subject: How To Tell If Your Ducts Need Cleaning [print this page] Duct cleaning usually isn't at the top of most folks' to do list, even if they are aware of what it can do for indoor air quality. To be sure if you need your ducts cleaned there are several considerations to think about.
To begin, what feeling do you get when you breathe deeply inside your house? If breathing your indoor air causes any kind of irritation or discomfort you indoor air is not what it could be. To get a more accurate gauge, walk outside for a while, breathing deeply, and then go inside and take you first deep breath well inside your home. Usually the indoor air feels quite stuffy compared to outdoor air. Having your ducts cleaned will improve the smell of you homes' air, and make it easier on those with allergies or other breathing problems. Though there is no hard evidence either way about the benefits of duct cleaning, this pertains to the nature of the business itself, if you think about it. As small, local businesses there arent many duct cleaners inclined to sponsor a study.
Also, are there dogs or cats in your house? Animals shed quite a bit of both skin cells and fur (or feathers), and they greatly contribute to the dust mite population. There are a lot of potential allergens coming of Fido, and its getting into your air supply. Animal dander causes many allegic reactions in people, and if you have pets that dander is throughout your house. Not mention what animals smell like - have you ever received a good whiff after they got wet inadvertently? No matter how much you love them (and their smell) are you sure you want your house to smell like that? Perhaps. But will any visitors to your home feel the same way?
How many people live in your home? In the same vein as pets, the more people there are in the home the more stuff comes off our bodies and goes into the air. Skin cells are the number one constituent of household dust, and the more people there are in the house, the more skin in the ducts there will be. People also track things into the home and drop stuff that finds its' way into the ductwork. This can literally be anything, from garbage to food to fishing lures. There's a clear relationship between the amount of people and animals in a home and the amount of debris in the ducts.
Next, how much moisture is downstairs? Many a new homeowner has called us because they tore up the carpet or drywall to find black mould setting up shop in their home. If the amount of growth isn't too extensive the homeowner should be able to take care of the walls and floors themselves, but duct cleaning requires specific skill and equipment. If you're in doubt you should get your ducts cleaned anyway, as mould is very dangerous to long term health.
This list is not exhaustive, as you should also consider other factors; whether you've had recent renovations, put in a new furnace, if anyone smokes inside your home, the position of your cold air return vents (floor vs. walls), and more.
What it comes down is living in a clean house. To be considered clean, a home must be clean throughout. And for that to be the case the ducts must be clean too. The schedule on which someone gets their ducts cleaned will hinge on the factors above, but the fact is that all ducts need to be cleaned at some point.
So the final reply to the question Do I need to have my ducts cleaned? is yes. How often you get it done is up to you.
