How Can You Tell When Your Air Ducts Need Cleaning?
Indoor air quality has a great impact on how comfortable you feel in your home. Even the healthiest of people are likely to experience reactions when exposed to particles of dust, mold spores, pollen and insect droppings. One way to ensure good indoor air quality is by scheduling routine air duct cleaning. If you are wondering whether your ducts require cleaning, below are regular signs to be on the lookout for.
Plenty of dust pours from your vents / ducts.
The most obvious sign of unclean air ducts is when you notice a puff of dust every time you turn on your HVAC system. Your air ducts should not blow visible dust and debris whenever you switch on your heating and cooling system. When the air starts circulating through the ducts, there should be no indication of dust before it comes out of the supply registers. Thus, if you notice visible dust, your air registers are dusty.
Your air filters are filled with dust
Continuous replacement of filters in your heating and cooling system is an indication of a bigger problem. Yes, you should be replacing your filters every now and then. However, they shouldn’t get clogged up only a few days after replacing them. If your air filters get clogged quickly, it’s an indication that your air ducts need to be checked.
Ideally, you should replace your air filter after every few months. Remember that your filters remove all dust, debris, pet dander, pollen and other particles that get trapped during summer and other seasons.
Odor Emanating from your ducts
Odor is another common indication that you should get professional ventilation system cleaning since there might be debris trapped in the system. If your house suddenly develops a bad odor that you can’t seem to locate anywhere, maybe it’s coming from your air ducts. Bring your nose close to the air registers to confirm your doubts. Furthermore, consider hiring a technician to see if there’s anything inside the air ducts that could be causing the foul smell.
Presence of mold & mildew around or inside your HVAC system
Dust can have numerous adverse effects on your health. Dust coupled with mold is much worse. If you spot mold growing around your vent covers and/or air conditioning units, act immediately. Mold and mildew spread across your house very fast and they trigger allergies and breathing complications. When professionals come to clean your HVAC ducts, they will not only advise you to get the ducts cleaned. Since mold grows in damp places, technicians will recommend you get a home dehumidifier.
Poor or inconsistent airflow indoors
Another way to know your air ducts need cleaning is by detecting inadequate airflow in your bedroom, bathroom, living room or kitchen. Indoor airflow should be consistent because all the vents take air from the same heating and cooling system through the ducts. Inconsistent airflow is an indicator that dirt is blocking some of your air vents. Get a technician to inspect if all your vents have clean air ducts running into them.
Evidence of a pest infestation in your air ducts
When rodents, insects or any other vermin infest any part of your home, it should be an indicator that you should have your ducts cleaned. Why do you have to clean your air ducts after a pest infestation? Air duct cleaning helps stop allergens and other harmful microorganisms from spreading throughout your house. Droppings from insects, vermin and pests contain allergens, bacteria and viruses that could make you sick.
Every nook and corner of your home gathers dust quickly
Okay. No one likes cleaning! Besides, cleaning your home is even more demanding when you realize you dust and sweep every corner of your floor only to notice dust on your furniture and floor after a few hours. If you notice dust collecting every corner of your house quickly after cleaning, there is a high probability that some of that dust is coming from your HVAC system.
Your heating and/or cooling bills are too high
Your heating costs during winter and cooling bills during summer should be relatively the same every year. If you realize your heating bills have gone up over the last few months, something is definitely wrong. Blocked ductwork can cause your heating and cooling system to consume more energy driving up your monthly bills. This happens when air cannot flow freely from the heating or cooling system through the ducts and into your home. During such occurrences, you should consider hiring a technician to have your furnace ductwork cleaned.
Noise you hear coming from your ducts
If you have been living in your home for years, you should know how your HVAC system sounds when running. Although this might be a bit difficult to tell, your ductwork shouldn’t produce so much noise. If you hear any strange noises other than the sound of the motor running, there might be a problem with your ducts.
There is no air duct cleaning record
If you recently bought your home or have lived in your home for many years without knowing when the last time the air duct was cleaned, contact a technician to inspect your air ducts. Your HVAC system may not depict any signs that it needs cleaning but may have collected a lot of dust since it was installed.
Your home was recently constructed or had major repairs done.
Construction activities leave your house dusty. Even if the contractors did their maximum best to clean or block off areas being renovated, dust, dirt and debris will always find their way into your home, particularly the air ducts. Unless the HVAC system was turned off or air vents were sealed during construction, dust and dirt must have entered your air ducts. You should thus consider getting your air ducts cleaned following any construction activity in your home.
While many homeowners understand how crucial duct cleaning is, most still ask the question; do you know if your air ducts need cleaning? We know. Just how. If you notice any of the above signs, consider hiring an expert air duct cleaning company like the pros at ThoroClean