The air ducts in your home are essential for ventilation, air conditioning, and heating. Like any other hard-to-reach areas in your house, they can accumulate dust and get dirty. You’ll need to make sure that you have it regularly cleaned to improve the indoor air quality and save energy.
Cleaning it reduces serious respiratory health issues, autoimmune disorders, asthma attacks, and allergies. Experts say that air duct cleaning should be done every two to five years, depending on your circumstances. If you’re ducts do need cleaning, call out Portland air duct cleaning to come and sort them for you. The benefits will be huge, especially for your health.
In this article, seven signs have been listed on why you need to clean those air ducts as soon as possible.
1.Visible dust and debris around your vents
One very obvious sign that it needs cleaning is when your vents have visible dust, debris, and dirt. This can indicate that your ducts are clogged or blocked, and contaminants are circulating through your ventilation system.
Increased levels of dirt and dust can trigger allergies and asthma, so it’s crucial to call trusted services like Willard Power Vac – air duct cleaning for a schedule immediately.
2.Possible pest infestation
It’s important to clean and maintain your air duct because insects or rodents have the tendency to live and build homes in them. If you expect that these unwanted guests are in your ventilation system, you’ll want to have your ducts cleaned ASAP.
Debris from those like droppings, husks or shells can also damage your Heating, Ventilation, and Air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
Signs that these pests may be in your ducts are:
- The smell of droppings or debris in the air
- Seeing discarded husks, shells, or droppings near your vents
- Irritating particles in the air
3.Evident mold growth
Mold can develop in the duct when there is a combination of stable temperature, dust buildup, and moisture. There is also a higher possibility of it growing inside your vent if your geographical location or climate is humid.
It can cause various kinds of irritations on the skin, eyes, throat, and respiratory system, so call a professional to inspect and clean your ducts as soon as you can. It can cause various kinds of irritations on the skin, eyes, throat, and respiratory system, so call a professional to inspect and clean your ducts as soon as you can, alternatively, you can buy the best commercial dehumidifier which can remove the mold immediately from the air.
Here’s how to tell if there is mold growth in your air vent:
- There’s a “funny” or musty smell in your house. Most people know how mold or fungus smell like, but a reference could be the back of the refrigerator, pungent cheese, or old gym clothes.
- Examine your duct using a flashlight and check for irregular black or other color splotches. If this is visible on your vent without even opening a grate, don’t delay professional help further.
4.Your room or home cools slower than normal
If you notice that your home takes longer to cool than how it’s used to be, there is a possibility that your HVAC is clogged or blocked with debris or dirt. Cleaning your duct will allow air to flow easily so that you have a comfortable temperature in your room.
5.Persistent allergy or unexplained respiratory problems
Once you notice that you or any of your family members are experiencing allergies, sinusitis, asthma attacks, or other respiratory problems more often and without obvious cause, it might mean that your air ducts could be very filthy and are affecting the indoor air quality of your home.
If there’s a lot of sneezing or wheezing than the usual and you can’t even remember the last time you had your duct cleaned, it’s a sign to call professionals.
6.Foul odor
Persistent foul, pungent, or offensive smell in your home that you can’t seem to locate could also be a sign. If you’ve already looked everywhere in the house and still can’t find the source, check your vent and it might be mold or mildew buildup, or pest infestation causing the putrid odor.
7.Energy bill spikes
One of the secrets to lower energy bills is to keep your vents clean. If your electricity bill has increased drastically compared to the previous month for no apparent reason or without changes of how you’ve been using your appliances, it’s probably time to have your air duct checked and cleaned.
Clogs or leaks in your duct causes your HVAC system to have reduced efficiency and causes more energy to reach the desired temperature in your home. Call your repair services to check if it needs cleaning or sealing.
It is definitely beneficial to have a clean and well-maintained air duct to make sure that you have quality indoor air and save money on energy bills. Check for visible dirt, mold, pest infestation, as well as unexplained respiratory illness, foul smell in the house, and sudden energy bill spikes because these are signs that you need to call professional services to get air duct cleaning ASAP.
