Why do I need to get air duct cleaning services? Because your ducts are probably dirty? Or is there more to it than what we think?

Unless your HVAC system is new or you got them cleaned recently, your air ducts and different other components such as filters, fans, heat exchangers, and cooling coils are all covered in tons of dust. There are a lot of reasons why your air ducts might be dirty and you might think you need your ducts cleaned.

Maybe you have pets or maybe there are members of your family with asthma or there’s just too much visible dust in your ducts. I mean, some people are more sensitive to air quality than others, right?

It might seem very intuitive to hire the best air duct cleaning service out there and get your ducts clean, to remove all that filthy dirt and other contaminants from your HVAC system, but there’s a catch. And there’s a chance that you might make it worse than it already is.

The Reality

Most homeowners think that dirty-looking ducts are a sign that you need to get your ducts clean, or getting regular duct cleaning services is important. Especially if one of the family members suffers from some sort of breathing problem.

You don’t want to wait till one of your family members starts suffering from bad air inside your house. Cleaning your ducts should make the air in your house cleaner, right?

Turns out it’s not always the case. As a matter of fact, it might be the complete opposite in a few scenarios. Most companies out there will try to get you to hire them and make these claims and even say stuff like, “Studies show this… studies show that….”

Most of the claims that these companies make have no research to back them up. Here are some of the claims that these companies make and the reality behind them.

Regular duct cleaning makes the air in your household cleaner.

Regular cleaning does not make the air in your house clean. You will come in contact with a lot more pollutants just by taking a walk outside than by staying in your house for a week. The air in most households is a lot cleaner already.

Dust in your ducts can make the air in your house dirty.

Most dust that is adhered to your ducts stays there and won’t end up in your house. So getting your ducts cleaned just because there is dust in the ducts will not make any difference. Though cleaning can make it worse as the process of cleaning stirs up the settled dust and then air pushes it out into your household. Causing your air to be dirtier right after getting your ducts cleaned.

Households with people who have breathing disorders need regular duct cleaning.

This too is not a valid point. Air quality is not affected by mere dust in your ducts, and unless the person is actually facing breathing difficulty in your house. It’s really not required for you to get your ducts cleaned. Even if they are facing breathing difficulties. You should still check for other sources of irritants around your house. It could be a dirty rug or a pet.

So that means duct cleaning is completely unnecessary? No. there are still times when you need your ducts cleaned, here we’ll discuss a few of them.

When do your ducts need cleaning?

Now, here are a few scenarios that might require you to hire an air duct cleaning service.

1. New house or new HVAC system

Before you fire up your new HVAC system, you might want to get it cleaned. The thing is construction is a messy process. And the workers don’t really give cleanliness much importance.

Remember how your house looked right after construction was completed. Now imagine what might be in your HVAC system. Debris, wrappers, sawdust or maybe much more dangerous, steel nails or other metallic construction objects.

That can seriously damage the components of your HVAC system like fans, etc. hiring air duct cleaning service for your air ducts and other parts of HVAC cleaned is crucial here.

2. Mold growth

If there is some serious visible mold growth and/or breathing problems. This is recommended getting your ducts inspected regularly and ask the inspector for proof of mold growth before hiring anything. Most of these services offer a free inspection so there’s no real reason to not get them inspected.

3. Pest or rodent infestation

Get your ducts cleaned if there are rodents or other insects in your ducts.

4. Clogged ducts or noise from your ducts

If there is excessive dust or debris that blows out when u turn your HVAC system on, or you can hear rattling in your ducts.