The most important thing about household maintenance anywhere or in Fort Worth is ensuring the indoor air quality is safe and healthy. The “Environmental Protection Agency” (EPA) notes that allergens and increases in air pollution can render the indoor atmosphere as much as five times worse than that of the outdoors.
Often adequate maintenance and upkeep are neglected, leading to compromised air in the home. With the average HVAC system, the air circulates on a continuous cycle through the ducts. If the area of the ductwork is not free of dirt and debris, it will collect in the air, making it unhealthy for breathing.
When homeowners engage in proper upkeep, the ducts receive cleaning either using the DIY methodology or with the help of a professional for air duct cleaning in Fort Worth to ensure a thorough clean and inspection of the system.
A homeowner can participate in vacuuming registers and replacing filters. Still, many particles accumulate in the ductwork as time passes, with a recommendation from authoritative agencies like “National Air Duct Cleaners Association” indicating these should have routine cleaning no later than every five years.
What Are the Benefits of Duct Cleaning with Professional Services?
You can dust a surface, turn away, and look back to new particles lying on that same surface. As much as people believe they are getting all the dirt and dust from their homes in Fort Worth using standard cleaning practices, there are hidden particles in areas that you do not think about, like inside the registers and within the ductwork.
These are the kinds of dirt and debris that render the air quality unsafe and unhealthy because they are left to build up year after year, not given a second thought as they accumulate.
You might take the time to vacuum the register and may change your filters on time as you are supposed to, but these merely touch the surface. Learn how to clean air vents in your house by reading this article. The air quality will continue to degrade until a professional service comes to check out the system, inspect the ductwork, and do a thorough cleaning. There are a few benefits to using an air duct professional in the industry over DIY attempts. These include:
- Thorough: The duct system is cleansed of all dust, debris, dirt, any particles keeping these from cycling through the air and onto your household surfaces. With this type of cleaning, the entire home is spotless and not just wiped down on the surface.
- Breathing: The atmosphere will lift to a lighter level where breathing seems more manageable when the air is clear and clean. Anyone who suffers from respiratory issues like asthma or allergies will be much more comfortable in a sanitary environment. You will notice fewer symptoms and minimal doctor visits when exposed to a healthier setting.
- Odours: Often, people sense a foul smell emanating throughout the house but cannot quite find where it is coming from despite exceptional efforts to clean the house.
In most cases, the smell is coming from the duct system. Trapped odours from things like food prep, mildew, pets, cleaning supplies stand in the vents creating an offensive scent. When an expert thoroughly cleans out the system, these smells go away.
- Efficiency: In many cases, when air ducts are full of debris, the HVAC system becomes inefficient. Still, after a service provider comes in to clear out the units, the airflow can improve significantly, allowing for greater efficiency from the HVAC unit, which will, in turn, save on energy and utility costs for the homeowner. Read this article details about saving on energy costs: Studies Show: HVAC System Maintenance Saves Energy
It can also increase the lifespan of the HVAC. When the ducts are filthy, the air conditioning has to work that much harder to produce, putting strain on all the different components, ultimately leading to breakdowns and potentially an early need for replacement.
Some homeowners prefer to do as much in the DIY realm as possible to save time, effort, and money. In this case, the professional ductwork cleaners have the appropriate equipment to handle the process adequately and thoroughly so that even the slightest dust can be eliminated.
The service experts can also assess the ducts while doing their work to determine if any defects need repairing before turning into significant problems and extensive expenses.
How Can You Tell Your Ducts Need Maintenance?
When it gets close to the time for the air conditioning to come on, you will need the HVAC serviced by a professional to make sure it is in optimum condition, clean, and ready to go for the season.
Most homeowners do not realize that air ducts also need an inspection to ensure they are clean and ready so that the air conditioning can run at peak efficiency.
Without the cleanest ductwork, the HVAC system will need to work twice as hard to produce as it would if everything were free of dirt and particles. It not only puts the air conditioning at risk for breakdowns, but because it is running so inefficiently, energy bills will be so much higher, plus the air quality in the home will be contaminated, making it unhealthy and unsafe. Some signs of your air ducts maintenance include:
01. Mold in Ducts:
The HVAC system develops condensation that can potentially turn into mold growth within the duct system, and that is particularly true for those in humid regions. You will start to notice spots on register covers. But a lot of the elements for an HVAC are challenging to access, making it difficult to detect mold in the air ducts visibly. You can, however, get a sense of a foul odour.
If you have any suspicion, it is critical to act immediately to avoid severe issues with the air quality. A trusted air duct cleaning tech can recognize and remediate mold plus prevent a recurrence. A whole-home dehumidifier is an excellent solution to avoid excess dampness. If you do not satisfy the underlying root cause, there will be a recurrence.
02. Dust in Air Ducts:
Dust should not reappear after just being wiped away. If that is the situation you are having, the ductwork needs cleaning. Even a spotless home has dust, pet dander, dirt, and many contaminants lurking in the duct system. You will even notice it coming from the registers each time the HVAC comes on.
If you look at the register cover and directly inside the vents, that means to blow out cool air and see dust; the ducts are likely dirty. One thing you need to remember to do regularly is to change your filters plus run an air purifier. These help the air conditioning system trap airborne contaminants like bacteria, even tobacco smoke, before they venture into the air ducts.
03. Energy Costs:
Suppose you notice that your energy bills are rising steadily without any significant changes. In that case, there is a definite problem with either the air conditioning unit or the ducts are full of debris. If you know your HVAC is in good condition, it is wise to call in a cleaning tech for the ductwork to inspect the system. You can also tell this is the problem if there is an inconsistency in airflow from one room to another, even if the vents are fully open.
While your problem could be dirt in the ductwork, you might also have a leak. The air duct technician will clean out all the contaminants and inspect any potential leaks in the system.
Final Thought
While many Fort Worth homeowners prefer to DIY as much of their home maintenance and upkeep as they can effectively do, cleaning air ducts is genuinely something you should leave to those with advanced knowledge of heating and cooling systems. It can be complex and require specialized equipment that you would not have access to.
A professional tech will have a commercial vacuum and specialty brushes to break up and eliminate debris and particles from the units. The equipment boasts the ability to get the ductwork spotless where traditional household vacuums and cleaning supplies will not be sufficient in getting rid of all the dust and dirt.
Aside from cleaning, the professional technicians also inspect as they go to see if there are any defects with the HVAC system. That way, any issues can be repaired before they turn into significant problems with expensive price points.
The suggestion is to have your systems cleaned out at minimum every five years, but sooner if you detect a problem. If you tend to use your HVAC a lot more throughout the year, you might want to have the ducts inspected more often, saving time, effort, and money down the road.
Must Read:
How to Repair or Insulate Duct of Central Heating System?
The Importance of Air Duct Cleaning for AC Repairs
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