How Often Should Ducts Be Cleaned?

Many people think duct cleaning is unnecessary. As a result, not enough homeowners are having this vital service performed. Some people might feel that they only need to clean their air ducts when they change their furnace filter.

However, if you consider that most of us are breathing in dust and dirt every day, it's easy to understand why dirty air ducts can be a real problem. In fact, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "duct cleaning could be the most important thing you can do for your home."

To keep your ducts clean and working correctly, they recommend cleaning them every three to five years for optimal air quality. Let's deep dive into learning more about how often should ducts be cleaned.

What Are The Signs You Need Air Duct Cleaning?

Many signs will tell you when it's time to have your ducts cleaned. Some of those signs include:

Infestation

If you find cockroaches, rodents, or other pests in your home, it may mean the air ducts are dirty. If this is happening, you need to contact a professional team right away.

Health Issues

Everyone knows that indoor air quality is much worse than outdoor air quality. When dust and debris become trapped in your ventilation system, your air becomes dusty and dirty. Respiratory issues, sinus infections, allergies, or asthma are indications that you need to clean your air ducts. 

Mould Build-up

If you have excessive mould in your home, it's time to call for a duct cleaning. Heavy amounts of dust will increase the chance of moisture build-up on your air conditioning coils. If this happens, you could be looking at some severe damage, so quickly get on top of the problem!

Uneven Heating And Cooling

Do some rooms in your home tend to feel colder or warmer than the rest of the house? If so, your air ducts may get clogged with dust and debris. It could be a sign that you need to clean your ducts.

What Happens If You Don't Clean Your Ducts?

When your air ducts are left dirty, the contaminants will continue to circulate throughout your home. It can cause serious health problems and make you uncomfortable as well. In addition, it will reduce the effectiveness of your heating and cooling system as it's working extra hard to keep up with poor ventilation.

The EPA states that dirty air ducts can reduce your heating or cooling system's efficiency by 5% to 30%. During the summer months, this means you could be spending more money on electric bills.

You'll also need professional duct cleaning if you're planning on putting your home up for sale soon. The EPA says that potential buyers are twice as likely to make an offer on a clean house.

What Does Air Duct Cleaning Involve?

If you're interested in learning more about what it takes to clean air ducts, you should know two different processes to complete the job.

Examine the Ducts

The first step of your air duct cleaning will be to inspect your system. A team of HVAC professionals will come into your home, take the time to get familiar with what you have and determine the best way to go about it.

The team will use a blower door to see how much air is leaking from your ventilation system, which helps them understand the overall efficiency of your heating and cooling system. The HVAC professionals will also look for signs of mould or water damage inside the ducts.

Create Negative Pressure

Before the team gets to work, they'll use a unique tool that creates negative pressure. It will help the HVAC professionals vacuum any dust and debris accumulated in your system over time. While the process goes on, you need to stay out of your home, so there's enough space inside to get the job done appropriately.

Agitate the Dust

A high-powered vacuum will agitate the dust inside your ducts to allow the HVAC team to suck them out more effortlessly. If there are any seams or joints in your system, you'll notice them becoming loosened as the HVAC professionals work around them.

After that, the technicians will replace all your air filters and ensure that everything is working correctly. You'll also receive a report indicating the amount of dirt removed from your system during the cleaning process.

Clean the Rest of The HVAC System

In most cases, your team will also clean up other parts of your heating and cooling system. It includes any coils or dampers that have become dirty over the years to operate as effectively as possible.

After completing the cleaning process, you'll notice an immediate improvement in the indoor air quality throughout your home. You'll also be able to save money on your electric bills during the summer months when you need your air conditioner running at total capacity.

Is There A Way To Clean Air Ducts On Your Own?

Yes, you can do a few things on your own before calling a professional team to clean your air ducts. First, get rid of any dirty filters from your heating and cooling system and replace them with brand new ones. It will help your system to run more efficiently and increase your overall air quality.

You can also clean the vents yourself using a vacuum cleaner or by wiping down grills, registers, and diffusers with a damp cloth. While this may not be as effective as having professionals complete the job, it will help to improve your indoor air quality.

It would be best to replace any ceiling or wall registers with easy-to-clean models that can be wiped down instead of taking them apart for a thorough cleaning. By doing this, you'll reduce the amount of dirt circulating throughout your home and make sure it stays inside the ventilation system.

How Often Should Ducts Be Cleaned - Conclusion

Getting your air ducts cleaned will provide you with a whole new level of comfort in your home. Once you remove the dust and debris, you'll notice an immediate improvement in your indoor air quality along with energy savings during the summer months when you need to run your air conditioning at total capacity.

HVAC professionals can also help improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system and clean up other parts of the ventilation system as well. It will give you an even greater return on investment and make sure everything is working at peak performance.

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