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Do My Air Ducts Need Cleaning?
The air moving through the air ducts of your air conditioning unit is likewise the air that fills your living or working space. It is the same air that you breathe and those people in the room. For this reason, it is necessary to keep them clean and clear from contaminants.
Good indoor quality is a must for working spaces and homes. Meanwhile, the air travels across rooms through the air ducts to make the air comfortable. But as time passes, these ducts accumulate dirt. So, they need cleaning from time to time.
Reasons To Clean The Air Ducts Of Your Air Conditioner
Cleaning the air ducts of your AC or HVAC system is critical to the indoor air quality of your workplace or home. Check out why you should keep your air ducts clean:
- Cleaning air ducts provide better indoor air quality
The air circulating through the air ducts is the same air that your family breathes every day. When ducts aren’t cleaned, your living or working space might accumulate allergens such as pollen and pet dander and re-enter through supply registers.
Often, these particles are not hazardous to people’s health. The problem is that they can be problematic for individuals with asthma, allergies, or other respiratory illnesses. You can avoid having these air contaminants around by cleaning your air ducts.
- Clean air ducts allow you to save money
Contaminated blower wheels, clogged AC coils, and other issues caused by a dirty ventilation system can cost a lot of money to fix. Cleaning air ducts will help you avoid these problems, allowing you to save money.
- Clean air ducts work efficiently
Over time, dirt, as well as dust, accumulates in the air ducts of your air conditioning unit. As a result, your AC needs to exert more effort to do its job due to clogged air ducts. Your units will run more efficiently if your air ducts are kept clean and clear from any obstructions.
Issues That May Emerge If Air Ducts Are Not Cleaned
Leaving air ducts uncleaned can cause problems with your air conditioning system. Aside from that, it can also cause health detriments to the people in a working and living environment. Below we’ll discuss the possible results of neglecting your air ducts:
Infestation and spread of mold
If you neglect cleaning the air ducts of your air conditioning unit, it could cause mold to flourish and spread. Insulated vents are no better. If water penetrates your vents or condensation forms, the moisture will stay. Moisture will cause mildew and mold if the ducts are not cleaned regularly.
But the alarming thing is the fact that air ducts distribute air from room to room. It means that with contaminated air ducts, your working and living space will be filled with mold-contaminated air, too. It could endanger the health of everyone inside the building, in addition to emitting an unpleasant, musty odor.
The following are the common mold types that appear in air ducts:
- Chaetomium – This type of mold has a cotton-like texture, which changes color at some point. It flourishes particularly in water-damaged walls, but they also appear in air ducts. Chaetomium gives off a musty smell and can cause skin infection.
- Acremonium – When a white powdery substance appears in your air ducts, it’s probably acremonium. This mold releases toxins and is usually seen in drain pans, window sealants, cooling coils, humidifiers, and other damp areas. A person exposed to acremonium for a long time has the possibility of acquiring an immune system and bone marrow disease.
- Stachybotrys – Popularly known as black mold, Stachybotrys often appear in air ducts and vents. While this type of mold is easy to spot, it is incredibly toxic and spreads quickly. They can also cause allergic reactions, which is detrimental, especially for children. Asking experts to clean your air ducts can prevent black mold from infesting your air conditioning unit.
- Trichoderma – Another type of mold that might appear in air ducts is Trichoderma. It is an allergic-type of mold that lives in damp surfaces such as AC filters and air ducts. You can determine a Trichoderma by its spore-like appearance, which usually is white with green spots. They infest and spread in a short time, and they cause hazards in workplaces and homes with damp areas.
- Mucor – Just like Trichoderma, mucor is an incredibly allergic mold that could attack even a healthy person and cause asthma and difficulty breathing. It is characterized as a gray or white mold that grows in thick spots because of condensation and humidity. Upon noticing them near your air conditioning or HVAC unit’s air ducts, do not delay asking a professional to remove them.
Clogging of air ducts
Dust and debris accumulating in air ducts will gradually cause clogging. Dust will eventually clump together within the duct and around outlets, vents, and filters. Later on, the obstruction will limit airflow, lowering the air conditioner’s or HVAC system’s efficiency.
Additionally, clogged air ducts will cause the air conditioning system to work extra. If this persists, it might damage the air ducts and the entire AC.
Costly repairs
Leaving your air ducts uncleaned can further cause expensive repairs. It will be more challenging to maintain, resulting in a higher electricity bill. If this goes on, you need to allocate more of your budget for intensive problem-solving services. You may avoid these issues by keeping your air ducts clean.
Appearance of pests
Moisture, along with dirt and dust, can altogether make a place for pests to flourish. Knowing that various pests can thrive in air ducts, pay more attention to their maintenance. Otherwise, you will be surprised to see cockroaches coming in and out of the ducts. After all, the longer you leave your air ducts unclean, the more likely it is for pests to breed in them.
Considering all these things, cleaning air ducts is vital. It ensures that the indoor air around you is free from contamination and is safe even for children. Since people stay longer indoors than outdoors, clean indoor air is crucial. Uncleaned air ducts can expose people to possible health detriments, mainly due to contaminated air.