Signs You Need Air Duct Cleaning

Do You Need Air Duct Cleaning? Here are some reasons you do.

Your home’s air ducts don’t just carry air. As your HVAC system’s furnace or air conditioning runs every day, its ducts become a hangout for dust, dirt, and other tiny particles.

This dust and dirt contain contaminants, allergens, and air pollutants that can harm your indoor air quality. They can also cause your HVAC system to lose efficiency, so it must work harder. This means your monthly energy bills will increase and your HVAC system’s lifespan will likely decrease.

As with any complex electrical-mechanical system, your home’s HVAC system performs better with regular maintenance and servicing. One of the services to extend the longevity of your HVAC system is air duct cleaning.

Here are five signs to tell if your HVAC system’s air ducts need to be cleaned:

Dust

It’s normal for dust to accumulate in a home, but does your home seem constantly dusty, no matter how often you clean it? If you’ve noticed that every flat surface in your home has accumulated a layer of dust soon after you’ve finished dusting, this is a sign that you need to have your HVAC system’s ducts cleaned.

Note that even in the most well-cleaned homes, all sorts of dust, pet dander, and other contaminants can be found in ductwork. It’s even possible you might notice a puff of dust escaping your air vents when your HVAC turns on. If you see dust and debris buildup around your air vents, you may want to remove some of your vent covers and inspect the ductwork. If you see dust and other particles, this is another sign you need your air ducts cleaned. 

Mold

Dust can negatively impact the health of the people living in your home. However, the presence of mold is a much more serious situation. It can make allergies and respiratory issues more severe. Mold can also spread quickly throughout your home.

Your HVAC system creates condensation, and mold flourishes in moist environments, including your ductwork. But mold isn’t so easy to detect. While it might be visible around your vent covers, the places in your HVAC system where mold thrives are also places that are hard to see and access. However, although mold can be difficult to see, it often gives off a musty odor.

Insects or rodents

Insects and small animals like mice, chipmunks, or even squirrels can invade your ductwork. These pests deposit bacteria and other germs. Small animals can build nests and leave droppings, depositing tiny fecal spores that flow through your ducts. These spores make their way into your home and can negatively affect the quality of air that you and your family breathe.

Once a rodent finds or chews a way in, your ductwork becomes its personal road network to all parts of your home. If they are present, you’ll likely see telltale signs like droppings, fur, chewed-up materials, or detect unpleasant smells.

Your home is newly built or renovated

Construction creates a mess. Even when a worksite is carefully closed off from the rest of your home and cleanup is done diligently, dust and other debris find their way in. Airborne construction debris can be particularly harmful to breathe, especially for those with respiratory issues.

The only way to prevent this dust and debris from entering your HVAC system is to turn it off completely and keep it covered during the construction, and this isn’t realistic or practical. In other words, dust and dirt from the construction will make their way into your air ducts and HVAC system, which means you’ll likely need your system cleaned after the construction is finished.

Increasing energy costs

The cost to heat and cool your home shouldn’t fluctuate much from year to year. If you compare a current bill from the one you received a year ago and the amount is significantly higher today, this could be due to dirty air ducts.

Ductwork can become so filled with dirt and dust that air can’t flow freely through your HVAC system. This reduces your system’s efficiency and causes both your furnace and air conditioner to work harder to maintain the temperature setting. Your system working harder means it uses more energy, thus your increased bills.

Work with the air duct cleaning experts, TruClean Home Services 

If you have detected any of the above signs related to your home’s HVAC system air ducts, you likely need your ductwork and system cleaned. A professional HVAC service company has the expertise and special equipment needed to access and clean your air ducts and the rest of your HVAC system. Clean air ducts will result in breathing healthier air and reducing maintenance, repair, and energy costs.

Contact TruClean for a consultation. We can examine your home and perform a thorough, professional cleaning of your air ducts and HVAC system.