The inner workings of a home’s ventilation ducts are a mystery to most people, but you can learn quickly if duct cleaning is necessary in your home. Home energy audits by certified inspectors will reveal problems with dust, insects, or mold, all of which could be contaminating the air your family breathes while driving up energy costs. McDonough residents have options in preventing and treating dirty ducts. Here is key information on the ductwork in your home, and how you can keep the air clean while controlling costs.
The Time for Immediate Cleaning
The Environmental Protection Agency identifies three instances when homeowners should contact a professional to clean your home’s ductwork immediately. They are:
- When mold is growing. The presence of mold in a home is bad on several counts. It can cause wood and other materials to rot, and it can cause health problems in short order. Insulated ducts that have become moldy need entirely new insulation. Tests determining whether a substance is actually mold can be performed if you have doubts.
- If vermin and insects are inside ducts. It’s not uncommon for a McDonough homeowner to find vermin and other creatures inside ductwork. If you have an energy audit, the inspector can tell you about the situation within your ducts, and how to respond. All rat feces and animal droppings should be remove by a certified duct cleaning company.
- Once dust enters the air stream. A great deal of dust accumulates in the ducts of any home. This store of dust might cut down on efficiency before actually contributing to poorer air quality. Once the buildup becomes significant, however, dust particles will enter the air stream, potentially causing respiratory problems for everyone in the home.
In any of these cases, your family’s health could be compromised and duct cleaning should become a top priority. Homeowners can take action to prevent this situation from happening.
Preventing Contamination of Ducts
Homeowners can take pains to keep buildup or mold from reaching your ducts. Here are the best practices for avoiding this outcome:
- Use proper system filters and service them regularly. There are several levels of efficiency for air filters, and they are priced accordingly. Use the most powerful kind to ensure a minimal amount of contaminants enters your home’s air stream. Change filters regularly to make sure they keep their efficiency.
- Have technicians clean HVAC parts during servicing. Regular maintenance of HVAC systems is recommended, and this is the perfect time for you to have cooling coils and other parts cleaned by technicians. This practice will help keep contamination down.
- Remove dirt and dust from the main area of your home. When you don’t dust or vacuum your home regularly, the buildup can move into your ducts, causing a drop in air quality. Vacuum regularly to maintain high air quality and change the bags on the vacuum so there is no excess buildup there.
Duct cleaning may become necessary once an infestation is present, or after a period of neglect. Clear ductwork means safer air and lower energy costs for your family. Talk to Reliable Heating & Air technicians about an inspection of your ducts during a full energy audit.
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