How important is cleaning air ducts?

Duct cleaning is not considered a necessary part of the annual maintenance of your heating and cooling system, which consists of. Indoor Air Pollution · A Guide to Indoor Air Quality · Printable Version. While duct cleaning operations may insist that duct cleaning is essential to your health, the evidence does not support their claims. Companies that perform duct cleaning often advertise health benefits or suggest that duct cleaning will lower your energy bills by improving the efficiency of your system.

Some ads even use language such as: “Studies have shown, but there is no data to support these claims. Even if your ducts are dirty, cleaning them probably won't provide measurable benefits. In fact, the little independent research done on duct cleaning indicates that the process removes so much dust that it creates a bigger problem than it solves. Dust in the air ducts captures harmful pathogens that can affect sensitive bodies.

Bacteria, pet dander, pollen and mold that contaminate the air will recirculate several times during the day. Duct cleaning is an essential step in improving indoor air quality in every home, especially those with allergies or asthma. I'll call the company on Monday and kindly ask them to come back and clean the pipes they didn't do, since they didn't do their part of the service. Cases where the use of sealants to encapsulate duct surfaces may be appropriate include repair of damaged fiberglass insulation or when combating fire damage within ducts.

So if you want your HVAC system to continue to operate profitably, it should be a good idea to periodically clean your air ducts to suck up dust, right? If done correctly, says experts like Service Genius, cleaning the ducts will not hurt; but it is not something that should be on the regular household maintenance list. CMHC researchers found that when duct cleaners also cleaned the fan blades, there was a small reduction in airborne particles. But even if you do not have special health problems, cleaning the ducts may appeal to you on an intuitive level. Here are the top five ways an air duct cleaning can promote the health, safety and happiness of everyone in the house.

The truth is, there is no evidence that cleaning your ducts professionally will make your air cleaner than it is now. Taking simple maintenance steps you can do on your own not only saves you money in terms of ongoing HVAC operational efficiency, but also avoids costly future repairs and the need to clean ducts periodically. So why don't we offer duct cleaning even though we have customers who request this service from us on a regular basis? As long as cleaning is done correctly, there is no evidence to suggest that such cleaning is harmful. This is because much of the dirt from the air ducts adheres to the surfaces of the ducts and does not necessarily enter the living space.

You can also contact professional duct cleaning service providers and ask them about the services they provide. If you suspect that there is a mold problem due to visible growth or a musty smell constantly coming from the supply grilles, the cleaning ducts won't do much good if they don't remove the mold.