Believe it or not, there’s more in your house ductwork than cold and hot air. There’s also debris like pollen, dander, and dust, all of which stem from daily chores like cleaning and cooking. Dirty air ducts can pose health risks to the occupants of your property. From acute illnesses like asthma and allergies to chronic diseases like lung cancer, dirty ducts have many potentially harmful effects. So, do air ducts need to be cleaned? Here are nine reasons why you should clean your air ducts.
1. Proper Oxygenation
An efficient HVAC system filters out harmful particulates in your home or building. Fresh air can improve your body’s oxygenation leading to optimal functioning of your major organs and preventing respiratory conditions like asthma and allergies.
2. Minimized Sinus, Skin, or Eye Irritants
Spores, dust, fungus, and pollens that might irritate can accumulate in your HVAC system over time. If you suffer from constant inflammation, you might have to contact a qualified HVAC technician to inspect your air ducts.
3. Maintains a Cleaner Environment
Dust particles accumulate in the ductwork, especially when you turn off your HVAC system. Once you turn on the system, the particles recirculate in the house and settle on your floor furniture, bedding, etc. You’ll need to dust the surfaces to keep your home hygienic and clean. Check the ducts if you suspect your house is becoming unusually dusty. Cleaning the ductwork will help prevent pollutants from entering your house and keep your home clean and hygienic.
4. Odor Reduction
Dirty air ducts can collect odorous molecules causing smelly air to circulate throughout your house or building. Cleaning the ducts can help clear away any odorous molecules resulting in a fresh-smelling interior space.
5. Fewer HVAC Repairs
Routine cleanups and inspections can help you identify any developing or potential issues that might worsen. This allows you to fix the problem promptly, ensuring it doesn’t deteriorate. Therefore, it’s doubtful that you might experience major HVAC-related repairs if you regularly clean your air ducts.
6. Energy Savings
Cleaned air ducts help reduce blockages in the ducts. This leads to less obstructed airflow, which means that your HVAC unit won’t have to put extra effort into heating or cooling your home, as it would’ve been the case with dirty air ducts. Therefore, your unit will consume less power when functioning on clean ducts. Lower power consumption results to lower electricity bills.
7. Thermoregulation
Poor air control can cause illnesses like hyperthermia and hypothermia. All these conditions can trigger your equilibrium and even shut down your vital body organs. Clean your air ducts to ensure that your HVAC unit functions properly for optimal air control.
8. Mildew and Mold Prevention
Moisture from your HVAC unit can collect inside the air ducts and create an ideal condition for fostering harmful microorganisms like mold and mildew. If left unsolved, these fungi might make a home inside your ducts and even spread into other parts of your house through the circulating air. A professional duct cleanup will ensure that your ducts don’t become a breeding ground for mildew and mold.
9. Fight Infestation
The warm vents of your house might seem like a cozy, comfy gateway for pests looking for a warm, quiet, and dark place to settle down. Rodents and insects are unsanitary fit for you and your family. They might spread diseases, and their droppings can cause allergies or respiratory problems. Keeping your ductwork clean will discourage pests from residing in your house and even eliminate pests that have already made themselves comfortable.
So, how often should I have my air ducts cleaned? We recommend cleaning your ducts every 3 to 5 years. However, the frequency can change based on factors like mold and a noticeable amount of dust in your ducts.
Don’t DIY; Seek Professional Air Duct Cleaning Services
Air ducts are an integral part of any HVAC unit. Therefore, you must ensure that they’re cleaned and maintained regularly. Trust Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling to provide the finest air duct cleaning services. Our experts have years of experience serving this industry, so we are the best choice for air duct cleaning. Get in touch with us today to help restore your air quality!
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” If the air coming out of the HVAC system in your home has you quoting Shakespeare when you turn on the heater, it might mean there is a dead rodent in your air ducts. But what can you do if your air ducts smell?
If you detect a foul smell coming from your air ducts, it should be dealt with immediately. If the smell is rotten (like the nasty whiff of funk from removing the lid on a container of forgotten leftovers), there’s a good chance that a rodent has died in your air ducts.
