Air Duct Maintenance: Benefits Of Cleaning & Sanitizing

The problem of climate change is increasing in this modern world day by day and many factors are causing this issue. Global warming, industrialization, deforestation, and many more reasons are causing climate change rapidly and due to this, environmental temperature is fluctuating all around the world. Many worldwide organizations are taking steps to fix this global temperature-increasing issue. To solve the problem of indoor environment temperature an HVAC system comes in handy. The HVAC word stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, this system helps individuals to control the temperature of their home’s environment.

One of the main components of the HVAC system is an air duct. Air ducts are systems of pipes that are responsible for spreading cooled or heated air throughout a home. The air duct moves air from the AC, furnace, and other temperature-controlling units. The ducts are usually made of fiberglass, aluminum, or galvanized steel. Regular maintenance of air ducts is important for keeping their efficiency optimal because over time ducts get dirty and clogged which can cause many problems. In this blog, people will learn everything related to air ducts and by the end of this blog, individuals will have learned about the importance of air duct maintenance.

How Does An Air Duct System Work?

As mentioned in the above section, air ducts are collections of pipes or tubes that supply heated or cooled air throughout a house to control indoor temperature. An air duct operates with the help of its two main components which are return air ducts and supply air ducts. The return air consumes air from the living places and sends the air to the HVAC unit for further processes. A filter is placed inside the return vent that protects the HVAC unit from impurities. After this, the cooled or heated air goes to the supply duct which is responsible for blowing the air inside a home. The supply ducts are usually installed near the windows or doors.

Importance Of Air Duct Maintenance

The maintenance of an air duct is essential because air quality is declining rapidly in today’s world. Air duct maintenance is important for creating a healthy indoor environment. The maintenance procedure includes cleaning and sanitization of the ducts. This helps to eliminate microbial contaminants like mold and bacteria that are formed inside the duct. The environment inside the ducts is perfect for mold formation and if this problem is not fixed then it will affect the indoor air quality. So it is important to clean and sanitize the air duct regularly by an air duct expert.

Benefits Of Maintaining Air Duct

The maintenance of air ducts is very important to spread air in every corner of the house efficiently. Maintaining your air duct comes with many benefits, here are some of the key benefits of cleaning and sanitizing your air ducts:

1. Improves Indoor Air Quality

The airborne pollutants inside a home decrease the indoor air quality and if this air is sucked by an HVAC system spread throughout the house with the help of air ducts it can create a huge problem. When pollutants pass from the duct some of the pollutants are stuck inside it so whenever air passes inside it it will get more polluted. So by doing a proper maintenance procedure of an air duct, this problem can be solved with ease as a result it will improve indoor air quality.

2. Increases Energy Efficiency

Maintaining the air duct can significantly increase energy efficiency. When the air ducts are clogged because of high amounts of dust and debris inside them, it doesn’t allow air to flow from it properly. In this condition, the HVAC system will force its components to maintain proper airflow and this will consume energy. So cleaning the ducts will provide a smoother airflow and this will reduce the workload on the HVAC system as a result it will increase its energy efficiency.

3. Expand The HVAC System’s Lifespan

One of the key benefits of maintaining an air duct is that it increases the lifespan of an HVAC system significantly. Dirty air ducts can make an HVAC unit work more and this happens for a long time it can get damaged. Regular air duct maintenance ensures that the HVAC system will work effectively without any extra work and this will prevent overheating inside the system. A properly maintained air duct will improve air circulation as a result the HVAC system’s lifespan expands.

4. Relief Asthma And Allergy Symptoms

Regular air duct maintenance helps people get relief from their asthma and allergy symptoms. An uncleaned duct becomes a perfect place for allergens like pollen, pet dander, dust mites, etc. and if these things are not removed, they will combine with the air and cause problems to people who have asthma or allergies. So a cleaned and sanitized air duct makes sure that air will not get affected by allergens and individuals inside a home will have fresh and healthy air.

Signs That Air Duct Maintenance Is Needed

Over time the air duct starts getting dirty and requires proper maintenance. A dirty air duct will show some signs that are important to notice before it's too late. These signs help individuals understand when their duct needs a maintenance schedule, so here are some of the important signs that show an air duct requires maintenance:

1. Allergy Symptoms

According to the EPA people who have issues like allergies and asthma are very sensitive to poor air quality. If an air duct is not cleaned and sanitized for a long time, a maintenance procedure will cause poor air quality because dust and debris will combine with the air and decrease the indoor air quality. So remember if the person is in a house facing allergic symptoms or breathing issues for a while that can be an indication that an air duct needs to be cleaned and maintained.

