You never know what you might find in your air ducts. Dirt, dust, debris, rodents, mold, and even small animals can get into your ductwork. If that happens, you and your family could suffer ailments as a result of dirty air flowing into your home. Your heating and cooling systems might also run less efficiently if ductwork is significantly clogged. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of cleaning your air ducts.
Health concerns
It’s important to note that there is no definitive link between air duct cleaning and a reduction in health problems. Any company that claims otherwise isn’t one you want to be dealing with. Nevertheless, there is one contaminant that has the potential to harm your health if left unchecked in your ductwork – mold.
If you can see mold growing inside your air ducts, it’s most definitely time for a cleaning. A dirty duct system can cause your heating and cooling systems to circulate mold spores around your home. When inhaled, those mold spores can trigger a number of maladies, such as cough, sore throat, sneezing, runny nose, and eye irritation. More serious illnesses can take hold if you’re exposed to mold for an extended stretch of time, so it’s a good idea to clean your ductwork at the first sight of mold. Keep an eye on your air ducts after a leak or flood in your home; water that has entered the ductwork can spark mold growth.
Energy efficiency
A small amount of dirt and dust in your air ducts won’t cause a significant decrease in the efficiency of your furnace or air conditioner. However, if a large amount of debris, or a large-sized piece of debris, manages to get into your system, it can block the flow of air, forcing your furnace and air conditioner to work harder, and for longer periods of time.
Good times to clean your air ducts
If you’ve had some significant renovation work done on your home, a thorough duct cleaning can be valuable. Construction creates a great amount of dust, dirt, and debris, all of which can gather in your air ducts.
We noted earlier that visible mold in your ducts should be addressed immediately. Likewise, if you see insects crawling out of your air ducts, you might have a nest somewhere in your system; another good reason to clean out the duct work.
Just moved into a new house? You might want to get the air ducts cleaned so that you can have a fresh start in your new abode, particularly if the previous occupants were smokers or kept pets in the house.
Know what you’re getting
It takes some special gear to get a good look at what’s inside your air ducts – special gear like Kleen Rite’s duct cameras. Our cameras snake through your air ducts to give you a clear view of what’s inside. You’ll be able to see whether there are any chunks of debris clogging your system, if there’s a rodent or animal camped out, or if there is a significant accumulation of dirt and dust. What’s more, you’ll be able to see after the cleaning just how clear your duct-work is.
Just because you never look behind the refrigerator, or couch, it doesn’t mean you shimmy it out once in awhile to clean behind it. The same applies to duct work. Knowing all parts of your house are clean just makes you happier.