As the air moves throughout your home via your heating and cooling system, your air ducts have an invaluable job. Dust and mold can build up in air ducts over time. Dirty air ducts may cause health problems for people who are more prone to allergies.
Occasionally vacuuming or brushing the furniture does not suffice. You must breathe clean and healthy air inside your home or at work. I wanted to take that extra step and ensure a healthy living space, and Sem’s Duct Cleaning personnel showed me how duct cleaning can improve the air quality significantly. Here are the benefits:
Know Your Vents
New homeowners might not know that their homes have different types of vents going into their ductwork. Using a tissue test, you can easily determine each type. You can identify a return duct by placing a tissue on it, which means the vent brings back air from the house to the HVAC system. As long as the tissue doesn’t stick to it, it’s probably a supply vent. Supply vents blow air out of the HVAC system. You shouldn’t be surprised if there are vents outside your home. Unlike your HVAC system, these vents are not part of the air duct and do not need to be cleaned.
Mold Prevention
Moisture accumulates in areas with inadequate ventilation, resulting in mold growth. Mold growing inside your air ducts can lead to an unhealthy indoor environment. This is because mold spores will be released into the air as they travel through the ducts and your home. An air duct system’s hard surfaces can become infested with mold if mold develops inside. Only a laboratory test of an air duct sample will confirm definitively that you have mold, even if you can see mold in some areas. A mold problem cannot be diagnosed without this sample. The most appropriate course of action is to remove and replace damaged insulation if insulated air ducts develop mold due to moist and moldy insulation. Understanding that mold removal and replacing moldy insulation involves addressing the underlying environment that allowed mold to grow is critical. You will develop more mold if you do not address these issues.
Clogs Can Happen
Similarly, debris and rodents, and insects can clog air ducts. When this occurs substantially, you might notice that air ducts release particles into the air. As a result of decaying organic matter, these particles may cause mold and mildew to grow in your home.
Elements like leaves or dust can accumulate over time if ducts aren’t cleaned regularly, which can strain the entire venting system.
How Much Cleaning Is Necessary?
Since your air duct system likely extends through difficult-to-reach areas of your home, hiring a professional air duct cleaner is usually a sound idea. You should stay during the estimation process just to learn how it works, and better understands the amount of cleaning required. Mold removal should be performed only after laboratory testing confirms mold is present in your ducts.
Tools Used
The results vary based on the methods used by each contractor. Ductwork needs to be vacuumed and chemically cleaned. In addition to vacuuming the central duct, each register needs to be cleaned separately. The best contractors will be more thorough than their mediocre counterparts.
A rotating brush, a vacuum cleaner, and compressed air mechanisms are used to collect dust and debris from the ducts. It usually takes 6 hours for the process to complete.
Hire Professionals
Do your research if you are considering hiring a company to clean your air ducts. Check online comments or ask friends who have cleaned their ducts for recommendations. Be sure to get an estimate before hiring anyone and to get a service contract that specifies the price and services being provided.
Regular maintenance is essential for a successful HVAC operation.