5 Signs That Your Air Ducts Need Cleaning

You’ve likely heard that dirty air ducts can be part of the reason why you seem to cough and sneeze more often. It’s true that contaminants trapped in the duct system can be forced through the vents and into the air that you breathe. That alone is reason enough to have a professional conduct a complete air duct cleaning. If you notice any of the following, even if you’re not really coughing or sneezing that much, it’s time to have those ducts cleaned.

The Air Flow Varies From Room to Room

You weren’t sure at first, but there’s definitely a difference in the flow of air emerging from the vent in the living room and the one in the bedroom. Ideally, the air flow from all the vents in the house should be the same. When the variance is enough to be noticed, that’s a sure sign something is up. After examining the system and the ducts, the issue could be that the ducts need a thorough cleaning.

Subtle But Noticeable Sounds From the Duct System

The noises aren’t loud, but they are present. Whenever the system is running and air is coming out of the vents, there are some subtle clangs and dings from the vents. This could be due to contaminants being picked up and carried along with the forced air. Eventually, the residue will end up in each of your rooms.

Choosing to have the ducts cleaned should stop those sounds since all the contaminants are removed from each of the duct sections. Along with no longer having to put up with a minor distraction, you’ll also get the benefit of breathing in cleaner air.

Your Energy Costs Increase For No Apparent Reason

Have you noticed that the power bill has increased in the last few months? There’s not anything new and different taking place around the house. It’s the same old appliances and you haven’t adjusted the thermostat setting. The culprit could be something that you never considered: dirty air ducts.

As contamination builds up in the duct sections, the unit has to work harder to push the air through the system and out of each vent. The result is that more energy is consumed while you don’t get any more benefits. If you want to lower the amount of power it takes to move air through the ducts, getting them cleaned is the most practical move.

As an aside, cleaning the ducts and alleviating some of the stress on the heating and cooling unit provides another important benefit. Less stress means that the system components don’t wear out as quickly. You’ll enjoy fewer repairs and also extend the life of the HVAC unit.

The Air Filters Need Changing More Often

It seems as if the filters get dirty a lot faster than they did in the past. Again, nothing has changed around the house, so there’s no apparent reason for the faster accumulation of dirt. The problem could be that you have more residue collecting in the air ducts.

While it’s great that the filters are catching so much of that residue, the frequent changing means buying filters more often. You also should consider that the filters aren’t preventing everything from circulating through the home. Cleaning the air ducts will allow the filters to last longer and also make the air in the home healthier.

The Air Emerging From the Vents Has an Unpleasant Odor

There’s an unpleasant scent that seems to linger in every room. No amount of cleaning gets rid of it. Even when you clean the carpeting, launder all the linens, and make sure there’s not a speck of dust in every room, the scent is still there. You only have to look as far as the air ducts to find the problem.

Cleaning the ducts gets rid of what’s causing the odor. Once the task is done, you’ll be surprised how much fresher each room smells.

When was the last time you had the air ducts cleaned? If you can’t remember, today is the perfect time to call and schedule a cleaning. You’ll enjoy the results in more than one way.