4 Reasons You Should Clean Your Air Ducts Regularly
Air ducts are essential components of HVAC systems because they circulate cool or hot air throughout your home. Unfortunately, many people overlook them when cleaning their homes, even though the air ducts collect dust and other debris over time. Dirty air ducts may seem harmless and inconsequential, but they are far from that. If it's been a while since your ducts got a thorough cleaning, consider calling air duct cleaning professionals. Read on to learn why you should do so.
1. Avoid Unpleasant Odors
If you don't clean your air ducts regularly, your home may have a foul odor that doesn't go away even after you open windows or clean thoroughly. Air ducts trap and accumulate odors from food, pet droppings, tobacco, cleaning detergents, and other products found at home. They then recirculate them, thus interfering with the air quality. Unpleasant odors cause discomfort and may trigger allergic reactions, headaches, and dizziness. Regular air duct cleaning removes these odors, keeping your home fresh.
2. Prevent Health Problems
Dirty air ducts keep you at risk of developing health problems. The ducts may recirculate bacteria and viruses in your home, causing respiratory illnesses. Also, dirty air ducts may clog, creating a conducive environment for mold growth. Mold spores trigger asthma and allergies when they get into the lungs. Regular air duct cleaning ensures that the air circulating in your home is free from illness-causing microbes, keeping you safe from health problems.
3. Increase the Life Span of Your HVAC System
HVAC systems are expensive, and the last thing you should do is replace your system prematurely because of a dirty air duct. Dirty air ducts reduce your HVAC system's life span by making it work harder to circulate air efficiently. An overworking HVAC system wears out faster and needs frequent repairs. You may also have to replace it before it hits its life span in case it develops severe damage. Cleaning your air ducts prevents your HVAC system from overworking and saves you from expensive repair and replacement costs.
4. Avoid High Energy Costs
When your energy bills skyrocket, it's difficult to imagine that the air ducts are the culprit. However, dirty air ducts may cause a significant increase in energy consumption. When dirt particles and other debris clog your air ducts, the HVAC system uses more energy to force air through them. More energy use translates to higher energy bills. Air duct cleaning helps the HVAC system maintain its efficiency. An efficient unit saves you from paying unnecessary energy bills.
Contact a local HVAC service to learn more about air duct cleaning.