HVAC (heating, cooling and ventilation) or commonly known as duct system is used for delivering and removing the air from your home. From time to time, most households have their ducts cleaned – with a good reason. This is an investment that perhaps won’t be visible right away, but it’ll certainly pay off in the long run. However, this is one of the reasons that people easily forget about this task during the spring cleaning and just “put it off” until some other time. This is not really a wise thing to do, especially if you or your family members suffer from allergies and respiratory health issues.
When we say that it will pay off in the long run, we mean health benefits, lower energy bills and longer life/improved efficiency of your HVAC system!
Why should you have your HVAC system cleaned?
Just by living in our homes and doing the usual activities, we generate pollutants and accumulate dust. Duct system processes all that contaminants (a part of them always stays in the system) and that’s why it needs to be cleaned frequently. Consider the duct system the lungs of your home. Low-quality air can cause a wide range of issues – most often respiratory conditions and allergies. Regular cleaning will make your home safe, reduce the number of bacteria, dust and allergens in the air. Also, ducts that are not properly maintained will work twice as hard, and this will shorten their lifespan and increase the energy bills.
When should you consider having your ducts cleaned?
We already said that this is a house chore that is often overlooked – unlike having dirty floors and carpets, dirty ducts are not exactly “under our noses”. It’s likely that you forgot the last time you had your duct system cleaned. If you’re not sure whether you need cleaning or not, here’s one situation when cleaning is a must: the ducts are visibly dirty, with mold growing inside ducts and system components. This includes dirt, dust and debris, especially if you renovated your home recently. Finding dead (and alive) insects and rodents is not uncommon as well. It’s recommended to clean your ducts at least once per year.
How to clean your ducts?
If you’ve never cleaned the ducts before, it’s better and much safer to leave that to experts who have appropriate skills and equipment. Ducts should be examined by a certified and trained HVAC cleaning service. After the inspection, they will vacuum all debris and dust from the ducts and apply disinfectant to eliminate bacteria and mould. Make sure that they also take care of dead animals found in the ducts and clean all system components. Yes, hiring a professional costs money, but if they are reliable, this will be done safely and thoroughly. Since a good cleaning increases a lifetime of HVAC system and reduces health risks, paying for having your ducts cleaned will actually save your money!