Every spring, millions of Americans set aside their time to declutter and clean their homes to make them more liveable…or even to make room for more stuff to come in the year ahead. Chances are, the cleanest your home will be all year will be in the spring. While having a clean home comes with many benefits, you should also give a thought to the air quality. Millions of people have asthma or other respiratory conditions, and having dirty air inside the home can make these problems worse. Mold and other allergens get distributed throughout the house to affect the occupants. Clean air ducts can go a long way to keeping the quality in your house high, and your family healthier.
How To Tell If Your Ducts Need Cleaning
While there is no definitive study as of yet, most allergists and doctors who deal in respiratory illness will tell you that having a forced air HVAC system can exacerbate these issues if the air ducts are not cleaned. There are several ways you can tell if they need some clearing out. It may be something obvious like mold, or a lot of dust around an air vent. However, there are also more subtle signs that it is time for a cleaning. For instance, if your house is more than 10 years old and the ducts have never been cleaned, then you should get it done. Another simple sign is if your house is constantly dusty, no matter how often you clean. Also, you may find that allergy or asthma symptoms get worse when the HVAC system is turned on. These are all signs that a cleaning may be in order.
Before Cleaning the Air Ducts
Before cleaning can even start, it is a good idea to identify the source of the issue. Otherwise, you may end up having to clean it all again much sooner than you would like to. If mold is the problem, then there is probably too much moisture building up in some part of your system. It will only come back if it is not dried up and the problem corrected. Poor filtration could be an issue, as could a rodent leaving droppings in the vent. Take care of these problems first, then you can concern yourself with cleaning.
The Air Duct Cleaning Process
After those underlying issues have been managed, a professional can get to work cleaning out your ducts. First off, they will seal off your system so that any debris they dislodge will not end up in your home. They will then use an extremely powerful vacuum to suck up any loose debris, while at the same time using a tool to scrape the walls of your ducts to dislodge contaminants.
They may use special equipment if your HVAC system is particularly dirty or has a specific special problem. They may also use chemicals to kill any mold or other bacteria that may be a bit tougher to simply clean away. These chemicals may include deodorizers as well to help the home smell better. The cleaning professional will show you any products they use ahead of time and explain any safety issues with them.
Cost and Length of Time
In general, the entire process should take anywhere between 3 to 5 hours, depending on the size of the building and the shape of the ducts. Generally a professional will suggest to have it done every 3 to 5 years to keep everything clean and running smoothly. The cost will vary depending on where you live and how big a job it is, but you can expect to pay several hundred dollars. If someone offers you an incredibly cheap offer, such as under $100, then you should avoid them, as they will not be providing the service and quality of work that you need to keep your family healthy.
Advanced Air Quality Consultants offers professional air duct cleaning in the Minneapolis – St. Paul area. We will help you enjoy a healthier indoor atmosphere by eliminating many indoor and outdoor allergens from your duct system. Contact us online or by calling 651-336-1103.