Dirt, mold, animal droppings and debris trapped inside your home's ductwork can create a number of problems for you, including aggravating allergy and asthma symptoms, creating excess dust and causing unpleasant odors. Although duct cleaning generally is not recommended as part of ongoing maintenance, there are certain situations that warrant hiring a company to clean your ducts. Those situations include the following:
- Visible Mold. If there is visible mold growing inside your ductwork or on your heating equipment, you should schedule duct cleaning service immediately. Keep in mind, however, that it is important to address the underlying cause of the mold growth before you have your ducts cleaned. Otherwise, there is a good chance that the mold will just take hold again, and you will be facing the same situation further down the road.
- Pests. If rodents, snakes, insects or other pests have taken up residence inside your ductwork, a thorough duct cleaning is definitely in order. Unwanted pests can leave behind droppings and other waste products that can contaminate the air as it moves through your ducts.
- Excessive Dust. If dust or debris blows out of your registers when your heating system kicks on, it is a good indicator that excessive dust has built up inside your ductwork.
- Allergies or Asthma. If a member of your household has a medical condition, such as allergies or asthma, you may want to have your ducts cleaned to remove as many allergens as possible.
- Unpleasant Odors. If unwanted odors are coming from your registers, professional duct cleaning may be able to help.
- Old Ductwork. If your ductwork is old, and you aren't sure when it was last cleaned, it may be beneficial to have someone come in remove any built-up dust or debris.
In all of the above situations, duct cleaning can be very worthwhile for restoring air flow and improving indoor air quality. Additionally, duct cleaning can improve the energy efficiency of your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) equipment. If your ducts are dirty, and push contaminants into your air filters, those can become clogged. Your system then works harder to push air through those clogs, which ultimately costs you more money on your energy bill.
If you live in the mid-Ohio area, and are interested in having your ducts cleaned, contact us at Joe Behr Plumbing and Heating, Inc. We've been serving residential customers since 1965, and we are on-call for emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We look forward to meeting all of your heating and cooling needs.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about duct cleaning and other HVAC topics, visit our website.
Joe Behr Plumbing and Heating, Inc. services the Mid-Ohio area.
