The Air Duct Cleaning industry is still in its early stages. Not enough knowledge about air duct cleaning can offer a blanket recommendation on their cleaning. Whether one should get it done or not? However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urges you to research and understand if your situation requires you to get it done.
If you’re wondering whether you can clean the air ducts on your own or not, then here’s a blog for you. Here we have covered everything you need to know in order to make an informed decision about your home’s air duct cleaning.
Air Ducts & Your Home
When it comes to the dust particles inside your home, it’s important not to focus on dirty air ducts alone. Other sources of particles, such as cleaning, cooking, and smoking, cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts.
However, one cannot wholly ignore that dust, dirt, pollen, and other airborne particles build up in your air ducts over time. These can cause allergies, respiratory problems, and other health issues.
While you can clean your air ducts yourself, knowing what you’re doing is essential to avoid damaging the system. Many do-it-yourself air duct cleaning kits are available on the market, but it’s best to let professionals do this.
What is Inside Your Air Ducts?
The average home produces around 40 pounds of dust each year. Much of this dust ends up in your air ducts, which circulates throughout your home whenever your furnace or air conditioner runs. Over time, this dust buildup can restrict airflow and make your HVAC system less efficient. It can also aggravate allergies and respiratory problems.
Cleaning your air ducts is a way to remove this built-up dust and improve the indoor air quality of your home. However, it’s essential to understand that there are different ways to clean air ducts, and not all methods are equally effective.
The most thorough way to clean air ducts is to hire a professional who will use specialized equipment to reach all the nooks and corners of your ductwork. DIY methods like vacuuming the vents with a household vacuum can also help remove some dust from your air ducts.
Why Is Air Duct Cleaning Important?
You should consider having the air ducts cleaned in your home under the following circumstances;
- Visible Mold Growth: If you see there is substantial mold growth inside hard surface (e.g., sheet metal) ducts you should be concerned. It may be damaging to your health and our environment.
- Vermin & Insects Rest Inside: If the ducts are home to many vermin, including rodents or insects.
- Your Vents Are Visibly Dirty: Take a look at your ducts. If dust or other debris is visible, it’s time for a cleaning.
- You Have Allergies or Respiratory Problems: If you or someone in your household has allergies or respiratory issues, it could be due to dirty ductwork. Having your ducts cleaned can help improve air quality and alleviate symptoms.
- Your Energy Bills Have Increased: If you’ve noticed a spike in your energy bills, dirty ductwork could be to blame. When airflow is not smooth due to dirt and debris buildup, your HVAC system may work harder to circulate air, which uses more energy and drives up costs.
Pros and Cons of Cleaning Your Own Air Ducts
Cleaning your air ducts can be relatively easy and rewarding if you have the time and patience. However, there are also a few potential drawbacks to doing it yourself that you must be aware of before you get started.
One of the biggest pros of cleaning your air ducts is saving money. Professional duct cleaning services can be expensive, so doing it yourself can help keep your costs down if you’re on a tight budget.
Another advantage is that you can be sure the cleaning will be proper.
When you hire a professional, you trust them to do a good job. But if you clean your ducts yourself, you can be sure they’ll be as clean as possible since you’ll be doing the work yourself.
On the contrary, one of the biggest cons of cleaning your air ducts is that it can be time-consuming. Its cleaning time will largely depend on the size of your home and its layout. It could take several hours to clean all of your ductwork. However, if you have a very large or complex system, it could even take more than one day.
Another potential downside is the risk of damaging your ductwork when you’re cleaning it yourself. If you’re not careful, it’s easy to accidentally puncture or tear a hole in one of the pipes.
Hire A Professional Air Duct Cleaning Company
Always remember to exercise precautions when evaluating an air duct service company. Make sure they have the required licensing. You should also get feedback from old customers and check their past work.
When hiring a duct cleaner, they may tell you they need to apply chemicals and biocides, which kill bacteria and fungi. But you need to understand the pros and cons of using these chemicals before agreeing. Research has not shown their effectiveness in duct cleaning or, for that matter, any adverse health effects.
Whether or not you get your air ducts cleaned, the most effective way to keep them contaminant-free is to prevent dirt and water from getting inside.
Read More: Will My House Smell Any Better After I Cleanout the Air Ducts?
Conclusion
As you can see, cleaning your air ducts has many pros and cons. The decision ultimately comes down to your personal preference and whether or not you feel comfortable doing the job yourself. If you decide to clean your air ducts, follow all safety precautions and use the proper equipment.
If you want to hire residential air duct cleaning company, contact Alpha Clean Air at (862) 500 3828 and investigate your air ducts!