This is a situation that really ought to be left to a professional heating and cooling company, but it is possible to handle it yourself. Here are some tips on rodent removal from air ducts.
Find the source
The first thing you need to do is track down where the smell is coming from. While it may be lingering all throughout the house, there is likely an area where it is more pungent than others. If you have narrowed down the area from where you believe the smell is originating, you will need to remove the vent and get a flashlight to find the corpse.
This can be trickier than it may seem. The animal may have been very small and may have died in a corner or other area that you can’t see or reach. It may have also chewed or partially burrowed into the insulation or surrounding area.
Remove the animal
If you can manage to find the rodent, the next step is to remove it. You should have rubber gloves, a trash bag, disinfectant spray and paper towels at the ready. You may also need other tools to grab the rodent if it’s further down the air duct than your arm can reach. If you are able to remove the animal, be sure to thoroughly disinfect the area and any surfaces that were touched by the carcass.
Stop it from happening again
The final step in rodent removal from air ducts is to identify how the rodent got trapped in the air duct in the first place—and then seal it up. Since you definitely never want to have to go through an ordeal like this again, you want to make sure you find out how it happened and make the necessary adjustments to make sure it doesn’t ever happen again.
This is one step that really should be performed by a professional who knows air ducts and understands common ways rodents may get trapped in them. Even if you are able to perform the rodent removal yourself, you may want to get your air ducts professionally cleaned to make sure the smell and bacteria is out of your home for good.
Even while it may be possible to take care of on your own, if your air ducts smell, it might be best to let a professional handle it from the get-go. For experienced, prompt and efficient air duct service, contact Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling today.
The expected lifespan of your ductwork is around 10 to 15 years. Many homeowners replace it when they upgrade their HVAC, but most of the time, this essential part of your cooling and heating system is left to linger. It is usually a matter of recognizing the several signs it is time to replace your ductwork in St. Louis, MO. Here are six things to watch for when you do not remember the last time your home had new ductwork installed:
- Excess dust: When ductwork wears out, it allows more dust and dirt inside through the holes and breaches. This dust disperses through your home, leaving you feeling like your house will never be clean again. You may also notice that you and your household members sneeze more often, and allergy sufferers face irritated skin, itchy eyes and coughs. If you have dust, you also let in extra allergens, so it may be time to replace ductwork for the sake of your family’s health.
- Spike in utility bills: Old ductwork leaks as seals become loose, and gaps widen. As heat moves through your ducts, it gets lost, too, meaning your furnace runs longer and works harder. Eventually, this shows up in your utility bills. Spikes in heating and cooling costs frequently suggest worn-out HVAC machinery or ductwork, so call a technician to run a blower test and see if your ductwork remains fully intact.
- Pest issues: Pest infestations often have nothing to do with the cleanliness of your home and everything to do with their access to it. If, after years of no bugs or rodents, you suddenly face an infestation, they are likely taking advantage of wrecked ducts. Check your ducts for signs of pests, and call an exterminator. Once you solve that problem, move on to improving your HVAC system.
- Uneven heating or cooling: Ductwork allows hot and cold air from your HVAC system to travel effortlessly through your home. When it starts to wear out, you will notice some rooms stay warmer or cooler than others. You may also find that no matter how much you adjust your thermostat, nothing improves, and your home remains uncomfortable. The source of uneven heating or cooling can be anywhere in your HVAC system, but you need a technician to check ductwork.
- Mold and mildew odors: Badly connected or insulated ducts become mold and mildew gardens. When leaks and temperature differences produce condensation, which creates the environment for these organisms to thrive, this development causes respiratory issues among sensitive household members and an unwelcome odor. You may require mold remediation, but you should also have an HVAC technician check out your ducts.
- Noise: Except for the mechanical hum of your furnace or air conditioner, your HVAC should not be overly noisy. Rattling sounds indicate joints between ductwork sections are deteriorating. As these pieces fall apart, you hear louder rattling and, if you continue to ignore it, crashing. At that point, you have no choice but to replace ductwork.
Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling offers high-efficiency heating and cooling in St. Louis, MO. If you notice several of these signs it’s time to replace your ductwork, give us a call and schedule an appointment.
