It’s easy to skip over your ductwork while you are completing your fall maintenance, but it would be a mistake. Ducts can gather a substantial amount of debris and potentially harmful particles that should be removed, so remember to have your air ducts cleaned.
The Benefits of Cleaning Your Ducts
Air quality should be one of your top priorities as a homeowner. When dirt builds up in your ducts, the air circulated throughout your home will contain some significant amount of contaminants. Dirt, dust, mold, bacteria and more can make you sick, trigger allergy symptoms or even cause breathing conditions over time.
A secondary concern of dirty ducts is that they can cause a lower overall HVAC system efficiency. Dirt flowing through your ducts means that your filter will become dirty faster, which can reduce airflow and increase stress on your blower. Additionally, if dirt, mold or bacteria reach the indoor coil, they can impede heat transfer and lower your efficiency further. All these problems can increase your energy bills and frequency of breakdowns, as well as reducing your system’s lifespan.
Cleaning Ducts 101
The simplest and most effective way to have your ducts cleaned is to contact an HVAC service provider. They will send a technician with experience and equipment to suck the dirt out of your vents with a special vacuum that has an extra long hose. Because dirt often accumulates near the registers, the technician will often do a thorough manual cleaning of the register and immediate area as well.
If calling in a professional is not an option, you can at least address the worst spots near the registers. Take off the covers and vacuum as far down as possible. Additionally, use a safe cleaning solution to wipe the ends of the ducts, but be careful not to spill any down there.
For professional help cleaning your ducts in Los Angeles, feel free to contact Around the Clock Air Conditioning and Heating.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Los Angeles, North Hollywood and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about duct cleaning and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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