A view of an air vent from the ground floor.

Is Duct Cleaning Really Necessary?

Now that winter’s on its way, it’s time to think about your heating system. When you first turn on your furnace for the season, you want to make sure it won’t blow harmful dust particles into the air your breathe via the ducts. That’s why routine duct cleaning is recommended for any home. The best time to do this is in the fall right before winter, so you can get peace of mind when using heat to stay warm. Let’s take a look at why it’s necessary to have your ducts cleaned by a professional regularly.

Reasons to Have Your Ducts Cleaned

There are many reasons why you should have your ducts thoroughly cleaned, and all of them are an attempt to boost the air quality in the home.

Mold Growth

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), you should have your ducts cleaned if you see substantial mold growth inside hard surface ducts, such as the sheet metal portions, or on other components of your heating and cooling system. Take these considerations into account when it comes to mold detection in your heating system:

  • Many portions of your ducts may not be easy to conduct a visible inspection. This is where a professional comes in. They have the tools and equipment to detect any mold and then provide evidence of what they found.
  • Even though something looks like mold on the surface, it still needs to be tested to make the conclusive determination. This often requires laboratory analysis.
  • Thorough cleaning to remove all traces of the mold growth must occur so new mold does not grow.
  • In extreme cases, insulated air ducts may get wet and moldy, requiring total replacement.

Pests

If your ducts have become infested with vermin such as rodents or insects, call in a professional to clean out your ducts.

Excessive Dust

Sometimes, particularly in older homes that haven’t experience duct cleaning in many, many years, the dust and debris can build up to an excessive level. Due to this clogging, the dust can get blown into your living space via supply registers and become breathed in by residents.

Allergies

The EPA recommends air duct cleaning as needed. However, air ducts can and do accumulate some dust and you should know this is normal. That being said, if anyone in your household has allergies or asthma, or suddenly experiences respiratory illnesses you think may be related to the home environment, you may want to have your air ducts inspected. You should also visit your doctor to ask his or her advice on how to make adjustments to your indoor air quality.

Correct Cleaning Procedures

It’s extremely important that your service provider follows proper duct cleaning procedures. If done incorrectly and without the proper precautions, this process can actually cause indoor air problems. A vacuum collection system that’s old and outdated, or that is not operated properly buy the HVAC technician, can release more dust, dirt and other contaminants into the air than if you had simply not cleaned the ducts at all. In addition, a service provider who is not adequately trained in duct cleaning can do damage to the ducts, leading to inefficient operation of the system, higher energy bills and more costly repair bills.