Should Your Air Ducts Be Cleaned

Air vents require cleaning for assorted reasons. Air vents are sometimes cleaned in response to a unique event or concern. Loads of homeowners want their air ducts cleaned routinely on account of health concerns or environmental elements related to the location where they live. Periodic air duct cleaning is a pro-active approach to your family’s well being as opposed to a reactive approach and waiting for a reason to clean your air vents, regardless of whether it be one the items noted below or a family member becoming ill.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends having your air ducts cleaned if:
• There is visible mold growth inside your vents or on other components of your heating and cooling system
• Your vents are infested with rodents or insects – cleaning will remove the pests and whatever attracted them to your ducts
• Your vents are clogged or air flow is severely restricted

Other reasons to have your air ducts cleaned include:
• Recent remodeling created a lot of dust – cleaning will prevent the dust from being distributed throughout the rest of your home
• Family members have health concerns due to dust, mold, pollen, pet dander, etc.
• Water entered the system from a pipe break, storm, fire, etc.
• During routine cleaning of HVAC components mold was found or significant amounts of dust and debris was released into the ductwork that the homeowner does not want distributed throughout their house by their duct system

A small amount of household dust in your air ducts is common. If no family members suffer from allergies, unexplained symptoms or sicknesses and if, following a visual inspection of the inside of the ducts, you do not see any indication that your air vents are contaminated with large amounts of dust or mold (no musty odor or visible mold spots, getting your air ducts cleaned is most likely not warranted.

If a resident is experiencing unusual or unexplained symptoms or illnesses you suspect might be associated with something in your home, the EPA recommends talking about the circumstances with your doctor. The EPA has published a guide on identifying possible concerns with indoor air quality and strategies to prevent them (The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality) available at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html

Quite a few people have their air vents cleaned as part of a household maintenance schedule because it seems reasonable that air ducts will get dirty over time and should be cleaned occasionally like everything else. There is no proof that suggests that this periodic maintenance can harm a system if it is done correctly.

If an air duct cleaner does not follow proper air duct cleaning procedures, the cleaning can make your air quality worse. For instance, if the contaminates released from the ducts by the technician's brushes are not properly removed by a vacuum system these contaminants can be released into your home. Additionally, an unskilled air duct cleaner can damage your air vents or heating and cooling system leading to high-priced repairs or replacement or a less effective system.