When you hear the phrase air quality, you probably think of warnings issued with the weather report when smoke from a wildfire is drifting our way. These warnings sometimes even come with the advice to stay indoors. What people don’t always realize is that indoor air quality is usually much worse than the air outdoors. In fact, the EPA came to the conclusion that indoor air has 2-5 times as many contaminants as outdoor air. And with the average American spending about 90% of their time indoors, this can be a huge, invisible problem that a lot of people aren’t aware of.
Where are these breathable hazards coming from? What can you do about it? Contributors to the problem may be lurking in your ductwork which can be cleaned. Read on to learn the benefits of air duct cleaning in Santa Fe, NM.
The Contaminants You’re Breathing
It’s normal for your home to contain some dust particles, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and germs. Throughout most of your home, you can keep a lot of these things under control by cleaning. But in your ductwork, they can accumulate for long periods. When you turn on your heat or air conditioning, in addition to cooled or heated air of the temperature you desire, your vents can emit blasts of these particulates.
The Effect on Your Ductwork
When layers of dust develop, it acts as insulation inside your ductwork. This means it won’t change temperature as easily. While there are many places in your home where you do want insulation, your ducts aren’t one of them. They need to be able to change temperature frequently, and this insulation means they aren’t doing their job as efficiently.
This leads to increased utility bills and wear and tear on your HVAC system from straining to do the same job under more difficult conditions. The particles themselves can also cause wear and tear when they get into your heater or air conditioner, clogging filters, slowing fans, and even causing blower motors to overheat and burn out.
Professional Duct Cleaning
Your ductwork is a carefully balanced system and you shouldn’t attempt to try and clean it yourself. Damaged ductwork can cause even greater problems with inefficiency and poor air quality! A trained professional knows which cleaning tools are safe to use with which types of ductwork so the contaminants can be removed with no risk to the ducts themselves. Always rely on an experienced team of technicians when you need professional air duct cleaning
Scheduling Duct Cleaning
In most cases, duct cleaning should be scheduled every 2-3 years. This will be sufficient for limiting the insulating factor of the dust. Duct cleaning can be done more frequently if you have particular concerns about the air coming from your vents. For example, some situations that might warrant more frequent duct cleaning include if you own a lot of pets, if you’ve had a natural disaster in the area, if you notice a musty smell and suspect a mold problem, or if there has been a lot of extra dust.
Contact Roadrunner Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing today to schedule duct cleaning or talk with a member of our team about your ductwork.
