As a homeowner, there are a lot of things you have to learn to take better care of your home. You learn things like how to take care of your lawn, how to best clean your floors, and how to unclog your sink or shower drain. So when new tasks arise within your home, rather than call up someone to come solve the problem, you try to take care of it yourself or look it up online to see how it’s done. The problem with this is that sometimes there are problems that you can’t just research and do yourself. Although there are a lot of things we as homeowners can do on our own, there are also some things that you need professional help with, including cleaning your air ducts.

 

Cleaning my air ducts? How could I need help with that? That’s probably what you’re thinking, right? All you need is a broom or a duster! You would think so, but definitely not! There are a lot of misconceptions about cleaning your air ducts, so here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t clean your air ducts by yourself.

 

First, you don’t have the proper equipment. Cleaning your air ducts properly definitely doesn’t use a broom or duster. It uses special vacuum-like equipment that ensures your air duct is cleaned properly and covers every corner. It’s easy to miss areas in the air ducts that are hard to see. If you miss areas that are hard to see, your ducts won’t truly be clean, meaning more things will be pushed into your home’s air when the HVAC system kicks on.

 

Another reason you need proper equipment is because you don’t want to push more dust and allergens into the air as you’re trying to clean it. By hiring a professional, the proper equipment is used so you know that all of the dust collected in the air ducts doesn’t end up back in your air. Lastly, by attempting to do the job yourself, you run the risk of damaging your air ducts, which can be expensive.

 

While there are a lot of jobs you can handle yourself to take care of your home, there are equally as many jobs that require professional experience that are worth the investment. Attempting to do jobs without the proper experience or licensing could cause issues that cost more than the original problem itself.

 

If you need assistance cleaning your air ducts, dryer vents, or would like to improve your indoor air quality, follow the links for each to get some of the best solutions to your problems.

So you’ve heard people say you should get your air ducts clean, but when you should really do it? Is it necessary to do it right away? Every year? Month?

Luckily, we’re here to help.

 

Here are 7 cases when you should get your air ducts clean:

 

1. When you purchase a new home: When you buy a new home, you are able to look through and see the basic condition of the house. One thing you can’t see the condition of, is the air ducts. You won’t know the last time they had the air ducts clean and who knows what could be lurking up there. It’s always good to get everything checked out in your new home, so add air duct cleaning to the list so you can feel safe knowing what is entering your homes air.
2. When you do home renovations or build a new house: When doing construction work within your home, whether it’s renovations or building a home from the ground up, sawdust and other particles are being blown about around the home and entering the tiniest of places, including your air ducts. By getting your air ducts clean after building a new home or doing some home construction, you won’t have to worry about what could be blown back into your homes air when the air kicks on.
3. When you have pets that shed: Every pet owner knows the amount of fur their animal sheds on a daily basis and how it can get everywhere. It’s in your clothes, your furniture, and also your air ducts. Therefore it’s good to get your air ducts cleaned at least once a year if you have a pet that’s known to shed.
4. If someone smokes or smoked in the house: If someone in the home smokes or has smoked in the past, it’s always good to get your air duct cleaned. The smoke can stick the sides of the vents causing other dust and allergens to get congested and dirty. Also, having a dirty air duct can cause a lingering smell as well. It’s recommended to get your air ducts cleaned at least once a year in this case.
5. When you see a poof of dust exit your vents when air kicks on: This may sound unbelievable or even comical, but it happens! If you’re sitting in your home or office and notice some dust circling around the air in front of your vents, it probably means you need your air ducts clean. When your HVAC systems kicks on, it’s pushing anything that’s sitting within your air ducts directly into your homes air. Therefore, if you’re noticing dust, it may mean it’s time to get your air ducts cleaned.
6. If someone in your family suffers from asthma or allergies: If someone in your home suffers from allergies or asthma, you probably need to get your air ducts cleaned. Dust, allergens, and other particles linger in dirty air ducts and are pushed into your homes air whenever your HVAC systems kicks on. This can cause those with asthma or allergies to suffer even more. To help relieve some issues, improving your home air quality is the best way and a simple way to do that is by getting your air ducts cleaned.
7. Recommend once a year: If you’re still wondering whether or not you should get your air ducts cleaned, we recommend at least once a year. Make this an annual appointment with us, so you can be sure that there isn’t anything making a home in your air ducts and your home’s air quality stays clean.