You want your home to be safe and comfortable at all times, and this can largely depend on the temperature and quality of air in your home. If you're among the many who easily get allergies or colds from outside irritants, the last thing you want is airborne dust or debris in your home to make things worse.
While cleaning your air ducts may seem like an obvious solution for improving your indoor air quality, it may not be necessary or very helpful at all. Use this article as a guide to help you determine whether you should have your air ducts cleaned or look for a different solution to improve your home's air quality.
Air duct cleaning can be performed by many local heating and cooling companies during any season. The overall procedure is relatively simple, regardless of the home's layout or HVAC system. Your contractor will use specialized tools to dislodge any stuck dirt or debris inside the vents and along the ductwork. This should also include cleaning fans, coils, and other components of your system.
Once particles are dislodged, the contractor will use a vacuum to clean everything up in hopes of preventing contaminants from circulating through your ductwork and reentering your home. Sometimes a chemical treatment may be required due to bug infestations or other hazards. For most homes, cleaning can be done in about two to four hours and with minimal disruption.
There are times when air duct cleaning is highly recommended to give you the freshest air and to keep you and your family healthy. Some of the most common signs that it’s time for a cleaning include visible mold, layers of dust inside of the ductwork, visible debris blowing from the vents, and any uncommon smells emerging from vents.
If you notice any pests in your home, an air duct cleaning could help minimize or eliminate the problem. Whether the pests are insects or rodents, a thorough cleaning could get rid of the colony and anything they may have brought inside. If rats or other rodents defecated inside of the air ducts, it’s crucial that you have a professional clean your ducts to prevent serious respiratory problems.
As long as you regularly change your air filters, keep your heating and cooling systems up to date, and perform regular maintenance, its unlikely that your air ducts are causing serious health problems or allergies. Having your ducts cleaned regularly is probably unnecessary (if you don't have large, obvious problems as mentioned above).
If you are experiencing a strange illness or newfound allergies, consult with a doctor before opting for a cleaning. According to the EPA, duct cleaning has never been proven to prevent health problems. If you're unsure about whether or not your home needs a cleaning, your local heating and cooling company can perform an inspection to see if it's necessary.
If you decide it’s time for a cleaning, ensure that you choose a reputable company you can trust. If a company uses outdated tools or shoddy methods, they could actually cause more problems inside your home. This often happens when a company quickly dislodges stuck debris but fails to remove all of it, which causes it to enter your home when your system is running.
You also want to make sure that the company is not pushing too hard for a cleaning when it’s not necessary. Sometimes, all you need is a new filter or a repair. If they recommend any chemical treatments, make sure they are completely upfront about any potential hazards to you, your pets, and your home. Ask questions before committing to anything, and have them provide evidence as to why they believe air duct cleaning is the right solution.
If you need your air ducts cleaned or inspected, contact Pacific today. We serve residential and commercial customers throughout Aspen and across the Roaring Fork Valley. We provide heating and cooling repairs and installations as well as indoor air quality products.