Like nearly every other area of your home, air ducts accumulate dirt and debris. It may become obvious that your ducts need cleaning if puffs of dust come out of a duct each time you turn on your air conditioning or heating. Even if this doesn’t occur, your air ducts likely need to be cleaned on a regular basis. There are five specific reasons it’s important to keep air ducts cleaned.
1. Reduce Contaminants
Contaminants can include a variety of chemicals that may get circulated through your home. Everything from leaks in the AC refrigerant to glue from the duct work may be in your vents and eventually make their way into your home and the air you breathe. Other types of contaminants might include mold or mildew. Without testing or regular cleaning it can be difficult to know exactly what is in your air ducts.
2. Reduce Odors
Whenever any type of dust, dirt, or contaminants build up in an air duct it can lead to unpleasant odors throughout the entire house. While bad smells may not always mean there are dangerous chemicals or pollutants in your home, it’s obviously uncomfortable. Keeping your air ducts cleaned on a regular basis can reduce or eliminate irritating odors.
3. Improve Air Quality
Whether it’s contaminants or bad odors, the quality of the air you and your family breathe can be affected by the air ducts in your home. Fresh, clean air is extremely important in any living environment. Cleaner air circulating through your home may even reduce the amount of dust on floors, furniture, and bedding.
4. Overall Health
A reduction in contaminants and improved air quality will definitely be better for your health. Breathing in dirty air on a daily basis could aggravate conditions such as asthma, allergies, and autoimmune disorders. Even if you don’t have any specific health conditions, prolonged exposure to dusty, dirty air may bring on a variety of respiratory ailments.
5. Save on Energy Bills
Keeping air ducts clean can also help you save money on your energy bills. Dirt, debris, and other contaminants in your HVAC system can cause it to have to work harder to heat or cool your home. A heating and cooling system that is clean will perform at the highest level of efficiency.
These are a few of the reasons why keeping air ducts clean and working efficiently is important. If you need to have your air ducts cleaned safely and correctly it’s necessary to contact a professional. Whether it’s to maintain air quality, eliminate odors, provide a healthy environment, or even save on energy bills, keeping your air ducts clean should be part of your home maintenance routine.