If you live in an apartment, it’s important to make sure your air vents are clean. This will save you money on your energy bills as well as keep you and your family healthier.
While there are many factors that affect how often to have your ducts cleaned, a general recommendation is every three to five years.
Pollen
Having a clean air duct system helps to keep your home and family healthy. This is particularly important when you live in a high-allergen area or with people who have respiratory conditions such as asthma.
The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) recommends having your ductwork professionally cleaned once every three to five years. In fact, some contractors claim that cleaning your air ducts regularly can help prevent disease and allergies by improving indoor air quality.
Some of the signs that your ductwork needs to be cleaned include dirty vent covers, dark lines on walls and ceilings, excessive dust on tables and objects and a difference in temperature from room to room. It’s also a good idea to check for signs of mold growth and other vermin infestations around your ductwork.
If you have a small or medium-sized apartment, your ductwork will probably need to be cleaned at least once every two years. However, if you have multiple pets or a smoker in your home, your ductwork will likely need to be cleaned much more often.
Allergens and pollutants that build up inside the ductwork can cause health problems such as rashes, skin irritation, sneezing and coughing. This is especially true for children who may be more sensitive to these allergens and contaminants than adults.
During the duct-cleaning process, airborne pollutants are removed from your ductwork by using equipment that extracts them from the system. These tools include a rotary brush and an air jet.
In addition to removing dirt and debris from the ductwork, air duct cleanings remove pet hair, dander and other allergens that have collected in the ducts over time. This makes your ducts easier to clean and keeps the air you breathe healthier.
The frequency with which your ducts need to be cleaned will depend on your home’s layout, how many pets you have and the age of your ductwork. In general, NADCA says homeowners should have their ductwork cleaned at least once every three to five years, but some people who suffer from severe allergy or asthma symptoms will benefit from having their ductwork cleaned more often.
Smokers
If you’re a smoker, it’s important to clean your air ducts regularly. Not only will this remove the lingering odor from your vents, but it will also help keep the entire home cleaner and healthier for everyone in the house.
You can use an air freshener to mask the cigarette smell in your home, but this won’t solve the problem entirely. Even if you open windows, your home’s HVAC system will recycle the smoke scent back into your ducts and vents.
A professional duct cleaning service will remove the lingering odors and make your air ducts smell fresh again. This is an excellent way to improve the overall health of your family and your neighbors, especially if you live in an apartment building or condo with shared ventilation.
Smokers often use a lot of tobacco products in their homes, which can lead to the build-up of harmful chemicals within the ductwork and in the air inside your home. These toxic compounds can have negative effects on the respiratory system and may cause serious illness.
In addition, the tar and nicotine residues left by cigarettes can damage your ductwork and increase the likelihood of mold growth or mildew forming inside your home. This is why it’s important to get your air ducts cleaned periodically by an experienced air duct cleaning company in Toronto.
Cigarette smoking can also increase the build-up of dander and other dust in your ductwork. This can clog your vents and aggravate allergy symptoms. This is particularly true if you have asthma or other respiratory problems.
Having your air ducts cleaned on a regular basis helps eliminate the build-up of dust and debris, which is especially harmful to allergy sufferers. In addition, a professional duct cleaning service will eliminate any lingering tobacco smells in your ductwork.
If you’re a smoker, it’s recommended to have your air ducts cleaned at least once every three or five years. You should also check with your condo board or homeowners association to see if you need to have your air ducts cleaned on a more frequent basis to ensure the best indoor air quality possible for you and your family.
Pets
Pets are a beloved part of many families, but their fur, dander, and other debris can cause major problems in your home. They’re often a source of allergies for their owners, and they can also contribute to an overall unclean and unhealthy atmosphere in your home.
Despite your best efforts at keeping your pets clean, their hair can get stuck in your ducts and prevent air from getting to your home’s main rooms. That’s why it’s important to schedule your ducts for regular cleanings.
If you have cats or dogs, they’re likely to shed a lot of hair and dander throughout the year. It’s a natural part of being a pet owner, but it can get trapped in your ductwork and become a serious problem.
The good news is that you can help reduce the amount of dander in your air ducts by vacuuming regularly, using a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, and hiring professional duct cleaning services to get rid of it.
Aside from reducing the buildup of dander in your air ducts, these procedures can improve your air quality and prevent allergens from circulating throughout your home. Ducts with a high level of dust are an especially big issue for people who suffer from allergies or asthma, so it’s essential to get yours cleaned regularly.
During your duct cleaning, the professionals will use HEPA filters to capture the dander in your vents and then thoroughly clean them to remove all of the pet hair, dander, and other debris that has built up inside of them. This provides a level of pet dander removal that isn’t possible with filtration alone, and it’s an important step in helping keep your indoor air quality healthy and safe for your family.
If you have recently completed an apartment remodeling project, your ducts may also contain a large amount of dust and sawdust that has been spread around your home. A thorough duct cleaning will remove this dust and ensure that your ventilation system is working at its maximum efficiency. This will help reduce the need for you to spend more on your energy bill.
Ductwork Age
Your ducts are one of the most important parts of your home’s heating and cooling system. They carry the air through a series of vents and filters before dispersing it throughout your house. These ducts can be dirty and should be cleaned regularly by a professional cleaning company to improve the indoor air quality of your home.
Aging ductwork can cause discomfort and higher energy costs. It may also reduce the efficiency of your HVAC system by causing leaks and problems with airflow.
The age of your ductwork can be determined by several factors. Some of these include the materials used to build your ducts, how long they’ve been in your home and whether they’re flexible or rigid.
Ducts typically last anywhere from 20 to 25 years before they become damaged or need replacement. However, if you live in a very humid environment or your ducts are exposed to dust and debris on a regular basis, they could end up getting old much sooner.
If you own pets, their fur and dander can also get caught up in your ducts, which can cause health issues. This is especially true if you have allergies or respiratory ailments.
Creepy crawlers can also settle in your ductwork, and this can lead to foul odors, mold growth and other contaminants. In these situations, a clean can eliminate the vermin and help keep your air ducts working properly.
Often, a good cleaning will also eliminate other contaminants, such as pollen and tobacco smoke. These can be harmful to your family’s health and can affect the performance of your HVAC system.
Another factor is the number of people living in your home. A home with many occupants will require more frequent cleaning than a single-family or two-family house.
Finally, the age of your home can also impact how often you should clean your ductwork. For instance, if you live in a new construction or a renovated building, the ducts are more likely to become contaminated from all the different things that are going on around the building.
Generally speaking, you should have your ductwork inspected every couple of years. This will allow you to catch any issues before they become a big problem and can help you avoid costly repairs in the future.