Keep your Air Ducts Clean – Stay Healthy

Cleaning the air duct is considered highly important as the impurities present there can directly affect your health. The HVAC system usually aids in absorbing the air around us and exhaling fresh and pure air. Now, with time filth and grime get built up inside the duct which will slowly start contaminating the air we breathe in. If one is suffering from any kind of respiratory disorder inhaling the pollutants can be really harmful to their health. So, in order to maintain the air quality, the air ducts should be cleaned once in every 2 to 3 years as per the NADCA.

What does it involve

Air duct cleaning basically refers to cleaning the different components of the heating and cooling systems. The process includes cleaning the:

• Ducts and registers and ducts of the air supply and return
• The coil
• Grilles and diffusers
• The heating and cooling coils
• Drip pans where the condensed water is collected
• The fan motor
• Housing of the fan
• Housing of the air handling unit

If all these components are not installed and maintained properly or they are not fully functional, they may get soiled and accumulate dust, dirt, debris and pollen. Areas where the level of humidity is high, there are even chances of growth of mold which leads to the spreading of spores in the air around us home. When we are exposed to such contaminants it can lead to allergies or other health problems.

Tips

If you have a heating and cooling unit at home then there are certain tips that you should follow like:

• Though it is usually suggested that you get the air ducts cleaned at home once every 2 to 3 years, in some cases the frequently required may increase. If you have pets, people who smoke inside the house or people are suffering from prolonged illness, then it is always advised that you get your air ducts cleaned once in 1or 2 years.
• If your property had recently undergone a mold remediation then it is always recommended to get the HVAC system cleaned.
• Never ever try to clean air ducts on your own. This service requires specialized knowledge and specific equipment. You may land up making the air quality even worse.
• Make sure that you hire an air duct cleaning service accredited by the NADCA.
• Stay away from the service providers who recommend that air duct cleaning is an ssential part of the maintenance of the your HVAC system.
• Beware of the service providers who claim to be certified by the EPA, neither does this body establish any standards of any air duct cleaning nor does it endorse, approve or certify any of the air duct cleaning companies.

The expected cost

Once that you have shortlisted the names of a few air duct cleaning companies, you should take a quotation from each of them. As per the EPA or NADCA, the estimated cost for a proper cleaning activity can be around 400 to 1000 dollars.  But then again definitely, the size of the househere plays a major role, for an average sized home the cost can go up to around 500 dollars.