Air duct cleaning creates clean and healthy air for your entire family. It’s especially helpful for those with allergies or respiratory problems, but it also helps everyone breathe easier.
Duct cleaning should be performed if you can see dust buildup around home vents or when the ducts emit a musty odor. However, there’s no evidence that commercial dryer vent cleaning prevents health problems.
Dust
Over time, dust gathers on surfaces around your home. It also builds up inside your home’s ductwork. That layer of dust contains all kinds of air pollutants and allergens like pet dander, microorganisms from cat litter (toxoplasmosis), mold spores, pollen and many more. These particles are pulled into your heating and cooling system, blown through the vents and back into your home’s living spaces.
Dirty air ducts contribute to major health issues like respiratory conditions, auto-immune disorders and asthma. They can aggravate these conditions and even lead to pneumonia, infections and other illnesses. Dust mites, vermin dander and pest droppings, as well as bacteria and other disease-causing contaminants can also build up in ductwork.
Dirty ductwork can also emit musty smells that persist even after opening windows and using air fresheners. It can be a sign of mildew or fungus growing inside the ductwork. Clean ducts help to eliminate these odors. Air duct cleaning involves a number of steps including inspection, removal of vent covers and vacuuming or agitation with brushes or other tools to loosen dirt and debris.
Dirt
Even the cleanest homes often have dust, dirt, pet dander and other contaminants that build up inside their air ducts. These pollutants can circulate throughout the house every time the furnace or air conditioner turns on, irritating people’s noses, throats and eyes.
Dirty air ducts can also host things like mildew, bacteria and vermin. These can produce stale odors that won’t go away, no matter how much you open windows or use air fresheners.
Air that passes through contaminated air ducts carries these harmful contaminants and micro-organisms, which can cause allergies and asthma. Cleaning your air ducts can dramatically reduce allergens, so those who suffer from respiratory distress can breathe easy. Dirty ducts can also cause upper respiratory infections such as sinuses, bronchitis and pneumonia. They can also cause headaches, fatigue and low-grade fever. These symptoms are all signs that your home’s ductwork needs cleaning.
Pests
During normal household activities, all sorts of contaminants and pollutants get pulled into your home’s HVAC system. These include bacteria, pet dander, dust and skin cells, tobacco smoke, chemicals and mold. The contaminants are recirculated throughout your home five to seven times a day, causing them to accumulate over time.
Rodents, insects and birds can also make their way into air ducts. They may leave behind droppings and other waste, clog the vents and create a nest that will cause problems for your home’s occupants.
A pest infestation in your home’s ductwork can lead to severe allergies, asthma and other respiratory conditions. These pests shed their skin and leave behind fecal spores that can make their way into your lungs when you breathe.
Roaches, mice and other rodents can squeeze into the smallest gaps in unsealed ductwork. They can then chew through wires and other components of your home’s HVAC system, causing significant damage and a possible fire hazard.
Mold
Mold in ducts is usually a result of conditions like water damage, poor air circulation, or clogged ducts. Since ducts offer optimal growing conditions for mold they can easily collect and recirculate in the home causing allergic symptoms or asthma attacks.
Mold spores also can trigger other health problems in immunocompromised people. These conditions include rashes, itchy eyes and noses, and shortness of breath.
Duct cleaning helps eliminate fungus, rodent droppings and dead critters that often cause musty odors in homes. It can also get rid of stale odors from cigarettes, paint fumes, mildew, and pet dander. The process involves inspecting the ductwork, removing the vent covers, vacuuming, and agitating the ducts with brushes and other tools. The ducts are then treated with sanitizing chemicals. This step kills bacteria, mold and fungus in the ducts and prevents them from being released into the home. This improves indoor air quality, and reduces allergies and respiratory irritation.
