It’s important to schedule professional air duct cleaning to maintain your HVAC system in your home in Greensboro, NC. However, there are varying recommendations on how often you should have this service performed. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests homeowners only need as-needed duct cleaning services. At the same time, the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) recommends scheduling duct cleaning every two to three years. To avoid confusion, here are 10 signs indicating it’s time to remove built-up in-duct debris in your home.
1. Your Mold or Pest Treatments Just Aren’t Working
Eliminating mold or pest problems might be challenging if you are struggling with them. Some families face issues with ants, rodents, bed bugs, or cockroaches for months. Others always seem to have new patches of fungi in dark corners and low-lying areas. If you frequently find animal waste, dropped food, shed fur, exoskeletons, or notice new patches of mold and mildew on building materials, consider getting professional duct cleaning.
HVAC ducting is a convenient way for pests to access rooms with water and food and find privacy and warmth. Insects and rodents often use HVAC air ducts as transit highways, which can cause structural damage and decrease indoor air quality (IAQ). In addition, pests like rats and mice leave pheromones behind as markers, attracting even more pests.
Duct cleaning can remove all the debris pests leave, including insects, their eggs, and other materials. HVAC companies can also apply deodorizers and sanitizing agents, which help eliminate disease and odor-causing pathogens and strip away chemical attractants. Duct cleaning provides lasting results when combined with other pest treatment or pest control measures.
In homes with recurring mold problems, duct cleaning can help promote better humidity control by removing airflow obstructions and extracting damp, decaying organic materials that harbor mold spores. Additionally, duct cleaning minimizes the risk of new mold spores circulating throughout the home.
2. Your Indoor Surfaces Are Constantly Covered in Particulate Debris
If you find yourself constantly sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and dusting and still unable to keep your home clean, your air ducts may be the cause. Take a look at the blades of your ceiling fans: Are they covered in grey, lint-like grime? If yes, your air vents are likely full of particulate matter debris. Cleaning your air ducts can help create cleaner and fresher indoor air and keep your fan blades, counters, floors, and other surfaces pristine.
3. Turning Your HVAC System on Fills Your Home With Unpleasant Smells
Using your HVAC system should not result in unpleasant smells caused by pet hair, dust, and humidity buildup in ducting, which can lead to fungi growth.
4. Your HVAC Air Filters Have Shorter-Than-Normal Lifespans
HVAC air filters usually last between one and three months in a typical home. However, if you find that your air filters require replacement every two to three weeks, it could be due to debris accumulation in your ductwork. By cleaning your air ducts, you can extend the life of your HVAC air filters and maintain a consistently cleaner indoor environment. However, it’s important to note that there may be other IAQ problems that can be resolved.
5. Your Home Energy Bills Are on the Rise
Blocked air ducts can significantly increase homeowners’ monthly energy costs. If you notice a sudden rise in heating or cooling bills, cleaning your ducts may help. According to the University of Florida, even well-maintained ductwork can cause up to 40% loss of an HVAC system’s heating and cooling energy. Therefore, cleaning, sealing, and insulating these features is always worth cleaning.
6. Your HVAC Equipment Keeps Icing Over or Overheating
During professional duct cleaning services, we clean:
- Supply and return ducts
- Air registers, grilles, and vents
- Indoor air handlers
- Evaporator and condenser coils
We also offer services to check and clean AC condensate drain lines and other parts of your HVAC system. If your air ducts are heavily soiled, there is likely a significant amount of debris on your air conditioner or heat pump’s coils. Dirty coils hinder heat transfer and can eventually cause overheating or icing. By cleaning your air ducts, evaporator, and condenser coils, you can improve the performance of your HVAC system and potentially extend its lifespan.
7. You Just Completed a Major Home Renovation
It is highly recommended that you get your air ducts professionally cleaned after any major renovation project. When you tear down and replace drywall, floors, subfloors, backsplashes, and other building materials, you create a lot of dust and other particles. If this debris is not removed, it can impact your indoor air quality, increase your energy bills, and even affect the health of your HVAC system. Therefore, duct cleaning is essential to remove all the debris and maintain a healthy environment.
8. Someone in Your Home Has Special IAQ Needs
It is highly recommended to have a regular duct cleaning schedule if anyone in your household suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, allergies, or any other chronic respiratory ailment. This practice also benefits newborn babies, seniors who age in place, and individuals with compromised immunity or terminal illnesses. Keeping HVAC air ducts clean can significantly improve the air quality in your home and contribute to the overall health and well-being of those who reside in it.
9. You Just Fixed an HVAC Air Duct Leak
Over time, air ducts can develop leaks due to the expansion and contraction of duct materials due to temperature changes. The constant air movement and pressure in the ducts can cause connections to loosen gradually. In addition, air ducts can sometimes suffer severe structural damage in areas where they are exposed. For example, dropped tools or falling ladders can lead to visible punctures and crushed sections in the ducts.
Leaky air ducts can cause conditioned air to be deposited in areas without impacting indoor temperatures. Some of the conditioned air may not enter the rooms if the ducts are behind drywall. Leaky air ducts can also draw in indoor air not filtered by HVAC air filters. This unfiltered air often contains a lot of contaminants and comes from unclean areas such as basements, crawlspaces, attics, and garages. Cleaning the ducts after fixing a leak will remove any debris that might have entered the ducts.
10. Your Air Vents Have Thick, Lint-Like Build-Ups Just Behind Their Covers
If you notice lint-like build-ups behind your HVAC air vent covers, it’s a sign that your HVAC air ducts require cleaning. Although you can remove the vent covers and vacuum behind them, hiring a professional duct cleaning service is necessary to eliminate all the allergens and contaminants you cannot see or reach.
We can help you optimize the efficiency and comfort of your Greensboro, NC, home. We offer outstanding plumbing, heating, cooling, electrical, roofing, and indoor air quality services. Contact Aurora Pro Services Heating, Air, Plumbing, Electrical, & Roofing now to sign up for our preventative maintenance program, the Total Home Care Club, or schedule an appointment.
