Air Duct Cleaning: Tips and Advice for When and How

When keeping your home tidy, you think about washing, dusting, scrubbing, sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming. However, you're missing one essential for everyone with a centralized HVAC system: air duct cleaning. Here are two reasons why you should spring for an air duct cleaning service:

1. Air Quality. The pipes that lead to the vents in your ceiling blow heat into the living areas of your home. If you or any of the members of your household suffer from allergies or asthma, you'll want to do anything you can to reduce symptoms and increase comfort. The last thing you want to do is blow unnecessary dust or mold into your home. You should definitely think about an air duct cleaning if you see any visible mold on or inside the surface of the vents, clumps of dust or noticeable debris coming from the vents, or rodent droppings or dead insects. Remember, this is what you and your family are breathing in, so you'll want to keep the environment as pure as possible. Changing your filter can also help reduce these build-ups in between servicing.

2. Energy Savings. Buildup of dust or debris can make your system run less efficiently, which can wind up costing you money in the long run. Contaminants like dirt and mold can make your system work harder to produce the same amount of climate control, which could cause it to wear our early, reducing the life span of your system.

What You Need to Know:

This service should be done every three to five years or so. An air duct cleaning should also involve a thorough clearing of grilles, coils, fans, and motors. You'll want the whole system to be as free from debris as possible. Any service that involves steam or moisture should be avoided. You certainly don't want to risk growing (more) mold. You also don't want any sealants or sprays in your conduits. Remember, the point is to increase the purity of the air, and these may contain harmful chemicals.

How to Choose a Company:

When choosing a company to perform this work, make sure they are certified, but not by the EPA, which doesn't give this type of certification. Call around to get several estimates to make sure you're getting the best price. Make sure the company lets you verify the results. The technicians should allow you to inspect their work upon completion, either in person or through video. Finally, make sure you check the references of anyone you allow in your home. If they've done a good job in the past, they're likely to do a good job in the future.

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