3 Tips for Deciding When to Clean Your Ducts

Reliable advice about when to clean your ducts can spell the difference between a noticeable increase in indoor air quality and a needless expense that has little effect on the air in your household. Every breath of air you take at home has circulated through your heating and cooling ductwork multiple times that day. If the ductwork is contaminated with allergens or pollutants, your breathing air will be, too. The relationship between clean ducts and healthy air is well established. However, unprofessional practices by some start-up outfits marketing duct cleaning have sometimes misrepresented both the need and benefits of the service to homeowners.

The National Air Duct Cleaner’s Association (NADCA), an industry trade group, publishes criteria for when to recommend duct cleaning, as well as standardizing best practices to complete the job. NADCA recommends seeking the advice of a reputable, well-established HVAC contractor in your local community before deciding on duct cleaning. A trained technician has the expertise to perform the inspection required to determine the degree of duct contamination as well as the need for duct cleaning. Your HVAC contractor will also realistically describe the benefits you can expect from a duct cleaning procedure.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends considering duct cleaning in these circumstances:

• Suspected mold can be visibly observed growing in the interior of the ductwork. Samples should be taken and tested to verify that it’s actually mold.

• Ductwork is or has been occupied by rodents, insects or other vermin.

• You can observe dust or other debris emitting from supply vents when the furnace or air conditioner is running.

Sobieski Services maintains high standards for reputable HVAC sales and service. Call us for an inspection and a reliable appraisal of when to clean your ducts.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues, specific to HVAC & plumbing systems.

Image Credit: Gwyn Michael