Getting your ducts cleaned is always something that you should consider if you are a home or building owner. It can potentially give cleaner air to your family and occupants to assure that they are safer. Harmful air contaminants like mold, bacteria, and viruses can live in your ducts and get into the air that you breath that is coming from your HVAC system. In times of extreme cold or heat, we tend to not have as much natural air flowing through the areas that we are in the most, so we always want to make sure that we are breathing clean air to keep us healthy year round. Certain questions do come to mind when thinking of duct cleaning: How harmful can the substances be that are living in my ducts? How do I know my ducts need to be cleaned? Is there anything I can do to not need them cleaned often? We have all of the answers and solutions for you today!
How Harmful can Air Contaminants Be?
This answer can be complex, but we’ll try to make it as simple as possible. There can be many contaminants living in your ducts. There can just be a simple buildup of dust and dander that will blow around your house when your AC unit is turned on. Pollen and allergens can also be built up in your air ducts. These contaminants can lower the quality of your air, and if you are allergic, may trigger a reaction if the buildup is too high. Mold is another contaminant that has the potential to buildup in your ducts. The levels hardly ever put someone in serious danger, but the quality of your air can decrease over time as more and more mold builds up. Viruses are a hot topic today, and yes, they can live and be spread throughout your duct system. Viruses that are airborne have the potential to be blown around your system if they are sitting in your ducts. This has the potential to spread viruses like the coronavirus in places that have people constantly moving in and out of them, like a coffee shop or a grocery store. One key thing is to know when your ducts need to be cleaned.
How do I know if my ducts need to be cleaned?
Every home and building is different, so it can be difficult to generalize one thing that points directly to when you may need your ducts cleaned. Making sure they are up to current industry standards should ensure that your air is clean, but there are instances where your ducts may need to be cleaned. One of these instances is if you have recently done a home remodel. This can even be in one room because if particles and substances that were used in the remodel get into one vent enough can spread through the rest of your system throughout the rest of your space. Another instance is if a family member is experiencing unexplained or out of the ordinary symptoms that could be related to the home/building environment. Checking your air filter is a good way to see if your ducts need to be cleaned. This will show if there is any excessive buildup within your system and it could indicate to what substance you could be dealing with.
What can I do to have them cleaned as infrequently as possible?
As we said in the beginning we have a solution to this problem! We are currently selling and installing the Reme Halo LED air purifier. This attachment used UV technology to purify your air and make your filters more efficient in capturing contaminants and particles that are travelling through it. For more information on the Reme Halo LED air purifier click here or call us today at (330) 392-8838.
Every duct system is unique and here at Thompson we are built to handle your situation, whatever it may be.