The typical annual homeowner checklist includes items like cleaning gutters, flushing the water heater, and of course, having HVAC equipment inspected, cleaned, and repaired for optimal performance. While most people understand the importance of checking their furnace in the fall and their AC unit in the spring, they never realize they need to have air ducts serviced, as well. Is it time to get the air ducts in your home cleaned? Here are a few reasons you may want to.
You Haven’t Done it in a Few Years
According to recommendations from the National Air Duct Cleaners Association, homeowners should have their ducts cleaned approximately every 3-5 years, although frequency will depend on a variety of factors, such as the relative level of airborne dust and allergens in your region. If, for example, you live right next to a busy freeway, you might get a lot of road dust floating around and you may want to clean your ducts more frequently.
You’ve Had a Pest Problem
If you’ve recently experienced issues with pests, particularly in basements, attics, or other areas where HVAC equipment and ductwork is exposed, it’s wise to have your air ducts inspected and cleaned. Whether you had an infestation of ants or a smattering of rodents around your property, pests can set up colonies and nests all over the place, and ducts with warm or cool air flowing through them can be particularly attractive.
Even when you’ve treated with tenting or traps to eliminate the pest problem, you could end up with dead bugs in ducts or rodent droppings left behind. You’ll definitely want to get rid of these before your fire up your furnace or AC unit again – you don’t want that stuff blowing out of vents and into your living spaces.
You’re Suffering Allergies or other Respiratory Ailments
Allergy symptoms can be exacerbated by the air getting pushed through your home, or more specifically, the particulates it carries, including dust, pet dander, pollen, and pathogens, just for example. Having the right filters in place in your HVAC system, such as HEPA filtration, could help a lot, but over time these particulates can still build up in ducts and get pushed into the living spaces in your home when you adjust the thermostat.
In hot and/or humid regions, you could also experience issues like mold in ducts, especially if you have the wrong ductwork to prevent condensation buildup that promotes mold growth. This, in turn, could create a situation where family members in the home are breathing in harmful mold spores and suffering respiratory ailments as a result (especially common in young children, the elderly, and anyone with respiratory complications).
With regular air duct cleaning and inspection, you can ensure optimal function and prevent most health concerns. However, if you start having issues with the air in your home, it’s not a bad idea to schedule a checkup with an HVAC professional. Rowland Air can help with HVAC ducting cleaning, testing, repair, or installation.