How to know that the duct requires a professionalcleaning?
AlthoughNADCA recommendscleaning of your ducts once in three or five year, you should look for signs of dirt and dust inside to decide for a professionalcleaning. It is okay to have a little dust in your vents. But if they are heavily lodged with dirt go for a professional cleaning. The vents, motors and coils accumulate lots of dust which also contains flakes of dead skin, hair, and pet dander. All thesetogether generate a mat-like layer where bacteria, mould, dust mites, and allergens can flourish. Here are some indicators of a thickly dust-laden HVAC unit.
• Watch out for small wisps of dust coming out of the ducts whenever you turn the HVAC unit on.
• Open one of your vent covers and look inside. See if there is a matted-dust, debris or pet hair trapped in it.
• Look for a thick and fuzzy coating of dust in the grill on the return air registers.
• Take out the air filter. See if it is clogged with dust. If so, the air flow is getting restricted. Unless the filter is cleaned, more dust will settle in the return ductwork.
• Take a look at the furnace compartment by opening it. Check out the blower fan and motor for signs of dust as well as the furnace controls.
Also examine the air conditioning coil. If it is too dusty then it will not allow the filters to work properly.
• You should always be conscious of musty odor in the house which could be an indicator of active mold growth in the ducts. A strange discoloration on the vents may as well be an indicator of molds.
What are the pros and cons of duct cleaning?
Pros of duct cleaning
Apparently, duct cleaning does have some benefit. Let’s take a quick look:
• Duct cleaning boosts the efficiency of HVAC system. Dirt and dust decreases the efficiency of a HVAC system. In the winter season, the dust-laden heat exchanger fails to warm up the air efficiently. In the summer season the dirty condensing coils are unable to cool properly. They work harder to produce desiredoutcome. It increases the HVAC system’s run time, requiring it to exhaust more fuel and energy.
• Duct cleaning ensures a better flow of air. Dirt and dust restrict air flow. If your blower and motor cannot turn smoothly then they are unable to circulate that warmed or cooled air throughout your home.
• Duct cleaning increases the longevity of your HVAC unit. A dirt-lodged HVAC system will run longer to produce the desired outcome. It will suffer more wear and tear consequently. The AC compressors, hydro pumps, burners, and motor bearings will begin to wear out soon.
• Besides fine dirt, dust also consists of dead skin, pet dander,and microorganisms from cat litter, pollen, mold spores, fungi, and even rodent feces. If uncleaned, they will multiplyand infest the whole house. No matter how diligently you clean your house, it is difficult to remove fine particulate contaminates just by dusting.
The cons of duct cleaning:
• According to the EPA there is no scientific evidence that duct cleaning can prevent health problems.
• The dust particles inside your house do not necessarily emanate from ducts. There is no research confirming that particulate contaminants in air increases due to dirty ducts. The particles in the ducts mostly stick to its surface. Dirt in the house comes from various indoor and outdoor activities like smoking, cooking or cleaning.
• There is also no concrete proof thatratifies that cleaning ducts and components of the HVAC unit will make the furnace or the coolerfunction better.
• Cleaning ducts is also a costly affair. It would cost between $400 to $1,000, depending on the extent of the cleaning and the size of the home.
• Cleaning the duct is a time-consuming job that will make the entire house dirty. Loosening the dust and mold in the duct can spread them throughoutthe house readily.
• Some cleaning services will suggest applying chemical biocides to treat the duct surfaces infested with microbiological contaminants. But consequences of these chemicals on health are still not known.