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Air ducts are the tubes in your home or business that connect the HVAC system with air vents. They’re commonly referred to as the lungs or arteries of a house. It’s natural to wonder about duct cleaning and maintenance, especially if you or someone else in the home has respiratory issues. We asked RSAndrews, a professional duct cleaning and related services, based in Atlanta, to answer some of our top heating duct cleaning FAQs.
How Often Should I Get My Ducts Cleaned?
Every eight to 10 years to start with. Get the ducts cleaned more often if children, pets, or people with respiratory or immune system issues live in the home. This is more a precautionary measure than anything based on hard, solid facts.
For example, the EPA says, “Knowledge about air duct cleaning is in its early stages, so a blanket recommendation cannot be offered as to whether you should have your air ducts in your home cleaned.” Studies do not show for sure that duct cleaning prevents health problems or that dirty or dusty ducts lead to more health issues. This seems odd, of course, but the EPA explains that dirt and dust particles tend to stick to the duct surfaces instead of blowing into living spaces.
Duct cleaning even just once every eight or 10 years does prevent dust and dirt buildup. It could potentially prevent the spread of particles throughout your home or business.
Why Should I Get My Ducts Cleaned?
There are several great reasons.
- You are selling or buying the property. People selling a property usually want everything as clean as possible no matter what studies say. Similarly, if you’re about to move into a new house, why not ask to have years’ worth of gunk in the ducts removed?
- Your energy bills are high. Duct cleaning may lessen the strain on your system and lead to more energy efficiency, according to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association.
- At least one household member is experiencing unexplained or odd symptoms of illness that could be related to the environment in the home.
- Rodents, insects, or other vermin/pests have invaded the air ducts.
- The dust and dirt in your air ducts are excessive.
- Particles from the ducts are being spread into the home.
- Mold growth is visible in your HVAC system or on hard surfaces such as sheet metal. That said, many sections of air ducts are virtually inaccessible to laypeople. HVAC service providers can perform a mold inspection. If they find mold, they can correct the conditions in your air duct to protect against mold growth continuing.
In fact, in all of the above scenarios except the first one about real estate, there is likely at least one underlying cause that needs correcting. Otherwise, the duct problems are just going to continue.
How Can I Tell If the Dust and Dirt in My Ducts Are Too Much and Spreading Into My Home?
The best way is to have an HVAC company do an inspection. This approach works on several fronts, for example, service technicians can access areas of your air ducts that you are not able to and look inside the equipment for excessive biological growth.
On a more basic level, check your vent covers and look inside the duct for matted dust, debris, or dirt. Examine your air filters to see if they’re clogged with dust. You can also check your furnace blower fan, motor, and controls for dust. A little dust might not indicate a problem, but the more dust you have, the more significant the problem.
How Do I Prevent Dirty Air Ducts in the First Place?
Change your filters regularly, and step up the changing if they are prone to clogging. Choose the highest efficiency filter possible (check your heating and cooling system manufacturer’s recommendations). If you are having your HVAC system looked at for other reasons, ask the technician to clean the cooling coils and drain pans.
Dust and vacuum your home often, ideally using a high-efficiency vacuum (HEPA) cleaner or filter bags. If you do renovation or construction work, wait until after the dust has been cleaned to run the heating and cooling system. Seal off supply and return ducts while the work is being done.
Are There Duct Cleaning Scams?
Yes, unfortunately. Beware of companies, even seemingly legitimate ones, that recommend duct cleaning as a normal part of HVAC maintenance and that make broad claims that duct cleaning aids in health. Ask the companies you are considering if they hold the required state licenses (not all states mandate these licenses).
Also, avoid businesses that say they are EPA-certified. The EPA does not certify duct cleaning. Ask the companies you are considering for references. When you contact the references, make sure they did not have problems with their system after the duct cleaning. Get cost estimates and a timeline estimate in writing from any duct cleaning business before work starts.
If you have a dirty duct problem, and you look to hire a quality air duct cleaning company, what should you expect from the company?
Look for a NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association) certified company to clean your ducts- this helps ensure standard practices are followed.
A duct cleaning service provider should:
- Use the correct HEPA system and brushes designed for your type of ducts.
- Remove all supply and return registers to clean and disinfect grills. All holes will be plugged during the cleaning process except the one duct run being cleaned.
- Both supply and return plenums should be cleaned.
- Seal system during cleaning process so no dust or dirt is return to the home being cleaned- the vacuum system does the cleaning under negative static pressure, capturing all dust particulates.
- All duct access doors re-sealed after cleaning is performed.
- Furnace vacuumed out, including blower wheel.
- Evaporator coil should be assessed and cleaned as needed.
NADCA registry can confirm if a company has been certified, protect yourself and your home from poor workmanship.