Getting ready to do some spring cleaning? Fewer things can make you feel revitalized after a long, cold winter like clearing out your garage or sprucing up your siding.
And as you clean your home this spring, make sure your ductwork is on your to-do list. It’s a sure way to improve the air quality and make things safer for family members who suffer from allergies.
Your ducts are “the lungs of the home,” as Mark Zarzeczny of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association put it in a WebMD article last year. And when your ducts can “breathe” properly, so can you.
But when will you know it’s time to clean your ducts? In some cases, there will be obvious visual clues, such as dust or mold built up around your air vents.
If you can’t spot any immediate signs, look for these indicators:
- Your allergy symptoms – or those of a loved one – seem to flare up whenever your HVAC system turns on
- You clean your house on a regular basis, but things still seem dusty
- You’ve taken asthma medication, but your asthma isn’t under control
- You’ve lived in your home for more than 10 years but haven’t cleaned your ducts
What are the benefits of cleaning your ducts?
Cleaning your air ducts brings some immediate benefits:
- You’ll improve the quality of your home’s air by ridding the ducts of contaminants
- You’ll remove unpleasant odors from your home by clearing away things like mold, mildew and mice or rat droppings.
- You’ll clear away dust from the air and from the surfaces around your home.
- You’ll have a more efficient heating and cooling system in the end. Dust and other materials can clog your ducts and restrict air flow, which causes your HVAC system to work harder than it needs to. This increases your energy costs and reduces the life of your system.
What’s inside your ductwork?
Left uncleaned, your ductwork can become a breeding ground for allergens and pollutants. These materials can include:
- Pollen – Pollen gets into our homes through doors and windows, or on our clothes and shoes, then spreads through the house via the heating and cooling system.
- Pet dander – Another common allergen – affecting about 30 percent of us – pet dander can travel through your home using your ductwork.
- Mold and mildew – These common allergy triggers can form when you have too much moisture inside your heating and cooling system.
- Dust mites – Dust is a major issue when you suffer from allergies, and dust particles are easily spread throughout the home by dirty air ducts.
- Smog – Smog isn’t just an outdoor pollutant. It can easily creep into your home.
- VOCs – This abbreviation stands for “volatile organic compounds,” which are gases given off by common household items such as cleaning supplies.
Do you want to make sure your HVAC is performing at its best this spring? All Seasons Comfort Control can help.
Our experts can examine your heating and cooling system and make sure it’s ready to keep your family cool this summer (or warm this spring, in case we end up with a chilly April and May).
We can also install a whole-home air filtration system – to ensure you and your family can breathe comfortably. Contact us today and we’ll make sure this spring offers you a breath of fresh air.
