Cleanliness is next to godliness. Do you know what else is next to godliness? Clean air! Unfortunately, indoor air isn’t always that clean. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has stated that indoor air can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air.
Indoor air quality is crucial to overall health, as it can severely negatively affect those with chronic respiratory issues like COPD and asthma. One way to help ensure the health of your HVAC system and the health of yourself and your loved ones is to keep the cleanliness of your air ducts in mind–yes, your air ducts!
What are air ducts?
Your air ducts, although largely unseen in most settings, are the tubes that run along the inside of your home and connect your vents to your HVAC unit. Air ducts are responsible for moving the conditioned air throughout your home, essentially acting as the lungs of your home.
How dirty can they get?
Since air ducts stay in a near-constant state of use, dust and debris are bound to build up over time. You may be thinking, “uhh..air filters?”. Yes! There are definitely air filters within your HVAC system–however, most air filters still have their weaknesses, and air ducts can slowly become polluted with very small contaminants like mold spores and dust mites, which can easily pass through many types of air filters–especially clogged air filters or those that are overdue for a change.
If you are in a new build, you may think that the air ducts in yo
ur home should be relatively clean. However, in most construction projects, air ducts are installed pretty early on in the build, meaning that all the dirt and dust associated with the construction of the house could very well be settled inside the air ducts.
How often should they be cleaned?
Before you have an answer to this question, it’s important to understand the environment in which you live. A city slicker’s home may accumulate loads of dirt and smog, while someone
who lives in a wooded area may accumulate pollen. A beach denizen may have some mini sand dunes in their air ducts, similar to a desert dweller. If you know that your home generally collects lots of dust and dirt, it’s very likely that your air ducts have the same habit. Another thing to consider is pet dander and fur.
Other things to consider when tacking down a good cleaning schedule for air ducts can include:
Pets. If you have many furry friends, there’s a strong likelihood that some of their fur or dander is living in the air ducts.
Smoking. If there are smokers in the household, especially if they smoke inside, there will be higher levels of pollutants within the air ducts.
Renovations or new builds. In any circumstance where there’s a heightened amount of dust, sawdust, or other contaminants related to construction and renovation, it’s likely that some of that has accumulated in the ducts.
Allergies or respiratory diseases. If you or another inhabitant of the home are prone to allergies or suffer from respiratory issues like asthma or COPD, more frequent cleaning is necessary to ensure that no one’s health is suffering.
Water damage in the HVAC system. If your HVAC system has suffered water damage, and your air ducts are also dirty, the likelihood of mold and mildew growth gets much higher.
Now that we’ve covered a lot of ground in what should be considered when nailing down a cleaning schedule that’s right for your needs–what are the recommendations? A general rule of thumb is to have your air ducts cleaned once every 3 to 5 years, depending on how dusty and dirty your specific environment can get. It’s important to note here that more often does not mean better, as frequent cleanings can actually unnecessarily stir up dust and cause more issues.
Call us
Have questions about the best schedule in which to have your air ducts cleaned based on your specific circumstances? Please, do not hesitate to give us a call over here at Tri-Point. Any one of our many experienced, certified technicians will be happy to talk to you and excited to help you along the way! Ask us about signing up for routine maintenance checks with our experienced technicians!
For a direct line to any of our employees ready on the line to help you, please call…(512) 651-4565 for our Austin, Texas community (806) 686-0050 for our Lubbock, Texas community. Or check out our website at https://www.tripointrefrigeration.com
#CommercialHVAC #HVACR #HVACService #HVACMaintenance #HVACContractor #HVACInstallation #CommercialAirConditioning #CommercialVentilation #HVACRepair #BuildingAutomation #EnergyEfficientHVAC #FacilityManagement #IndoorAirQuality #HVACSystem #ChillerPlant #RooftopUnits #HVACTechnology #HVACIndustry #CleaningHVAC