Air Duct Cleaning Utah involves using specialized equipment to remove dust, dirt, and debris from your home’s ductwork. This process can help reduce asthma and allergy symptoms and improve indoor air quality.
Your HVAC technician will start by closing all supply registers to maximize negative pressure and make it easier to access ductwork. Then they’ll use powerful vacuuming tools to suck up dust and debris.
- Improved Indoor Air Quality
Dirty ducts can harbor contaminants like pet dander, bacteria, pollen, mildew, and mold spores, which can aggravate breathing for those with respiratory health conditions or autoimmune disorders. They can also lead to irritated eyes and noses, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Cleaning your ducts prevents these contaminants from recirculating throughout your home.
Your HVAC system draws in air from all over your house, which runs through a series of ducts before venting into your rooms. This recirculation happens five to seven times per day and contributes to a large build-up of contaminants in the ductwork.
Over time, odors can also collect in the ductwork. They can come from tobacco smoke, cooking, cleaning supplies, paint fumes, and other sources. These odors can circulate throughout the house, making your indoor environment unpleasant and even toxic.
Duct cleaning helps reduce these odors and improve indoor air quality. A professional duct cleaner will remove dust, dirt, and other debris from the ducts and vents and then sanitize them with chemicals to ensure that they are free of bacteria, fungus, mold, and other contaminants.
If you have a new home, or if you’ve recently completed a major renovation, it’s a good idea to schedule duct cleaning before bringing in furniture or hanging artwork. This is because new construction and renovations often leave behind debris in the ductwork, which can cause problems later on. It’s also a good idea to tidy up so the duct cleaning technician can easily access all of your vents. Make sure your pets are safe and secure, and move any sensitive items away from the area so that they aren’t disturbed.
- Improved Energy Efficiency
Over time, dust and debris builds up in air ducts, particularly in homes with children or pets. Cleaning the air ducts regularly can help reduce these contaminants and improve HVAC efficiency. Boosting energy efficiency will save money on heating and cooling costs.
Dirty ductwork can be a breeding ground for different types of bacteria. These can trigger respiratory issues and make you feel tired or unwell. Cleaning your ductwork can eliminate these contaminants and make you feel healthier.
Air duct cleaning also removes pet dander, mold spores, mildew, and other common allergens. This makes a home a more comfortable living space, especially for those with asthma or other breathing conditions. It reduces sickness, discomfort, doctor bills, and personal health care expenses.
Cleaning a home’s air ducts can also help improve its resale value. Buyers want to know that a homeowner took good care of their house and maintained it properly. Having a well-maintained home will boost its resale value and help it sell faster in the market.
During a typical air duct cleaning, professionals also inspect the HVAC system for signs of leaks or other issues. This is a great opportunity to catch these problems before they become bigger and more expensive issues.
Having your air ducts cleaned every two to five years can help maintain their effectiveness and improve the life of your HVAC system. It can also cut your energy bills by 25 to 40%. It is recommended to have your ductwork cleaned more frequently if you smoke, have allergies or asthma, or have children in the home. Dirty ducts can harbor a variety of contaminants that affect your health and cause damage to the HVAC system, reducing its lifespan.
- Reduced Risk of Allergies and Insects
A home’s air ducts can collect a variety of pollutants over time, including pet dander, dust mites, fungus and more. These contaminants can trigger allergies and other respiratory issues for people in the household, especially those with existing conditions. Regular cleaning removes build-up and helps the ducts work more efficiently.
Dirty air ducts can be an ideal breeding ground for rodents and other pests. A six-room home can accumulate up to 40 pounds of dust and allergens every year, much of which ends up in the air ducts. Mold growth, a musty or oily smell from the ducts, and signs of rat and mouse droppings are warning signs of an infestation. Cockroach skins and egg capsules may look like coffee grounds, while rat urine has an ammonia-like odor. Mice chew constantly to file down their incisors and leave evidence of their activity, such as teeth marks and gnawing on hard materials.
Keeping the ducts clean can significantly reduce allergy symptoms and make everyone in the house feel more comfortable. It’s important to note, however, that duct cleaning is not a cure-all for asthma or other respiratory issues. Rather, it removes harmful particles from the air and lowers the level of allergens and other irritants that circulate throughout the home.
Having your air ducts cleaned can also improve the effectiveness of pest control treatments. Insects may have built nests within the ducts or in the walls, which can block the flow of air and limit pesticides’ reach. Getting the ducts clean eliminates these obstacles, making it easier to apply pesticides and ensure the treatment is successful. This is why pest control experts often recommend air duct cleaning in conjunction with other pest prevention measures.
- Reduced Dust Build-up
Air ducts are designed to circulate cool and warm air, but over time, dust can build up and reduce the efficiency of your home’s HVAC system. As a result, you may notice an increase in your energy bills. Cleaning your ductwork will remove this dirt and improve the efficiency of your system, reducing your energy costs.
Dirty air ducts are also a breeding ground for odor-producing mold, rodent droppings and other vermin. When your ductwork becomes infested with these contaminants, it will release unpleasant and dangerous odors throughout your entire house. Duct cleaning removes these odors and the conditions that allow them to develop, which will return your home to a fresher and more enjoyable atmosphere.
While regular vacuuming and changing the air filter in your furnace will help minimize dust, it will not be enough to keep your ducts clean. In fact, over time, the dust layer in your ducts will reach a thickness that requires removal by professional cleaning.
This will not only reduce dust on furniture, draperies and other surfaces, but it will significantly decrease allergens and irritants in your home’s air supply. If you or any members of your family suffer from allergies or asthma, this will greatly decrease symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose and nasal congestion.
It will also eliminate other contaminants such as pet dander, pollen, powdery mildew and chemicals that may cause health problems. While cleaning your ducts will not eliminate all allergies or asthma, it will greatly decrease the severity of these symptoms and make living in your home more comfortable. This will save you money in sick time, doctor visits and medical expenses while allowing you to live in a more pleasant and healthy environment.
- Reduced Noise
Air ducts act as a hidden pathway for the circulation of air through your home, and they often become filled with dust, dirt, pet dander, powdery mildew, mold spores and other harmful contaminants. These toxins are circulated throughout your home and can cause a variety of health issues, such as severe allergies or asthma, and they can also exacerbate existing conditions.
Regular duct cleaning is an effective way to reduce the harmful contaminants that may be circulating in your home’s ventilation system, as well as to improve energy efficiency and protect your HVAC system from costly repairs due to overwork.
While there are some negative aspects of having your air ducts cleaned, such as the noise levels produced by the rotary brushes and air whips used during the cleaning process, these disadvantages are outweighed by the many benefits of having a clean duct system. To minimize the noise level, it is recommended to schedule air duct cleaning at a time when household members will be away from the work area. Also, it is recommended that you clear the areas near vents and registers and cover them with plastic sheeting before the cleaning begins. This will prevent the spread of dust and mess throughout the house during the cleaning process.
Other potential drawbacks to be aware of include the possibility that critters like rodents or insects may call your dirty air ducts home and leave droppings inside them, which can lead to awful odors in the home. In addition, if your home is new or recently under construction, it’s likely that debris from the building or renovation project has made its way into the ventilation system and requires cleaning.