cleaning?

According to Lamers, the Airnozzle needs a compressor delivering 700 litres per minute or more at about 10 bar. As an alternative you can use nitrogen. A small workshop compressor usually does not reach that, so first check what your compressor actually delivers.

Source: Lamers and Danduct Clean, reference date 6 October 2026. If you are unsure whether your existing compressor is up to the job, mention its make and type in your question to Lamers.

When do you choose compressed air and when a brush for your air ducts?

Compressed air and brushes are not rivals; they are tools for different ducts. Cleaning contractors list compressed air as a method for round, oval and rectangular ducts, alongside rotating brushes, robots with cameras and manual work.

For heavy jobs in large ducts, the electric DC4 brushing machine is the logical choice. To find out which brush goes with it, look at brushes for air ducts. Many professionals carry both in the van and choose per run.

Compressed air duct cleaning in bakeries: why be careful?

There is an important nuance here. Sources for the bakery sector are clear about cleaning with compressed air in the production area. The Belgian sector organisation Alimento rules out compressed air, hand brushes and brooms and recommends an industrial vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. A TNO memo for the bakery sector says: no more compressed air for cleaning, use a vacuum cleaner.

The reason is flour dust. The Health Council of the Netherlands (Gezondheidsraad) recommends a health based value of 0.2 mg/m³ over eight hours for inhalable wheat flour dust. That is advice, not a legal limit. Anyone who blows flour around with compressed air puts it right into the breathing zone. TNO also states that a dust explosion is possible above 60 g/m³ of fine dust such as flour or sugar, and that an ATEX 114 certified vacuum cleaner is needed in EX zones.

What does that mean for the Airnozzle?

• Do not use the Airnozzle in dusty zones where flour dust can escape freely into the room.
• In a bakery, only work in a fully sealed duct section under negative pressure, and discuss beforehand whether brushing with extraction is the better fit.
• Take EX zones into account, along with the requirements for equipment allowed there. Have this assessed by whoever is responsible for the ATEX zoning.

More about this sector can be found under flour dust in bakery ducts.

Why is negative pressure essential when using compressed air in ventilation ducts?

Compressed air loosens dust and moves it. Without extraction, that dust simply travels with the airflow, back into the room or further into the system. Cleaning contractors point out that negative pressure prevents dirt from spreading. An American duct cleaning specification requires every section being cleaned to be kept under continuous negative pressure.

The same specification also requires a HEPA filter rated at 99.97% for 0.3 µm particles whenever the extraction unit discharges inside the building. If you discharge outdoors, that requirement does not apply in the same way. How to set this up with balloons, valve caps and an extraction unit is explained under negative pressure with HEPA extraction.

If you work in the food industry, also pay attention to the direction of the airflow. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) asks that airflows from contaminated to clean areas be avoided. So plan where you start and where you extract.

What does the Airnozzle camera show you?

The camera turns a blind job into a controlled job. KHN (Royal Dutch Hospitality Association) notes that serious contamination is often not visible to the naked eye. With an image from the head you see deposits in bends, dust on horizontal sections and loose objects that do not belong there.

• Before cleaning: determine where the dirt is and whether compressed air will be enough.
• During cleaning: stay longer at spots where the dirt does not come loose.
• Afterwards: check whether the duct looks clean. For a formal cleanliness assessment there are separate measurement methods.

The EN 15780 standard was revised in 2025 and provides cleanliness classes, assessment of the need for cleaning and assessment of the result. More on this under duct cleaning standards.

Which users is the Intelligent Airnozzle intended for?

The Airnozzle suits organisations that work with small ducts that are difficult to reach: cleaning contractors, installers and facilities teams with their own compressor. Typical locations are thin exhaust ducts, flexible connections to grilles and ducts with many bends that a shaft will not pass through.

Fictional example: an installer maintains the ventilation of an office and finds narrow flexible hoses behind the ceiling grilles. A 100 mm brush does not fit there. With the Airnozzle he blows each section clean and shows the client on the monitor what the inside of the duct looks like.

Not sure whether compressed air or a brush fits better? First compare all options under tools for cleaning air ducts, or send a question and ask for duct cleaning advice.