If we think about our home’s HVAC ductwork at all, it’s usually when we get a phone call or postcard offering duct cleaning services. Is it a good deal? Or is it even necessary? Here’s what you know to keep you (and your home) breathing easy.
Why You Should Clean Your Air Ducts
Even with the finest A/C filters, dust and particles still enter your home’s air and then make their way through the ductwork (either via the air conditioner’s intake, or the ventilation returns). And there are a number of factors that can affect both the amount of dust in the air, and how often filters need to be replaced and ducts cleaned.
Signs of Problems
If there are obvious signs of problems either directly in the ducts or within the home, then it’s important to clean the air ducts. The EPA recommends considering duct cleaning for problems such as these:
- Mold or mildew in the ducts or anywhere in the home (particularly around bathrooms or as a result of too much indoor humidity)
- Insects or rodents seen or heard around ductwork, or infesting any part of the home
- Dust emitting from the registers, indicating excessive buildup or even clogs
Environmental Conditions
Depending on who lives in your household, and how it’s used, you may have other reasons to monitor your air and the dust that contaminates it (and your air ducts):
- Number of people: you may have heard the frightening “statistic” that 70-80% of dust is made up of our dead skin cells. Thankfully, that’s not true. But, more people in a household can still generate more dust in the air: opening doors and windows, tracking in particles from the outside, using and wearing down more fabrics (including upholstery, carpets, clothing, bedding, and linens), and, yes, still contributing hair and skin cells.
- Allergies: dust can aggravate allergies and other respiratory conditions like asthma, bronchitis, and COPD. Keeping the air, and ductwork, clean can be an important part of managing symptoms and sensitivities.
- Pets: if you have furry family members, it’s guaranteed their fur will end up… somewhere. And not just on your clothes or furniture, but in your air system.
- Smoke: if there are smokers in your household, not only will it contribute residue to your fabrics, walls, and upholstery, but it will also add to the buildup in your ducts and on your HVAC filters. But other smoke-producing activities can also have an impact, if practiced regularly, including burning candles and indoor grilling or high-heat cooking.
- Woodworking or remodeling: construction dust doesn’t just disappear into vacuum cleaners once the job is done. If the A/C is running while a project is underway, particles make their way into the ducts. And the project doesn’t have to take place just under your roof—if there is a large construction project in your neighborhood, dust and dirt from preparing the lot and building the structures can infiltrate your home from outdoors.
How to Clean Your Air Ducts
As with many cleaning projects, regular maintenance keeps your system in better shape and makes deeper cleaning easier (and faster). For full air duct cleaning, you may want to consider a professional if you’re unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the inner workings of your A/C system and ducts. If you’re DIY-inclined, there’s lots of advice online for attempting the project yourself. But either way, you can (and should) perform a few regular maintenance tasks to keep the dust down:
- Regularly change your A/C filter
- Vacuum the outside of registers and cold air returns
- Remove registers and cold air return vents and thoroughly clean inside and out
- Inspect the ductwork you can see when the vents are removed, checking for excess dust and dirt buildup, mold, and evidence of infestations
Clean air flows through your home as long as every part of the system is clean too, and a little knowledge and maintenance go a long way in keeping your air ducts—and the whole system—in top condition.