Zachary Ortwine

Company name: Southeast Clean Air Solutions

Position: Owner

Zachary Ortwine is the owner of Southeast Clean Air Solutions and has 7+ years of full-time, field-based duct cleaning experience. He holds the following certifications:

National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA): Certified Ventilation Inspector (CVI) and Air Systems Cleaning Specialist (ASCS)

National Comfort Institute (NCI): Duct System Optimization, Residential HVAC System Performance, Residential Air Balancing Certified

He is also a 3x previous speaker for NADCA Fall Technical Conference, a NADCA Scientific Committee member, and serves as part of the ASCS and CVI Exam Writing task forces.

Tech Tips written:

See all +

Laws of Energy and Matter

It’s always good to reaffirm some of the basics of energy, work, and matter. The five rules below are some of the most basic and important. The First Law of Thermodynamics States that energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only change forms or be transferred from one object to another. If you’d like […]

Condensate Switch Controversy

Condensate overflow prevention devices, or float switches, as they are often called, are such simple devices that you wouldn’t think there would be much room for controversy. In my experience, there are few areas of the trade where technician and installer preferences and opinions vary greatly. Let’s start with some float switch basics. Float (condensate) […]

Does Mass or Volume Move Heat?

I once heard someone say, and I have since repeated many times, that BTUs ride on the back of cubic feet of air (CFM). As I’ve learned more, I’ve come to the conclusion that the weight or mass of the air passing over the evaporator coil is far more important to understand both in terms […]

Ethical Duct Cleaning

Video guest:

See all +

Duct Cleaning Training with Zach Ortwine

Podcast guest:

See all +

Can You Coat Fiberglass?

In this episode of the HVAC School Podcast, Bryan interviews Zach about duct coatings and their applications in HVAC systems, particularly focusing on the Hardcast RE500 product. The discussion delves into the importance of proper duct coating applications and their benefits for both contractors and customers. Zach, who has extensive experience in duct cleaning […]

Duct Cleaning – How Long & How Often?

In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, Bryan interviews Zach from Southeast Clean Air Solutions about the intricacies of professional duct cleaning. Zach specializes in addressing duct cleaning challenges specific to the Southeastern climate, with a particular focus on fiberglass-lined ducts. The conversation delves into the complexities of cleaning different types of duct […]

Can Ducts Be Cleaned Ethically?

In this episode of the HVAC School Podcast, Bryan interviews Zachary Ortwine, a duct cleaning professional who provides insights into ethical duct cleaning practices. The conversation delves deep into the complexities of cleaning different types of ductwork, the importance of proper assessment, and the potential challenges in maintaining indoor air quality. Zach emphasizes the […]