How Often Should You Clean Your Air Ducts?
Insights From Your Trusted HVAC Experts
You can’t see them, but air ducts are a vital part of your heating and cooling systems. These ducts wind their way through your home, carrying warm and cool air from your furnace and AC to every room, keeping you warm in winter and cool in the summer. However, if they aren’t cleaned, they can also carry dust and debris through your house, affecting air quality and making a mess.
Cleaning your air ducts isn’t a one-time home maintenance task. But, how often should you clean your air ducts? The HVAC experts at BEF say a minimum of every other year. Here’s why.a
How your air ducts get dirty and why it’s a problem.
If your air ducts are buried in walls, floors and ceilings, how does dirt, dust and debris get into them in the first place? The short answer is: air. Your furnace and AC push heated and cooled air through the ducts. That air is drawn in from your home and outside. So, the dust, dander, pollen and other pollutants in the air make their way into the vents—and over time, they build up. Build-up can also happen if the ducts were installed improperly, allowing debris from an attic or crawl space to be knocked loose and fall down into the ductwork.
Signs that your ducts are dirty include:
More than average dust on surfaces and furniture in your home
Stale or mouldy-smelling air coming from your vents
Increased allergy symptoms, like itchy eyes, sneezing or waking up with a dry throat
An unexplained increase in your energy bills
The need to change your furnace filters more often than usual
The more “stuff” there is in your ducts, the more “stuff” gets blown around your house when you turn your furnace or air conditioner on. This can affect the air quality in your home, your health and can flare allergies. A significant amount of buildup can also make your blower motor work harder to circulate air and that can lead to burnout, higher energy bills and costly repairs.
Clean your air ducts every other year to avoid buildup.
As HVAC experts with more than 60 years of serving families in Kawartha Lakes and the surrounding area, we suggest that the average household have its air ducts cleaned every other year. In most circumstances, that is enough to avoid build-up and its negative effects. But, if you are wondering how often to clean air ducts in your home, you should consider some of the following factors.
Things that can lead to higher volumes of buildup in your air ducts
Households with furry pets
Large families or households with multiple families
Living in a rural area, especially near farms
Home renovations or construction
Construction in your neighbourhood, especially road work
If you have any of these factors at play, or if you have allergies or asthma, you may want to consider cleaning your air ducts even more frequently to stay ahead of the buildup and its negative impact on your health and wellness.
If it’s been more than two years since your last duct cleaning, it’s time to call British Empire Fuels.
Changing your furnace filter and vacuuming floor registers is a good first step to cutting down on airborne dust and dirt, but if you’re concerned about air quality and energy bills, cleaning your air ducts every other year is the smart choice. Are your ducts due for a cleaning? Call the HVAC experts at British Empire Fuels.
We have the tools to clean the dust and debris from the entire length of your ductwork system, and we will get the job done quickly and thoroughly so that you can get back to enjoying your home and good clean air.