The Importance of Clean Air in Your Home: Duct Cleaning
Duct cleaning is a bit of a hot topic among HVAC professionals and other contractors. Some people say you don’t need to get your ducts cleaned regularly and truly never have invested in it; others swear by having them cleaned regularly for reasons like allergy management and desire to know the air quality in their home is safe for everyone.
Dust, dirt, allergens, and even mold could be hiding in your duct work. Regular cleaning will not only reduce the amount of debris in the air, it will also prolong the life of your HVAC system and potentially make it more efficient. That, in return, means saving you money! The truth is, a thorough duct cleaning will breathe new life into the air of your Emporia home!
The EPA has four criteria to consider when deciding if you should invest in professional duct cleaning services.
- There is substantial, visible mold growth inside the ducts or on other components of your HVAC system.
- Ducts are clogged with excessive debris and dust, and/or particles are actually being released into your home.
- People in the home are experiencing unusual or unexplained symptoms or illnesses potentially related to the environment inside your home.
- There are insects in the duct work. Sure, this is the least likely – but makes some people equally as squeamish as the other reasons.
Going back to that first bullet point, mold testing can be done to confirm whether or not there is mold in your home and HVAC system. If you have insulated air ducts and the insulation itself gets wet or moldy, it is often necessary to remove and replace the insulation altogether. It is important to note if the source of the mold is not properly corrected, it is very possible that the mold will simply grow back and cause issues all over again.
Once the cleaning is done, there are some things you can do to keep those ducts breathing clean air into your home:
- Change your furnace filter regularly. Set a calendar reminder on your phone, and purchase a few filters at a time, so you have no excuse to skip this easy chore.
- Be sure there are no gaps around the filter.
- If you are having your heating or cooling system checked or maintained, request that the technician also clean the cooling coils and drain pans.
- If you are undergoing a renovation project in your home, be sure to cover up the return registers and other vents to keep debris from piling up in areas that are difficult to clean.
If you choose to have your air duct system cleaned, it is key that the entire system is done, not just a portion of it. Cleaning one or two parts of the large HVAC system and not others can mean quick recontamination of the newly cleaned areas by dust, debris, mold and other particulates that were allowed to remain in the system and not cleaned properly.
Lastly, one of the best ways to keep your HVAC system clean and efficient: dust and vacuum your home regularly!
