Cleaning your air ducts is an important part of maintaining your HVAC system in Oklahoma.
What Happens if You Don’t Clean Your Air Ducts?
Not cleaning your air ducts may pose a health risk to you and your family. Over time, as dust and debris begin to clog up your ducts, the bacteria from the dirt and dust can circulate throughout your home. If you’ve ever had symptoms of seasonal allergies year-round or your allergies were particularly bad one season, it may be because of what’s lingering on your indoor air.
For example, your air ducts could get filled with bacteria and particles from things like:
- Rodent droppings
- Mouse fur
- Mold (mold can grow from dust alone)
- Dead insects or old insect nests
- In some cases, bird feathers and bird nests (especially in your dryer ducts)
While having these things inside your air ducts is bad enough, unfortunately, the air moving through your ducts and ventilation systems can carry the tiny bacteria, smells, and other contaminants into the air. This means you could be breathing in contaminants throughout your home.
Why You Should Have A Professional Clean Out Your Air Ducts
We rely on our HVAC systems to keep us warm in the winter, and cool during Oklahoma’s hot, humid summers. But when your air ducts get clogged with all sorts of debris, your HVAC system could be impacting the health of you and your family.
If you or any of your family members are especially sensitive to allergies, has asthma, or any other breathing concerns, dirt and dust moving through your air ducts can make these symptoms worse.
What’s more, clogged air ducts can cause other issues as well, such as:
- Higher energy bills due to lossed efficiency (clogged ducts make HVAC systems work harder)
- Poor temperature control throughout your home (when your ducts are clogged, you’ll probably noticed some parts of your home don’t heat or cool as well as others)
- Potential fire risk (clogged ducts may cause your heat exchanger to rust faster, leading to a fire hazard)
Regular cleaning of your air ducts not only helps you and your family stay healthier throughout the year, you’ll likely see a lower energy bill and keep your HVAC system in good working order.
Having an HVAC professional inspect and service your ducts can also be a good way to catch any potential HVAC issues sooner. The last thing anyone wants to experience is to have a home that won’t heat when it’s icy cold, or cool down when it’s blazing hot.
When Should Your Air Ducts Be Cleaned?
Oftentimes, cleaning your air ducts every two to three years will keep your ducts in good shape. If you haven’t cleaned your ducts in a while, it’s a good idea to have them inspected. After your initial cleaning, be sure to keep a regular cleaning and inspecting schedule with a trusted HVAC company.
It’s often best to schedule routine maintenance before the hottest parts of summer or before or right after winter begins. That way, you can ensure that your HVAC system has no issues and that your air ducts are clear before the worst parts of the season arrive.
While you may be able to inspect some parts of your ducts through your air vents, an HVAC professional can get a better idea of how clogged your air ducts might be during their own inspection.
Get in Touch with Caldwell Mechanical for Professional Air Duct Cleaning Services in Oklahoma
Not sure if your HVAC system is working as well it should be? You may have clogged air ducts. Give us a call today for a free quote.
