Air ducts are the unappreciated, often-forgotten helpers in your home. They circulate air from your HVAC system throughout your house, allowing you to stay warm and comfortable in any season. Most of the time, they cause no trouble, so it’s easy to forget about them.
What you may not realize is nearly all of the air you breathe in your home passes through your air ducts. If the ducts are excessively dirty, you may accidentally push contaminants throughout your house whenever you turn on the heat. Many families consider duct cleaning a vital part of their indoor air quality strategy.
Over time, dust, mold and bacteria will build up inside your ducts. If you want these contaminants removed, you will need to call an HVAC company to thoroughly clean your ducts.
When Should You Get Your Air Ducts Cleaned?
The EPA suggests having your air ducts cleaned if there is visible mold growth, pests in your home, or excessive debris. If there are enough debris in your ducts that you see particles being released into your home from vents, you definitely need to clean them out. It is also a good idea to have your ducts cleaned periodically regardless of how clean they look, as dirt and allergens can hide out of sight.
If you think you see mold in your air ducts, it is important to call a professional immediately, as mold can cause serious health risks.
Duct cleaning is even more important if there are smokers in the household, residents with allergies or asthma, or pets that shed a lot of hair and dander.
While there hasn’t been much conclusive research on the health effects of duct cleaning, HVAC systems have been shown to collect a variety of contaminants that affect health, such as mold, fungi, bacteria, and dust. Many homeowners consider removing contaminants from their HVAC system to be an important component of their plan to improve indoor air quality. Ultimately, the question of how often to clean your air ducts depends on the homeowner’s preference.
How to Choose a Quality Air Duct Cleaning Service
With duct cleaning and other HVAC services, it’s often best to avoid going with the lowest price. Low-priced cleaners may not do as good of a job cleaning your ducts, or they might fail to put parts back together properly. Make sure you’re choosing an experienced HVAC professional with a good reputation in your local community.
Beware of “blow-and-go” duct cleaning companies, which charge a small nominal fee (often below $100) and do a poor job of cleaning the HVAC system. Many of these companies will insist on performing unnecessary services with or without the homeowner’s permission. If you see a company advertising a duct cleaning price that sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Be sure and check a company’s reviews and references before hiring them to ensure that you receive the best possible service.
The Duct Cleaning Process
There are a variety of machines used to clean air ducts, but reputable companies will use some combination of a specialized brush and a vacuum. A vacuum alone is generally not enough to remove all the debris stuck to the walls of your air ducts and will only partially clean the system.
At Paragon, we use a Rotobrush to clean your air ducts as thoroughly as possible. One of our technicians will insert a brush that rotates at 450 rpm to loosen any debris stuck inside your ducts. The Rotobrush is safe for all kinds of air duct applications, including flex ductwork.
We recommend getting your dryer vent cleaned at the same time as the rest of your duct system. Lint often builds up in dryer vents, which can reduce airflow and back up exhaust gases. Over time, this becomes a fire hazard.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, U.S. fire departments respond to 15,790 home fires involving dryers and washing machines each year. Many of these are caused by dryer lint igniting.
Duct cleaning can take anywhere from two to five hours, depending on the situation. Variables like the size of the home, the extent of the contamination, and the number of HVAC cleaners performing the job will impact the timeframe.
Duct Cleaning with Paragon
Duct Cleaning with Paragon
Paragon Heating and Home Comfort Solutions is a respected local HVAC contractor. In addition to duct cleaning, we also perform HVAC system installations, repairs, and maintenance. Our technicians are highly experienced, trained, and certified to ensure they can provide you with a comfort care system customized to your needs.
Paragon also offers full-service heating and cooling services, including air conditioner install and repair, furnace install and service, and more.
We are proud of our tradition of excellence serving homeowners in Snohomish and East King Counties. We are also one of the only heating and air conditioning contractors in the area that is open on Saturdays.
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