Your home consists of a complex web of air ducts and ventilators. Air ducts are important for maintaining the quality of indoor air.
Since air ducts are concerned with the maintenance of indoor air, it is very important that they are clean. Many air ducts will contain traces or large amounts of dust, pollen or other particles of dust. When these particles combine with the air inside the house, it may result in allergies or respiratory problems for you and your family.
Air duct cleaning refers to the cleaning and maintenance work done in your air conditioners, heating system, ventilators, components of many forced air systems, grilles, diffusers, motors of fans, registers, heating coils, drip pans and any other unit that is related to the supply of air.
Air ducts can also be filled with molds. Molds are fungi that grow in a wet place or some place that has a lot of moisture. Air ducts have a lot of moisture because they are mainly used to heat or cool your home. So, the chance for the growth of molds is very high. There are many kinds of molds, ranging from mild to toxic. Their impact on human beings depends on the molds. The milder ones can cause respiratory problems while the toxic ones can even cause cancer. Hence, molds have to be removed as early as possible.
How to Prevent Problems in Air Ducts
Air ducts are the primary source of air and problems in your air duct can affect you and your family. Therefore, utmost care must be taken to ensure that the air ducts are always clean. Below are some of the steps that you can to keep an air duct clean:
l Identify the root cause of the problem. Presence of molds or rodents or excess dust will always have an underlying problem. Get to the bottom of it and fix that first so that it does not recur in future.
l You may have to get help from professionals to clean molds in your air ducts. This is because they are dangerous and you may not have the right kind of equipment to clean them completely. The service professionals should be helpful and knowledgeable to answer your questions. If you cannot see the mold, ask the workers to show you the molds so that you may be able to recognize it in future. Sometimes, they can be just particles and not molds. At times, it may be very difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. You can send samples to the laboratory to check whether they are molds. You can get them checked for as low as $5.
l The air duct cleaners may suggest the use of biocides or other chemicals in your air duct to prevent the growth of molds, bacteria and other contaminants in future. They may also suggest the application of chemical treatments to seal the air ducts so that they do not release molds, dust or any other kind of contaminants inside the house. However, there is no conclusive study on the effect of the biocides and chemicals in the air ducts. So, you must know the pros and cons before making the decision. Even if they are applied, they must be applied only after the ducts are thoroughly cleaned. The air duct cleaners have a legal obligation to show you the name of the biocide product along with its label and they must use the product strictly based on the directions given by the manufacturer. Make sure that they are applied only in places that are not insulated.
l You must know and understand the different kinds of ducts and vents. This will help you to know where to look for, in case of a problem. Ridge Vent moves air from the attic to the roof. The Soffit vent helps to balance the flow of air from the ridge vent to the attic. Gable Vent is placed near joints and built-in screens. This helps to keep the bugs and the birds away from the house. Power ventilators are installed along the face of the roof. The Foundation vent is used to ventilate basements, while Roof Louver is used as an exhaust fan in bathrooms and for kitchen outlets. Dryer Vent provides the necessary air to the dryer and Range Hood is used to remove the smoke and heat from the kitchen. They are made of different kinds of materials and cleaning each duct may be different.
l The US Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) suggests that air ducts can be cleaned as and when needed. It does not lay down guidelines and does not insist that they have to be cleaned regularly. So, if any service providers ask you to clean your air ducts because the EPA mandates you to do so, then you can directly report the matter to EPA. However, EPA insists that you clean your air ducts before winter if you have a stove or fireplace to avoid poisoning by carbon monoxide.
l If you have installed insulated air ducts and if these ducts get wet or contain molds, then the entire air duct has to be changed. It is not possible to remove, clean and fix it back again.
l The decision to clean air ducts is completely yours. You have to decide whether it is necessary or not. If any family member experiences any kind of allergy or skin irritation, then you can look at air ducts as a possible cause for their problem. When you sense a musty odor or when you feel that the air contains a lot of dust, then you can think of cleaning the air ducts. Please be aware that the musty odor can come from the growth of molds inside the air ducts.
l Before hiring a professional cleaner, check for their background and experience. If they give you a long lecture about the benefits of cleaning air ducts, then avoid them. There is no conclusive study about health problems related to dirty air ducts. Check for any past references. Also, you can check with your county or city office to see if there have been any complaints lodged against them. Needless to say, if there are complaints, then it is better to look for some other company. After the service providers finish cleaning, you can inspect the same. There must be no visible dirt or mold or any other contaminant anywhere. Some companies even offer to photograph the hidden parts before and after cleaning, so that you can see the difference. They will have to give you a Consumer Cleaning Checklist after they finish their job. If you answer no to any of the questions in that checklist, then that means that there was some problem and the air ducts were not cleaned thoroughly.
l There are some steps that you can take in order to prevent air ducts from getting dirty.
1. It is always better to use the air filter that has the highest efficiency. This will solve many of the problems associated with air ducts.
2. Keep checking for your air filters and change them regularly. If you find them clogged, then change them immediately.
3. If you have a dehumidifier as part of your heating system, then make sure you operate the dehumidifier strictly according to the instructions given by the manufacturer.
4. Please ensure from time to time that there is no source for asbestos or any other lead contaminant to get into your air duct as this can be very harmful.
5. Avoid any kind of water damage to your air ducts. Increased water content or moisture is the primary cause for the growth of molds in your air ducts.
6. Mainly check for cooling coils in your cooling system. The cooling coils are meant to remove any kind of water and improper working of these coils can result in moisture accumulation inside the cooling system.
7. The ducts in your ceilings and attics can be a major source of moisture due to water condensation. Check for the ducts in these places and ensure that they are properly sealed.
8. Always use an air-conditioning that is right for your needs. A very large air-conditioning system will not remove moisture effectively. This will lead to other problems, especially if you live in an area that has high humidity levels.
9. Remove fiber glass or any other insulation material that you think may have become damp or wet.
l When you have doubts or questions, contact a professional right away. If you are undecided about cleaning your air duct, talk to your local air duct cleaning companies and they may be of help. Get the complete information from them and then decide on a course of action.
The above mentioned steps are the things you can do to ensure that your air ducts are clean and healthy. There is a very high possibility that a clean air duct system will keep your indoor air and your family healthy. Buy the best quality products that meet the industry standards and check on them from time to time. This will go a long way in preventing any kind of problems from air ducts.
