Why You Should Clean Your Ductwork

7/13/2024 (Permalink)

Photo of an air vent ductwork.

The air quality in your home or business is important. Keeping dust, pollen, pet dander, and other irritants out of the air you or your customers breathe involves more than changing the air filter(s). What about your air ducts? Contaminants collect in the duct system too, and regular cleaning of the air channel is important.

Energy Consumption

Dirty HVAC systems consume more energy than clean ones. Older ductwork starts leaking and not only do irritants enter through cracks, but air escapes too. Dirty ductwork also impedes airflow that drives up energy bills as much as 20 percent. Plus, dirt stresses your system causing frequent breakdowns. Clean ductwork helps lower your utility bill and helps your HVAC unit last longer.

Smelly Air

If someone in your home or business smokes, an odor hangs not only in the air but in the ductwork. Likewise, if you burned something on the stove, the smoke must go somewhere. These smells and other household odors collect in the ductwork and get circulated five to seven times per day, on average. Odors continue to plague your home or business long after you remove the offensive item(s).

More Reasons

Mold and mildew grow in your duct system especially if your home or business suffered recent water damage from flooding or foundation cracks. Renovations and repair often lead to contaminants settling in your air system, and newly built homes need the air ducts cleaned before occupancy.

Call the Professional

Air duct cleaning is not an easy job. It needs special vacuum hoses and tools to reach throughout the system. This is not a do-it-yourself task. 

Contact your local HVAC company and schedule a professional cleaning. Have your system cleaned every three to five years and more often if your family suffers from severe allergies or asthma, includes a smoker, or you have pets that shed a lot.

Make sure you contact a certified HVAC technician for ductwork cleaning. Another helpful idea is to buy a high-quality air filter like the ones sold at home improvement stores. Look for pleated filters costing around $15. Not only do these last a little longer, these filters also catch more debris, including bacteria and viruses, before you breathe it in.  

Source: https://www.hewnandhammered.com/