Benefits of Duct Cleaning On Your Health

Modern Americans spend a lot of time inside, breathing air circulated by HVAC systems. In fact, research from the EPA indicates that Americans spend about 87% of our lives indoors. If you’re spending all that time breathing in poor-quality air circulating through a dirty HVAC system, the effects on your health could be worse than you think. Hence, you may want to hire an ac repairs technician to conduct ac tune-ups that will help ensure that your ac unit is doing its job of cooling your home while filtering allergens in the air.

Duct cleaning plays a key role in maintaining good indoor air quality in your home. In this blog post, we’ll address the following topics when it comes to duct cleaning:

THREATS TO GOOD INDOOR AIR QUALITY

If not properly maintained, your HVAC systems can accumulate pollutants, allergens, and contaminants.

Dust and Dander

These two are the most common threats to your indoor air quality, and with dust and dander come dust mites. These microscopic pests live in the dust and eat the dander. There actually is no such things as a “dust allergy”–people are, in fact, allergic to the dust mites in dust.

Vermin

In more severe situations, duct cleaning might be necessary to clear out mice and other vermin who have infested the ductwork. More than the rodents or insects themselves, their dander and waste can be the biggest threat to your indoor air quality.

Mold

Mold can also be a major issue, especially if it’s in an area that is hard to access. This issue isn’t as common, but it can occur if moisture condenses inside your ducts instead of drying or draining away. One early indication that you have a mold problem is a musty smell whenever you run your air conditioner.

THINGS THAT INCREASE THE NEED FOR AIR DUCT CLEANING

Although duct cleaning isn’t something you’ll need as often as annual residential and commercial hvac maintenance, there are some factors that might make it necessary for you to get a cleaning done sooner than other people.

Pest Infestation: If you have a pest infestation in your HVAC system or ductwork, you’ll first need to get the animals removed and follow that with a duct cleaning to eliminate anything they’ve left behind. Contact pest control services to get rid of them.
Pets: We love our animals, but they have a tendency to release dander, hair, and sometimes bad odors into the air.
Bad Allergies or Asthma: Sometimes changing your filter or wiping and vacuuming your registers isn’t enough. If allergens and irritants are coating the walls of your ducts, any air that passes through will carry those particles with it.
Smokers: If someone in the house smokes cigarettes or cigars, duct cleaning might be necessary to remove the odor.
Home Renovation: Make sure you save some money in the budget for a duct cleaning after any major home remodeling, particularly if it created a lot of dust or if there was the removal of any lead paint or asbestos.
Mold: Though it’s not a terribly common issue, when it does occur, mold can have noticeable effects on how you feel physically. Mold can cause eye, throat, nose, and skin irritation, along with coughing and wheezing.

On average, air is recirculated through your HVAC system about 5 to 7 times each day.

Each time the air recirculates, it increases the accumulation of contaminants in your air ducts. Even though it can take quite a while for pollutants, allergens, irritants, and chemicals to build up in your ductwork, it’s important to keep in mind that some people are more easily affected by poor indoor air quality than others. Children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions are particularly susceptible.

If you own an older HVAC system that has not been cleaned in a while or if you suspect that your ducts may be clogged with dust and debris, call an hvac contractor to help.