Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned?

Many homeowners ask themselves, “Should I have my home air duct system cleaned?”

You and your family spend about a third of your life in your home, which makes breathing clean, healthy air very important. The age of your home doesn’t really make a difference when it comes to performing this maintenance. If your home is new, this maintenance still needs to be performed. In fact, if you have just moved into a new house, it is the best time to have the air system fully cleaned. During the construction process there are many dust-generating tasks, and these dust particles – from sawdust to drywall gypsum – have most likely settled in you duct system. These are some of the most common eye and nose irritants and should be removed before you move into your new home.

If you have just purchased a resale home, it would be wise to consider having the air system cleaned to remove any harmful dust particles that have settled in the ductwork from previous years. Having the ducts cleaned in older homes may also remove odors and cooking particles built up from many years of use. Before occupancy of any existing house, you should at least change all air filters and clean all the air supply registers and return air grills. If you’re deciding whether or not to have your H.V.A.C. duct system cleaned, consider the following tips:

1) Think about health and air quality. Everyone has a concern about the quality of air we breathe. Many allergies, respiratory and breathing problems are related to particles and mites in the air. Regular changing of air filters in your home air system is a good maintenance practice and an important step to keep the air in your home healthy. Just as important is having the HVAC system serviced and cleaned periodically. Babies, young children and the elderly are the most susceptible to having respiratory problems caused by poor air quality.


2) How do I know if my home system needs cleaning? Every home heating and air conditioning system with forced air requires the air filtration media be changed regularly. Make it a practice to change air filters at least four times a year. If dirt is visible, you may need to change filters more frequently. Free airflow also lets the unit to run more efficiently.

3) When should duct cleaning be done? Every home environment is different, and the outside air quality also contributes to when duct cleaning should be performed. As a rule of thumb, I would suggest a cleaning every two to three years. Include your dryer vent and possibly exhaust fans in this cleaning. Consult a professional duct cleaning contractor for recommendations of services.

4) Can a homeowner do it themselves? A good portion of HVAC maintenance can be done by homeowners. If you are familiar with your forced air heating and cooling system, changing of the air filters is relatively easy. There are different grades of air filters available. Use the mid to higher priced filters, which collect finer dust particles. Also, if you are handy, you may want to attempt cleaning the air supply registers and returns. Simply remove the register, clean the grill and use a vacuum cleaner to clean inside the wall box. Repeat the same procedure for the return vents.

5) Are there others benefit to duct cleaning? Your home will be cleaner and require less dusting. Duct cleaning also helps remove odors from your household. The overall air quality will be healthier for you and your family.