The Importance of Cleaning Your Air Ducts

Air duct cleaning is a necessary house maintenance activity because it proactively keeps the ventilation system inside your home from accumulating too much dust and from cultivating the growth of microbes like mold.

Though HVAC industry professionals recommend that homeowners should get their air ducts cleaned every 3 to 13 years, the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA has not made a blanket recommendation on the necessity of air duct cleaning because they see no health benefits to it so far. Although the importance of cleaning your air ducts is vague from an official government standpoint, the EPA admits that studies in this area are still in its early stages.

Materials from the same agency, however, show why it is important that you keep these particular areas of your home clean.

The EPA mentions in its publication called ‘The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Quality’ that indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air. Health issues arising from polluted air inside homes and offices can take years before they surface. The damage that people’s bodies incur from residual pollutants is small and when the first symptoms appear, it is usually because of the residents’ cumulative exposure to these elements over time.

It is of course important to get ahead of potential health problems. Here’s the agency’s recommended baseline when air duct cleaning is needed:

1. Evidence of mold inside the air duct system – if there is moisture build-up inside your air ducts, it will promote the growth of mold. Mold spores are proven to be allergens and the cause of respiratory illnesses. Just the suspicion of mold already warrants a visit from a professional.
2. Pests have made your air duct system their home – rats and mice pose health issues since their urine can cause leptospirosis. The presence of other types of vermin is also a safety issue that will need to be addressed by an exterminator aside from a cleaning professional.
3. There are copious amounts of dust inside the system – dust can come into the system from the outside but if the home isn’t being maintained properly, dust will just cycle back into the environment.

Aside from protecting the home from health issues, keeping the ducts clean does wonders to the efficiency of your HVAC system, leading to energy efficiency and savings in the long run.

Take care to hire only licensed contractors since a bad cleaning job can damage your system and cost you off more than you bargained for. If you need the services of a professional team, you can count on Captain Clean to do the job. Kindly call us at our telephone number at 307-278-6676 or you can contact us through the form at our home page. Captain Clean will help protect the health of you and your family.