If you’re like most homeowners, you probably don’t give much thought to the ductwork snaking its way through your home. After all, these air ducts are mostly hidden from sight, traveling through spaces between walls and through your attic or crawlspace. Exposed ductwork may be fairly common in commercial settings with high ceilings, but this isn’t typically aesthetically pleasing for a home.
Residential ductwork does require some thought, though. Ducts that have accumulated damage will lead to poor heating and cooling capabilities, as well as a rise in your energy bills. Professional duct cleaning in Austin, TX, however, can resolve this, but why does this matter?
Duct Cleaning Will Improve Your Indoor Air Quality
You don’t want to allow your air ducts to get clogged up with dust and dirt the same way you don’t want your HVAC system’s air filter to get clogged up. This is because your air conditioner (or forced-air heater) simply cannot operate as effectively or efficiently as it can when there are large obstructions. Additionally, it negatively affects your indoor air quality!
Professional duct cleaning eliminates a huge reservoir of dust, dirt, and other debris that you don’t want wafted around your home. Cleaning the ducts helps your home stay clean, and also removes irritating contaminants from the air.
“How Did My Ducts Get So Dirty, Anyway?”
Throughout the year, dust and other various airborne particles circulate around your home. Most of them pass through the ventilation system multiple times. In fact, a 6-room home can circulate up to 40 pounds of dust annually! This dust, as well as its friends dander and lint, settle on the inner duct walls and begin building up. And the more it builds up, the faster more particles get trapped there.
Additional Benefits of Professional Duct Cleaning
Improving your indoor air quality is a huge deal, of course, but an occasional duct cleaning isn’t always enough for this. You may want to consider the installation of a high-efficiency air filtration system, or even UV germicidal lights. But duct cleaning isn’t just for your indoor air quality.
Having your ductwork professionally cleaned improves the home’s energy efficiency. The reason? The debris inside your ducts places friction on airflow. This, in turn, forces the blower of the HVAC system to work harder and drain more power. If you’ve noticed your utility bills rising, the source can absolutely be clogged up ducts.
Cleaning your ductwork is also a great step toward preventing damage to the HVAC system. All the dust and other particles in your ventilation system can mean it getting inside the HVAC cabinet. This might damage motors an cause the condenser coil to freeze over, among other problems.
“Can I Just Clean My Ducts on My Own?”
We advise against this. Ductwork is more delicate that you may realize, and you may end up doing more harm than good. Additionally, a professional can detect if anything else is amiss, such as the presence of mold in your system, and make the necessary recommendations for repair needs you might not have otherwise been aware of—protecting both your HVAC systems and your indoor air quality.
