You may wonder if your ducts should be cleaned when you have your HVAC cleaned annually. Your ducts may not accumulate dust, pet hair, and odors fast enough to need cleaning every year depending on your lifestyle, but there are definitely times when duct cleaning is necessary. This article goes over when you should consider having your ducts cleaned and how a contractor goes about doing it.

When It's A Good Time To Have The Ducts Cleaned

When you first move into a home there might be an odor you just can't remove. For instance, if the previous owners smoked in the home, the cigarette odors might be coming from the ducts. If you've thoroughly cleaned the house and an odor still lingers, then it's worth having the ducts cleaned to see if that helps.

Another time to consider cleaning the ducts is after your home has been flooded and mold formed on the walls and ceilings. When cleaning mold in your home, you should turn off the AC and seal the ducts so the spores don't get in them when the mold is removed. Otherwise, mold may be inside the ducts. If that happens, you want to have the ducts cleaned to avoid respiratory irritation and to prevent blowing mold spores into your living space. Cleaning mold and mildew out of the ducts make your home smell fresh too.

Cleaning should be done if you had other types of work in your home that may have caused contaminants to get inside the ducts. This would include renovations that released asbestos, lead, sawdust, or other particulates. Having the ducts cleaned after a pest infestation is a good idea too. If rats, pigeons, or raccoons made a nest in your ducts, you'll want to have them cleaned and disinfected once the pests have been dealt with.

How A Professional Cleans The Ducts

Professional duct cleaners wear protective gear and use specialized equipment to clean out ducts because of the risk of contamination from mold or animal droppings. A vacuum hose is used that pulls air out of the ducts and through a HEPA filter so the contaminants and dust aren't blown through your home. A brush is used to scrub the sides of the ducts to remove any buildup of dust or grime. Duct cleaning is able to remove pet hair, dust, mold, and any other debris that is in the ducts in a way that is safe for your home and family.

If your HVAC has been blowing air through dirty ducts for a long time, you might notice your home has less dust and the air smells fresher once the ducts are cleaned. If you suffer from allergies, you may also notice a reduction in your symptoms too. Contact a duct cleaning service for more information and assistance. 

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