Your ducts are the lungs of your home, acting as lines of passage for air to be move in, out and around your home. Assisting in-home ventilation, heating and cooling all air in your home will pass through your ducts at some point.
Ducts should be cleaned every 3 – 5 years by dust cleaning services to keep your home healthy. This time frame can be less or more often depending on what has been passing through your ducts.
Why Your Ducts Need To Be Cleaned
Over time dirt and debris can build up inside your home’s ducts. When they are dirty they can contaminate all the air that passes through them and around your home.
Indoor air can be 3 times more polluted than outdoor air and these can be recirculated through your house, increasing your exposure to any contaminants.
How Often Should You Clean Your Ducts?
The average home needs duct cleaning every 3 – 5 years but every home is different. Air vent cleaning requirements will be individual to your home and environment.
Just like many other areas of your ducts simply need cleaning when they are dirty! The issue is we cannot see when our ducts are dirty. If you suspect your ducts have build up with dirt then a photo inspection from a duct cleaning service can help you confirm this.
How often your ducts need cleaning will depend on various factors affecting your home.
Factors That Influence How Often Your Ducts Need Cleaning
Every home is different and local environments will be exposed to differing air conditions and contaminants.
Some of these factors include:
- Humid environments – mould spores thrive in warm moist places
- Dust levels – some environments are just dustier than others, these places will bring more dirt into air duct systems
- Nearby contaminants – e.g construction or pollution
- Weather conditions – a windy environment can cause more air to move through the ducts and increase the rate at which debris piles up
Times To Definitely Clean Ducts
In addition to regular cleaning to deal with normal dirt and bacteria build up there are a few events that are times when vents should always be checked and cleaned.
- Just moved in – air vent cleaning should be a routine part of moving into a new home. Unless you have official confirmation the ducts were cleaned recently, then you never know what kind of contaminants are hiding away unseen in the ducts.
- Recent mould issues – mould is actually a living organism that can go on surviving in a home undetected. Mould is a fungus that reproduces by airborne spores, these spores can congregate in air ducts and pose a significant health risk when distributed through the air in a home.
- Pests infestation – the first order of business of a pest problem in the home is getting rid of them! The second is cleaning out the ducts. Pests can bring a multitude of harmful bacteria into the home and some of this can settle in the ducts and cause harm well after the pests are eradicated.
If you’re looking to get a quote on duct cleaning, contact our team today.
