If you have central heating, your home has a complex labyrinth of heating ducts that direct heat, and if you have a/c, cold air throughout your home. Over time, dirt, dust, pollen, spores and other airborne contaminants can slip past your furnace filter and make their way into your ducting. From there, they can get spread throughout your home in an endless cycle. Like steam cleaning your carpets or changing the oil in your car, having your ductwork cleaned regularly should be part of your household maintenance routine.
So, how often should you have your ducts professionally cleaned?
The National Air Duct Cleaners Association recommends that you get your air ducts professionally cleaned every three to five years. However, if you have a family member who suffers from allergies or asthma, it’s probably a good idea to have your ducts cleaned more often than that.
You should definitely have your ducts cleaned if you see a visible puff of dust come out of a heat register when the furnace comes on. You should also have them cleaned if you see insects exiting or entering a heat register. If you’ve had any flooding in your home and you have reason to believe that there could be mold growing in your ducts, have them cleaned. If you have pets you should also think about having your ducts cleaned more often. They can become a magnet for pet hair and dander.
You should also consider having your ducts cleaned after you complete a renovation project. Construction tends to release a lot of drywall dust and sawdust that can make its way into your air ducts.
Mold can grow on the a/c evaporator coil in your furnace. It can also grow in a furnace mounted humidifier that isn’t working properly. When that happens, toxic mold spores could start blowing through your air ducts. If that happens, you definitely want to have your ducts cleaned.
One way you can tell if your ducts are due for a cleaning is to look around the heat register in a carpeted room. If there’s a dark stain on the carpet around the edges of the opening, it could mean that a lot of dust is being circulated every time the furnace or a/c comes on.
A reputable duct cleaning company will inspect your ducts and will let you know if they should be cleaned right away or if they’re fine for the time being.
If you’re concerned about the air quality in your home and are wondering what’s hidden away in the air ducts, give Kettle Valley Duct Cleaners a call!