2. Unpleasant Odors

If an individual notices an unpleasant odor inside the home for a while it could be an indication of an unclean air duct. The odor is created by bacteria, mold, and other contaminants which are formed inside the duct. Over time the contaminants will grow more and when the air flows through the duct it will capture their smell and spread it inside the home.

3. Mold Growth

A mold is a form of bacteria that can be very harmful to health if it forms in the living or working places. The mold spores can grow in almost any environment and one of the ideal places for them is inside the duct. If the signs of mold like stains on walls are visible then it is a direct indication that the air duct requires maintenance.

4. Visible Dust And Debris

If the dust or debris is visible around the air vents or inside the living or working place then it is a direct indication of a dirty air duct because over time dust and debris build inside the duct if it is not cleaned and sanitized for a long time. The dust decreases the air quality also so it is important to notice this sign and act as quickly as possible.

Common Air Duct Cleaning Myths

Many air duct cleaning myths are spreading around for a while and due to these myths people are making mistakes in maintaining their air ducts. All of the common myths related to air ducts will end in this section. Here are some of the common air duct cleaning myths:

1. Air Ducts Never Get Dirty

The air ducts never get dirty is one of the most common myths that most people have. Many individuals think that only a small amount of dirt enters inside the air ducts but that's not true. Over time airborne pollutants start increasing inside the air ducts and if these things are not cleaned then they will start causing problems like poor indoor air quality, an environment filled with allergies, etc. so it is crucial to not neglect the importance of cleaning the air duct because of a myth.

2. Only Allergic Individuals Should Clean Ducts

Allergic individuals clean the air ducts regularly but many people don’t know if a healthy person exposed to poor air for a long time can get serious respiratory issues like asthma. So, only allergic people should clean ducts is one of the big myths. Everyone should clean their air ducts when it is needed and this will ensure that no one inside a house will be affected by polluted air.

3. Frequent Cleaning Increases Energy Efficiency

One of the myths that many people have is that frequent cleaning of an air duct will increase their HVAC system's energy efficiency. A clean duct indeed has a positive impact on energy efficiency but it is an indirect effect of clean ducts. To improve the energy efficiency of an HVAC system directly there are many other factors like the quality of the air filter, components of an HVAC system working properly or not, etc. So spending time only on cleaning air ducts will not improve energy efficiency.

4. DIY Air Duct Cleaning

Many people have a misconception that cleaning an air duct by themselves is an easy task but in reality, it is not that easy. An air duct is a very complex system and cleaning it properly with DIY methods is impossible. Only an experienced and knowledgeable person can clean it with proper equipment. So DIY air duct cleaning is one of the biggest myths that people have. People always should get help from air duct cleaning services because these services will send an expert who will have proper knowledge and expertise.

Air Duct Maintenance Professionally

Professional maintenance of an air duct will provide proper cleaning and sanitizing to the air duct. An air duct cleaning service will send an expert who will clean the duct by following three steps. Here are the three steps of cleaning an air duct:

Step 1: Inspection: In the first step, an expert will thoroughly inspect the air duct system and create a strategy to clean it properly so every form of pollutant is removed.

Step 2: Cleaning: After the inspection, the professional will use special equipment for cleaning the air duct so dust, debris, and bacteria are removed properly.

Step 3: Cross-Inspection: In the last step, the expert will do a cross-inspection of the air duct to make sure that it is cleaned and sanitized properly.

Conclusion

To fix the problem of uncomfortable room temperature an HVAC system comes in handy. This system controls the room temperature according to an individual’s requirements. To spread all of the heated or cooled air an air duct system helps the HVAC unit. An air duct is a collection of pipes and trunks that move the controlled temperature air throughout the house. Maintaining an air duct is very important because dirt, debris, and bacteria can make it their home. A dirty air duct will give initial signs like poor indoor air quality, unpleasant odors, etc. So it is important to clean and sanitize an air duct regularly so it can improve indoor air quality, expand the life of the HVAC system, relieve people who have asthma and allergies, etc.

People have many myths related to cleaning an air duct like only allergic individuals should clean air ducts, air ducts don’t need to be clean, etc. but they are all just misconceptions spread by some unacknowledged people. So cleaning and sanitizing an air duct by an expert is a wise decision that will improve the quality of the environment inside a house. Wanna improve indoor air quality then get a HVAC air filter from Custom Filters Direct, for more details contact us at (877) 749-1748.

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