Why You Should Get Your Air Ducts Cleaned

Your home’s ductwork is like its lungs. The air it draws in contains contaminants like pet dander, dust, and volatile chemicals. These pollutants are re-circulated 5 to 7 times daily and eventually settle on surfaces throughout your house.

When these contaminants build up, it’s time to call for an air duct cleaning. Air Duct Cleaning Salt Lake City uses specialized tools to clean your ducts and return them to normal operation.

A dirty duct system can harbor harmful contaminants like pet dander, bacteria, fungus, mildew and pollen. These airborne irritants can trigger allergies, asthma and other respiratory problems. Cleaning your ductwork will remove these contaminates, helping you breathe cleaner air.

If dust is building up in your home, or dust is visible around the vent openings, this is an indication that it’s time for a professional duct cleaning. A thorough air duct cleaning will remove dust that accumulates on the inside walls of your ductwork, and clean the vent grilles on wall or floor registers.

Dirty ducts can also harbor rodent feces, droppings and urine, as well as microorganisms that cause respiratory complications. Leaving these contaminants in your ductwork can circulate them throughout your entire house, contaminating the air that you and your family members breathe.

Using a flexible duct brush and vacuum cleaner attachment, or a hose with a wand nozzle attached to a duct whip, your HVAC technician will close the supply vents to create negative pressure and clean each duct vent by vent. For hard-to-reach vents, you may need to climb up on a ladder to reach them. Once the ducts are cleaned, the technician will reopen the supply vents and vacuum up the loosened dirt that collects on the surface of your vent cover.

You’ll find that the loosened dirt will stick to the sides of your vent covers, so you’ll need to wipe them down regularly with a sponge or rag moistened with distilled water and dishwashing liquid. You can also install vent register filters that will catch much of the accumulated dust.

If you have recently moved into a new home or completed a major renovation, it’s likely that debris and dust has entered your ductwork from the construction site. A duct cleaning will clear these contaminants and make it easier to clean your newly renovated home. Likewise, if your home is suffering from a pest infestation, an air duct cleaning will help prevent the spread of disease-causing vermin dander and other microscopic organisms. Call an expert right away if you notice signs of pest infestation in your home.

Allergies are your immune system’s overreaction to a foreign substance that triggers a chain reaction that causes symptoms like itchy eyes, sneezing and coughing. Many allergy-triggering substances are present in the air around us, including pet dander, dust mites, mold spores and bacteria. Getting regular professional duct cleaning services can help keep these substances at bay and relieve your allergies and other common ailments like sinus pressure, headaches and achy joints and muscles.

Dust and other allergens tend to accumulate in your home’s ductwork over time, especially when you have pets or people who shed hair, smoke or are allergic to certain foods. These contaminants then get blown out into the rooms in your home whenever your heating and cooling system runs, spreading them throughout your house. This can irritate your family members’ allergies and can even cause new allergies to develop over time.

Your HVAC filter helps to catch some of these allergens, but it cannot capture every particle that is floating around in the air. The microscopic dust that collects on your ductwork can irritate your lungs and can lead to more severe problems like asthma attacks. Having your ducts cleaned on an annual basis can remove this harmful material and make you and your family healthier and happier.

Dirty ducts can also harbor dust mites, which are tiny organisms that love to live in dark, humid places like your ductwork. These creatures eat the dead skin cells that you and your family shed and can trigger allergies, rashes and other unpleasant symptoms in susceptible individuals.

Over time, these microscopic organisms can build up in your ductwork and get blown out into the rooms in your house whenever your heater or air conditioner runs. This can irritate your allergy-prone family members and can even cause them to develop new allergies over time.

Fortunately, you can combat these allergens by keeping your ductwork clean on a regular basis and by installing an air conditioning unit with an efficient air filter. In addition, you can reduce the amount of irritants that are in the air around your home by using non-toxic cleaners that contain thyme and rosemary to disinfect your ductwork.

If you notice a musty, foul smell whenever the air conditioning or heating kicks in, it may be a sign that your air ducts need cleaning. The odors could be coming from dust and debris that has collected in your ductwork or it might mean that mold or mildew is growing there. If mold and mildew are present, they can circulate throughout your house with the airflow and cause respiratory problems.

If the odor is strong and persistent, it’s probably a good idea to get your air ducts cleaned, especially if they’re located in the basement or other crawl spaces. The ducts in these areas are more likely to collect musty odors because they’re less exposed to the sun and other factors that help keep them dry.

You should also consider having your ducts cleaned if the odor is accompanied by other signs of a problem with your home’s air quality, such as watery eyes or constant coughing. The bad odors are likely being caused by a buildup of bacteria in your home and the airflow from your ducts is carrying these toxins into the house.

Foul odors can also be a sign that there’s a gas leak in your home. If you notice an odor that resembles rotten eggs, it’s probably time to call the gas company to have your ductwork checked for leaks. Natural gas coming into homes has an additive called mercaptan in it that produces the rotten egg smell when there is a leak.

Another possible source of a musty smell is vermin that has made its way into your ductwork. Although this is rare, it’s still a possibility in older homes where vermin has lived and died inside the ducts.

Stale odors can be caused by many different things, including dust, pet dander, cigarette smoke and even dead animals. The stale odors can circulate throughout the entire home when the air is being heated or cooled by your system. It’s important to keep in mind that air ducts can collect and circulate a lot of different kinds of odors, which is why having them regularly cleaned is so important for your family’s health.

An air filter’s job is to catch and remove microscopic particles from your home’s air before they can reach the heating or cooling system. These include pollen, dust, mold spores, tobacco debris, pet dander, plant spores, bacteria, and other organic matter. Without a properly functioning air filter, these particles will continue to circulate through your ducts and into other rooms in the house. When these particles are spread throughout the home, they can trigger health issues such as rashes, allergies, sinus problems, and asthma.

When your air filter is clogged, it forces the blower fans to work harder to keep the air flowing through the system. This can make your furnace or air conditioner work longer than usual, which leads to high energy bills. The dirty air filter also limits the flow of warm or cool air, which can leave some rooms colder in winter or warmer in summer.

The accumulated dirt can also lead to problems with the air conditioning’s blower fan. Over time, the dust can block the fan and cause it to overheat or burn out. Changing your filter regularly and getting professional air duct cleaning services prevents the build-up of dust and allergens that can affect your family’s health.

Changing your air filter and leaning on experts for professional duct cleaning are among the most effective ways to improve your South Florida home’s indoor air quality. However, it can be difficult to remember to do this simple maintenance task. Fortunately, an automatic reminder can help you stay on top of this important chore.