The ducts in your home are designed to deliver air throughout your home. Over time, they can collect lots of dust, allergens, and pollutants, impacting the air quality that you’re breathing inside. To avoid inhaling contaminated air and enduring higher utility bills, giving the air ducts a good cleaning a few times each year is important. Learn more about what’s really in your ducts and how you can keep your air fresh with both at-home and professional duct cleaning services.
What’s Really In Your Ducts?
Pet Dander
Your furry best friend sheds a lot more than you might realize. And all of that fur and hair they leave behind can easily get sucked into the HVAC system, gradually accumulating in the ductwork. It’s not harmful, but it can enhance the symptoms of those suffering from allergies.
Mould and Mildew
Did you know that leaky ductwork and moisture can develop mould and mildew spores if they are not cleaned out? We all know that mould is dangerous to our health, which is why it’s imperative to call in a professional service to tackle any potential spores and harmful pollutants that could be lingering there.
Dust and Dirt
Once dust, dust mites and dirt start to accumulate in your ducts, you’ll notice more of it along the surfaces in your home. Dust and dirt not only impact the quality of the air but can also affect the performance of the equipment, eventually shortening the lifespan.
Air Pollutants
Cooking sprays, chemical cleaners, hairspray and aerosols can make their way into the ducts and then circulate around your home as well, impacting the air quality that you’re breathing.
Signs Your Air Ducts Need Cleaning
Since the ductwork is hidden out of sight, it can be difficult to detect when they need to be cleaned. Luckily, there are some telltale signs that you can look out for. This includes finding mould on your furnace or air conditioner, visible dust on the surfaces in your home immediately after cleaning them and having higher heating and cooling costs than usual. Another way to tell if your ducts need cleaning is to determine how long it has been since you last had a technician visit your home to inspect and clean them. If it’s been over two years, it’s definitely time to schedule a service call.
What Can You Do To Keep Your Air Clean?
Having your ducts regularly inspected and cleaned by an HVAC professional is the best way to keep the air inside your home safe and clean to breathe. Regular duct cleaning can also help identify issues, such as mould growth and leaking ductwork before they become serious and costly repairs. Duct cleaning companies can also clean the HVAC equipment, such as the fan parts, cooling coils and heat exchangers, improving the overall operation, efficiency and airflow. However, during other days of the year, you’ll need to perform a little DIY maintenance as well. This includes:
- Frequently checking and changing the air filter when it’s dirty
- Vacuuming in and around the supply vents and inside the ducts
- Make sure air ducts are properly sealed and insulated
- Having any water leaks fixed immediately
To give your ducts a proper, thorough cleaning, a commercial-grade service and vacuum system are required. When it’s time to have them addressed, get in touch with our team at Powervac of Ottawa. We use state-of-the-art equipment to clean the ducts in both residential and commercial properties properly. No job is too big or small for us to handle. Contact us today to learn more about our services or to schedule a cleaning.