Why Air Duct Cleaning?

The air ducts in your home transport cooled and heated air throughout your house. Just like any other components of your HVAC system, air ducts require regular maintenance to ensure maximum efficiency. The National Air Duct Cleaners Association recommends air duct cleaning every 3 to 5 years. However, there are many things to take into consideration to determine the length of time between your routine maintenance, such as; buildup of mold and other pollutants, having someone in the home with allergies or asthma, owning a dog or other pet with hair, living with a smoker, exterior weather conditions, construction or renovations and more! Any one of these may be taken into consideration for a more immediate air duct cleaning for the health of your home and family.

Is Air Duct Cleaning Necessary?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that indoor air can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. These particulates in the air recirculate throughout your home via your air ducts up to 7 to 10 times a day. The pollutants found in your indoor air may be harmful to both your home and family.

Moving, Construction and Renovations

As a new home owner, you should be looking to have your air ducts cleaned upon closing, especially if the previous owner was a smoker, pet-owner, or if they did not service the ducts within the last three years. When building a new home or performing renovations, air duct cleaning works to rid your home of construction dust and other debris that accumulates in the process. During the construction phase, drywall dust and other debris including garbage settles into your vents and duct work. Therefore, at the completion of building projects, your air duct should be cleaned to ensure a start fresh in your newly constructed or remodeled home.

Visible Mold Or Musty Smell 

Mold loves to grow in humid and damp, hard-to-reach places, like your air ducts. If you see physical mold, smell a mustiness in the air, or are experiencing symptoms from itchiness to coughing, a cleaning may be needed for contaminated ductwork. This is often most noticeable when your first turn on your air conditioner for the season.  Following a proper duct cleaning, the duct work can be sanitized to kill current growth, and help to prevent it in the future.

Pest Infestation

Pests, small animals and other vermin can make their way in your ducts and contaminate the air that is carried throughout your home with their debris and odor. If you see pests in or around your ductwork or notice a decline in your system’s performance, a proper cleaning can eradicate any living creature.

Excess Dust or Debris

Another reason why to clean your air ducts: dust, pet dander, dead skin cells, and dangerous allergens can build up over time in ductwork. This excess debris can manifest visibly in poofs of dust that are released from air vents. Build up can put you and your family at risk for respiratory and other health issues, while decreasing the system’s air flow and performance. A tell tale sign is if you are dusting your home more frequently.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 25 to 40 percent of the energy used for heating or cooling a home is wasted. This can decrease the longevity of the system and ultimately will increase your spending cost. In order to increase airflow, a proper air duct cleaning can remove the accumulated dirt and debris to ensure maximum airflow that is clean and safe for your family to breathe. 

Excessive Cold Or Allergy-like Symptoms

Those with clean ducts report overall better health. However, if your ducts are dirty, they re-circulate contaminated air that can trigger or even cause allergy and cold-like symptoms for those living within the home. Dust mites that feed on human debris can reside within buildup in air ducts and cause asthmatic and allergic reactions. 

Family members who already have respiratory issues are especially susceptible to becoming sick when exposed to unhealthy air quality. When children, the elderly, or newborns live in the house, it is important to take care of your indoor air quality and opt for air duct cleaning.

What Next?

Call Hygienic Air, Inc for a FREE over the phone estimate to take your first step to breathing easier.

This is typical of what we see in most residential homes. This was from a job in Sorrento Florida.