Learn About Duct Cleaning

The air ducts in your home make it possible for your home heating and cooling system to distribute temperature controlled air to all areas of your house. They also incorporate conduits that transport hazardous fumes and odors away from your living spaces and outside.

Keeping these ducts clean and free of buildup is an important step to take when you want to both improve the efficiency of your home comfort system and make sure that the quality of your indoor air remains high. And the truth is, keeping your ducts clean and operating smoothly is not all that difficult. You only need to take a few simple steps from time to time and your ducts will stay in good working order.

Humidity Control

One good way to improve the condition and efficiency of your air duct system is to make sure you maintain proper humidity levels all over your home. This may be easier said than done because your air ducts often pass through spaces that are not part of your normal living quarters. Suitable duct insulation can be installed in these areas, though, so you can be sure the amount of humidity your ducts are exposed to is limited.

This is important because high levels of humidity make it more likely that mold will form. When mold forms in your air ducts, it means that mold spores can be blown all over your home. This will have a direct impact on the quality of the air inside your home and can be a health hazard. Eliminating sources of mold is an important step to take when you are trying to make your indoor environment as healthy and safe as possible.

Sources of Debris

Another way to keep your ducts from becoming dirty or clogged with debris is to eliminate the source of the debris to begin with. One major source of the debris that winds up collecting in your duct system is the cooling system itself. Having the cooling coil and drain pans cleaned on a regular basis by an experienced technician will greatly cut down on the amount of debris that finds its way into your ducts.

Having good air filters in place will also help you keep all types of debris and contaminants out of your ducts. But remember that no matter how good your air filters are, they cannot work properly unless you change or clean them on a regular basis. Usually you can simply follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for how often to change these filters, but keep a close eye on them as well. If you have a lot of dust or other contaminants floating around your house, you may need to change your filters more often.

Professional Duct Cleaning

Taking all of these steps on your own is certainly a big help. But it’s still no replacement for professional duct cleaning. You may not need to have your ducts cleaned by a professional service all that often, but it is still a good idea to have one come in every year or two to make sure that everything is still in good shape.

You can do a lot on your own to stop contaminants from getting into your ducts, but you’ll never be able to stop everything. And you’ll not be able to thoroughly clean out your ducts once debris gets into them. Professional duct cleaners have specialized equipment that allows them to thoroughly clean even the hardest to reach areas of your duct system.