Indoor air quality is important for yourself, your kids and anyone else who spends time in your home. Cleaning your home’s air ducts can be an effective way to cut down on the pollen, dust or other airborne pollutants that circulate throughout your house. Several factors determine how often you should be completing this task.
Most Ducts Should Be Cleaned Every Three to Five Years
According to the National Air Duct Cleaning Association (NADCA), you need to clean your home’s ducts every 36 to 60 months. However, you shouldn’t despair if you don’t schedule this task within five years of buying your house or having new ducts installed.
If you don’t have pets and aren’t surrounded by grass or trees that cover your home in pollen, you may not need to spend as much time keeping your home clean. In such a scenario, it may be possible to simply clean the air ducts whenever you start to notice indoor air issues.
The folks at Aurora Pro Services Heating, Air, Plumbing, Electrical, & Roofing in Greensboro, NC can conduct an indoor air quality assessment to determine if a duct cleaning may benefit you and your family. We can also take a look at existing ductwork to see if sealing or installing new ducts may also help make your home more comfortable.
Signs Your Ducts Should Be Cleaned Soon
There are several signs your ducts need to be cleaned. For instance, if your heating or cooling bills have increased, it may be because dirt and dust have coated the ducts used to transport that hot or cold air. Ultimately, it will take more energy to keep your house at a consistent temperature, and you will see this reflected in your utility bills.
You may also notice weird smells coming from vents or ducts throughout your house. These smells will likely be caused by mold or mildew that has accumulated inside of them since they have last been cleaned. It’s also possible that these smells could be caused by dead or dying rodents or other creatures that have gotten into the ducts. Rodents and other small animals are often attracted to ducts because they are warm and hidden from predators.
Finally, if you see a decrease in air quality despite following a routine cleaning schedule, you should have your ducts inspected. This is because the decrease in air quality could be caused by material that is being picked up and transported through vents in the living room or bedroom. You may also want to have your furnace or other HVAC equipment looked at and cleaned if necessary to further reduce the amount of material that might go through ducts and vents.
When You Might Need More Frequent Cleanings
There are situations when you might want to consider having your air ducts cleaned every year or two—even if you could possibly go longer without doing so. If you have pets, there is a good chance that their fur and dander will get into the air and possibly sneak through vents and into ducts. This may be especially true if you own animal breeds that shed on a regular basis even if you take them to the groomer.
If you have a busy schedule that precludes you from dusting or vacuuming on a regular basis, it may be necessary to have your ducts cleaned annually or every other year. Scheduling more frequent cleanings may also be a good idea if you don’t have the tools to reach behind the couch, under a rug or in other spaces where dust and pollen can gather even if you don’t notice it.
If you have allergies or similar breathing, issues it’s generally best to clean whatever you can as often as possible. The same may be true if you have sensitive skin that interacts poorly with even small amounts of dust or pollen even if you don’t necessarily have an allergy to these items.
Finally, if you have a garden or live near a wooded area, you should be on the lookout for dirt and pollen getting into your home. Pollen could be tracked into the house through your clothes or shoes or latch onto your home and make its way inside the attic or through gaps in the roof or siding. Pollen or dirt can also get into the home after accumulating on the air condenser unit sitting outside.
Dirty Ducts Can Become Damaged Ducts
The condition of your existing ducts will need to be considered when deciding if it’s time to have them cleaned. Over time, the weight of debris inside of a duct could cause it to sag or cause connectors or other vital components to break or come loose. Even if the ducts themselves aren’t damaged beyond repair, it will cause gaps and other issues that may result in higher utility bills and other indoor air quality problems.
If dirty ducts attract rodents or other critters, those pests could poke or chew holes into them. Typically, this will require them to be repaired or replaced entirely, which can be an expensive proposition.
Mold and mildew may also eat away at existing ductwork, which can also result in ducts needing to be repaired or replaced. If there are issues with the lining placed inside of a duct, it may be vulnerable to rust.
Cleaning Your Ducts Is Only Part of the Solution
Cleaning your home’s ducts on a regular basis can certainly help with your home’s indoor air quality. However, it should only be considered part of the solution as opposed to a silver bullet that will make everything better. This is because the dust, pollen and mold that inhabits a duct probably didn’t originate there.
For example, if you see a lot of pollen on or near your home, it’s probable that your indoor air quality issues start there. Therefore, you would want to consider addressing that problem to get some sort of long-term relief from breathing or other health issues.
If Your Ducts Were Recently Installed
Failing to properly maintain your ducts may invalidate the warranty that your system came with. Therefore, failing to clean your ducts on a regular basis may make it more expensive to maintain it in the future. You may also run into trouble having a homeowner’s claim approved if you want to use it to cover the cost of repairing or replacing a damaged duct.
If you are in need of duct cleaning services, don’t hesitate to call the folks at Aurora Pro Services Heating, Air, Plumbing, Electrical, & Roofing today! However, that’s not the only service we provide. We can also help with electrical repairs, furnace installation and even a roof inspection! We will also help with any plumbing issues that your home may have, including fixing clogged drains or inspecting a water heater that isn’t working properly.
We’ve been serving the Greensboro, NC area for years, and we value our customers. Give us a call today, and we’ll help you with your HVAC needs!
