Is Air Duct Cleaning Worth It?

Household pollutants are a serious threat, both to those with serious breathing issues such as asthma and those with perfectly healthy lungs. Modern homes contain more pollution sources than one might think, and it’s up to you as a homeowner to ensure you’re covering your bases to reduce pollution and keep the air quality within your home as high as possible. 

Should You Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned?

Changing your air filters and regularly cleaning are steps you can take on your own, but you can take other crucial steps that might take a professional touch to get done right. One of these steps is investing in air duct cleaning by a team of HVAC professionals in Phoenix, a process that’s often overlooked but provides a considerable boost to air cleanliness.

Why Should You Clean Your Air Ducts?

You should have your air ducts cleaned now and again. Just like dust builds up on surfaces around your home, if they’re not cleaned regularly, it also builds up on the inside of your air ducts over the years. Unlike a tv stand or table, though, air ducts aren’t exactly easy to reach and clean without a particular set of tools and at least a bit of technical knowledge. This means dust remains in your vents and is moved throughout your home as your HVAC’s blower works to deliver cool air through those same vents. The EPA estimates that modern Americans spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors each day, which is why this dust buildup and distributions can be detrimental to lung health. Those with breathing problems could spend nearly their entire day breathing in allergens that they cannot avoid.

Additionally, dirty air filters can heavily impact the effectiveness and efficiency of your HVAC system. When your ducts are dirty, the blower must work harder and longer to push air through those ducts. This causes undue strain on your system, leading to breakdowns and other severe issues over time. Therefore, an investment in air duct cleaning is an investment in health and household efficiency in the long run.

Is Air Duct Cleaning Worth It?

The health benefits of home air duct cleaning depend largely on your family. If you have family members with compromised respiratory systems, having the air ducts in your home professionally cleaned could help prevent asthma attacks, coughing, and wheezing.

More important, the ducts can become clogged with dust, insect parts and droppings, and grit that could damage your central air conditioner or furnace. Air conditioner filters are in place primarily to prevent damage to your system, not your family’s lungs.

The grit and dirt that can impede heat transfer on your evaporator coils can lead to mold and mildew forming on the coil, a truly disgusting situation. When you consider that the air passing over that coil then moves into your home, it is even a more unpleasant thought.

For the cost of one session of air duct cleaning, Phoenix homeowners can avoid expensive HVAC repair bills later and improve the indoor air quality for their families.

What Are the Signs It’s Time to Schedule a Cleaning?

Air duct cleaning isn’t something you’ll need every week, of course. It should be performed as required to keep the air quality within your home high. Fortunately, diagnosing dirty air ducts is a simple process that can be done at a glance sometimes. You can keep an eye out for several signs that indicate you may need to schedule an air duct cleaning soon. Some of these include:

• Dust accumulating on surfaces throughout your home at a faster rate
• Dust accumulating around air registers
• Black marks appearing around air registers
• Decreased breathability, particularly for those with asthma or other breathing problems
• Unusual or musty odors from register areas

While you could go as far as to have your indoor air quality tested to confirm that it’s time for a cleaning, these signs are easy enough for anyone with no technical knowledge of ductwork or air quality to pick up on. If you notice one or more of these issues in your home, it’s time to schedule air duct cleaning in Phoenix.

Can You Clean Your Air Ducts Yourself?

The short answer is no; you can’t properly clean your air ducts yourself. Though dirty air ducts are simple to diagnose, they are not easy to resolve, at least not without professional help. Air ducts are difficult to access, and most homeowners are unlikely to have the tools on hand that are necessary to get the job done thoroughly or correctly. Furthermore, reaching deep into ductwork without the right tools or training could be dangerous, leading to slips, falls, or stumbles that may lead to serious injuries. All in all, it’s best to trust this job to a team of professionals to keep yourself safe and to get the results you need and deserve.

What Does Air Duct Cleaning Entail?

At a glance, it may seem like air duct cleaning means little more than sweeping the dust out of your ductwork. However, the process is a bit more involved and thorough than when you choose to hire a Phoenix professionals team for the job. A professional cleaning process may include several steps, including:

• HEPA decontamination to remove loose contaminants
• Air register scrubbing to remove surface contaminants
• Airbrush duct cleaning to thoroughly clean even the deepest part of your air ducts
• Air handler cabinet cleaning to keep your air system clean at the source
• Chemical cleaning of evaporator coils
• Drain pan flushing and cleaning
• Full duct system decontamination

Air duct cleaning isn’t just about removing dust. It’s also about getting rid of various unseen airborne contaminants that may have made themselves at home in your ductwork on your vents and in your HVAC system over the years. This includes threats such as bacteria and viruses, among others, a type of removal that’s difficult without professionals’ assistance. Having professionals give your ductwork this full treatment, you’re ensuring your air isn’t just clean but that it’s also healthy and completely breathable for everyone in the family.

When Should You Schedule Your Cleaning?

It’s never too early to begin worrying about the quality of the air within your home. If you’ve noticed any signs of dirty air ducts in your home or you’ve recently moved into a new home, reach out to a professional duct cleaning team in Phoenix, AZ, to schedule a visit. Contact us at Howard Air & Plumbing to learn more about how air duct cleaning can improve your home’s air quality and what other measures our experienced team can take to purify the air you’re breathing every day.

Featured Image: Shutterstock / Alexeisido