Reasons to Have a Professional Clean Your Ducts

Duct Cleaning in Kirkland, WA

Most homeowners ignore their home’s ductwork until a problem arises. They don’t realize that air ducts play an essential role in keeping them comfortable in their homes. Ducts are pathways that distribute conditioned air from your cooling and heating system to various areas in your home. They also allow fresh, clean air into your home.

However, over time, dust, debris, and other substances can accumulate in your ducts and reduce their effectiveness at keeping the air in your home clean. Dirty ductwork can result in various health issues for you and your loved ones. They can also reduce the performance of your HVAC system. This means you’ll have to spend more money to keep your home cozy and comfortable.

Although ensuring your HVAC system is running properly and changing the filter regularly is the most crucial thing you can do to improve the quality of air in your home, cleaning the ducts can help improve indoor air quality. Duct cleaning is a simple and inexpensive task that doesn’t consume much of your time. Here are a few reasons why you should get your air ducts cleaned regularly.

Minimize Allergens

The air in your home gets circulated through the ducts several times every day, and each time, it takes some of the debris in your ducts with it. Your air ducts are tight spaces that allow for the accumulation of dust, dust mites, bacteria, fungi, mold, pet dander, chemicals, and other types of allergens. Allergies are a pain to deal with, so you don’t want anyone to suffer in your home. If these allergens accumulate in your ductwork, finding relief from the symptoms will be challenging. You can vacuum, sweep, dust, and clean, but your indoor air quality will not improve.

Getting your ducts cleaned regularly can help prevent allergen buildup. There will be no large quantities spreading through the air in your home whenever you turn your cooling and heating system on. On average, duct cleaning services will help eliminate about 15 pounds of dust, dirt, and debris from your system, leaving you with cleaner indoor air.

Reduce Air Pollution

Indoor air pollution comes from multiple sources. Poor ventilation and improper circulation have an impact. Pollutants like dust, mold, bacteria, and more also contribute to indoor air pollution. Smoke, gas, and chemicals will also contaminate your air. If your indoor air is highly polluted, you may notice signs such as:

  • Runny, itchy nose
  • Dry, irritated eyes
  • Sneezing
  • Headaches
  • Sore, scratchy throat
  • Coughing and congestion

Duct cleaning will help remove these pollutants and keep the air in your home safe and clean.

Improve the Efficiency of Your HVAC System

Dust and debris accumulation restricts the airflow of your HVAC system. This reduces the overall performance of your system, making it work harder and longer than required to draw and circulate air in your home. The U.S. Department of Energy says that dirty air ducts waste at least 40% of the energy that your HVAC system consumes. Regular duct cleaning helps maximize the HVAC system’s efficiency and airflow, helping you conserve energy and save more money on energy bills.

Eliminate Lingering Odors

Duct cleaning can also help remove lingering odors in your home. Although each home has a unique smell, your ductwork plays a significant role in determining how your home will smell to your family and guests. Mold and bacteria not only reduce your indoor air quality but also leave unpleasant odors. Rodents can also establish their homes in your air ducts and leave behind bedding and droppings or even die inside. A dead rodent produces a filthy odor and a dire health hazard.

Cooking smells, pet dander, and tobacco can also build up in your home. This can result in strong smells, which are difficult to get rid of, circulating in your home. Instead of constantly buying scented candles and air fresheners, consider removing contaminants, dirt, and debris that cause these unpleasant odors by getting your ducts cleaned frequently.

Save Money

Dirty and clogged air ducts add strain to your HVAC system, making it consume extra energy to force the conditioned air through the air ducts. When your heating and cooling system gets forced to work longer and harder to regulate temperatures in your home because of dirty ducts, your energy consumption rises, leading to a higher utility bill. By keeping your air ducts clean, you can keep your unit efficient and your energy bills low throughout the year.

Cleaner Home

Your air ducts can accumulate dust, pollen, mold, and other pollutants that find their way into your home. Because the air circulates via the ducts, the debris in your ducts will too. If you’ve noticed your home becomes suspiciously dusty each week, dirty ducts may be the culprit.

Keep Your Unit Safe

In some extreme cases, debris stuck in the ducts can catch fire. This risk grows with older units and if your furnace, fireplace, or stove uses propane and or other combustible fuels. When debris enters these appliances because the duct system isn’t clean, it presents a fire risk. You can help avoid this disaster with proper HVAC maintenance and routine duct cleaning. In addition, your technician can inspect your system and spot any other HVAC-related fire risks that are present.

Prevent Mold and Mildew Growth

Condensation from your central air conditioning unit can accumulate inside the air ducts, creating an ideal environment for mildew and mold to grow. If ignored, this condition can cause serious health issues. Regular duct cleaning can help prevent your ducts from becoming a breeding ground for these pathogens.

Extend the Service Life of Your HVAC System

Your HVAC system is a significant investment, and the last thing you want is to have it replaced soon. However, many HVAC systems break down prematurely because of a lack of proper maintenance. Cleaning your ducts regularly is an important maintenance service that will help you avoid unexpected repair costs and prolong the service life of your system.

Refresh Your Home If You Recently Had a Remodeling Project

Most home remodeling projects generate dust and debris. Keep in mind that dust follows airflow. Thus, once your home improvement project is complete, the dust and debris will circulate in your home through the ducts. For those with allergies and asthma, reconstruction dust can be hazardous. Based on the age of your home, renovation can stir up countless toxins and allergens that have accumulated for years, including mold, asbestos, dust mites, and more. Have your ducts cleaned to get rid of the mess made by the remodeling project.

Enlist Duct Cleaning Services Today

If you don’t know when last you had your ducts cleaned, call Black Lion Heating & Air Conditioning right away. Our technicians will clean your ducts and inspect them for any lurking problems. We also offer electrical services and AC and furnace installation, repair, and maintenance. To learn more about the benefits of regular duct cleaning or our other services in Kirkland and western Washington, call Black Lion Heating & Air Conditioning today.