Two Reasons To Consider Duct Cleaning

Posted on: 7 October 2015

Share

Your AC ducts are hidden within the walls of your home. It is easy to overlook them when it comes to cleaning your home. After all, the only thing that should be passing through your ducts is the air from your AC unit, and that should already be cleaned by your AC filter, right? Not so much. In order to keep you system running at its optimum level and to avoid health problems, you have your ducts inspected regularly and cleaned when necessary. 

How Dirty Ducts Can Affect AC Performance

Air flows best over smooth surfaces. As dust collects in your ducts, it creates a rough, uneven surface on the inside of you ducts. As the air from your AC unit flows over the rough ridges and valleys of grime in your ducts, eddies form, and these eddies create drag. By slowing down the flow of air in your ducts, the grime can cause your AC unit to take longer than it should to cool your house. The longer your AC unit takes to achieve the desired temperature in your home, the more you pay in utility costs. 

How Dirty Ducts Affect Your Health

If you have allergies or asthma, you should be especially concerned about what lies inside your ducts. Even if you have healthy lungs, you still need to worry about the risk of infection. The problem is that micro-granules of dirt are not the only thing that collects in your ducts. Instead, you should expect dust mites, germs, mold and mildew spores, dead skin cells, insect carcasses, pollen, pet dander, etc. As the dust flows through your ducts, it will pick up some of this debris and than waft it throughout your home. In order to turn your home into a refuge from the allergens that infest the outside world, you need to make sure that your ducts stay clean. 

Knowing what the dangers of dirty ducts are, you might be tempted to have your ducts cleaned frequently. It is important, however, to remember that how dirty your ducts get will depend on where you live, what sort of plants and animals you have in your home, and the time of year. While it might make sense to have your ducts inspected once a year, especially if you live in a dusty area, have pets, have animals, or have recently had a flood or water leak in your home. On the other hand, you might end up having your ducts cleaned much less freuqently. Still, it pays to remember that your ducts when it comes to maintaining your AC system.