Do you need your air ducts cleaned?

1/10/2019 (Permalink)

That is a good question. A better questions isn’t do you need them cleaned, but should you get them cleaned? The National Air Duct Cleaning Association (NADCA) says probably not, and that is what they do for a living. SERVPRO of Manistee, Ludington, and Cadillac does air duct cleaning. And we do it well. But a lot of duct cleaners don’t do it well, which is the main reason NADCA does not recommend annual duct cleaning. If not done properly, cleaning the ducts can cause more problems than it solves.

Without proper training and equipment, cleaning the ducts can damage the lining of the ductwork, and actually reduce the air quality in your home. There are definite advantages to having the HVAC system cleaned including increased air conditioner and furnace efficiency due to increased air flow. Cleaning the ductwork can decrease offensive odors from smoking or cooking, reduce mold growth if you had a moisture problem, and improve respiratory health by removing contaminates. It can also spread all of these contaminates and odors to your home if not done properly.

According to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association, the following are the seven most common reasons to have your ducts cleaned:

• Someone in your family suffers from asthma or allergies
• You have evidence of rodents and animal infestation
• Following new construction or remodeling
• After damage due to fire or flooding
• You have someone who smokes indoors
• You have a high volume of pets that shed frequently
• You just bought the home and don’t know if any of the above are true

A strong argument could be made that most of these reasons could be prevented by regularly changing your filters. It is the filters job to keep this stuff out of your ducts. A good quality ($15) big box store filter will keep most allergens, dust, pet dander, and debris out of your HVAC system.  Be careful to match the MERV rating on your furnace. Going to a higher MERV filter can burn out the blower motor and require costly repairs. You can find the MERV rating on your furnace information sheet or ask your furnace repairman when he does the annual inspection.

Vacuum your home regularly. The carpet in your home is a giant filter that does a great job of collecting and holding dirt, dust, dander, and lots of things you don’t want to be breathing. You need to remove that stuff before it gets back up in the air with regular vacuuming. A good quality vacuum with an agitator (beater bar) will do the best job. Swifting and damp mopping the hard surfaces will also capture a large amount of debris and keep them out of the ducts.

Bottom line:

If you did a good job of staying on top of maintaining your furnace filters, kept your home clean by vacuuming and dusting often, and don’t have any of the seven “triggers”, you probably don’t need your ducts cleaned. But if you do, please give the cleaning experts at SERVPRO of Manistee, Ludington, and Cadillac a call and schedule an inspection.