How to Tell if Your Ducts Need to be Cleaned

February 09, 2017

 

On average, air ducts need to be cleaned every three to five years according to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association. Contingent on a lot of factors—like your home’s location, how many pets you have, and how regularly your air filter has been changed, to name a few—you may adjust your air duct cleaning more or less regularly. So, how can you know for sure when it’s time to have your ducts cleaned? There are certainly some telltale signs when it’s time.

Look for these clues:

  1. Are your cold air returns covered with dust or pet hair?
  2. Is there an obstruction in your cold air return vent?
  3. Are your registers carrying out dust?
  4. When you check inside with a flashlight, can you see a buildup of debris or pet fur?
  5. Have insects or rodents found shelter in your ductwork?
  6. Can you hear sound other than your blower motor when you listen to the airflow?
  7. When your vents are fully opened, do any have not as much airflow than others?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it’s probably time to ask Gopher Heating and Air Conditioning in Savage about air duct cleaning.

Prolonging Time Between Air Duct Cleaning
There are some things you can do to help keep your ducts cleaner and lengthen the period of time between professional cleanings.

Mostly importantly, schedule annual HVAC maintenance with the experts at Gopher Heating and Air Conditioning. A tune-up of your furnace each fall and your AC each spring, which should comprise of inspection, and possible replacement, of your air filter, will help keep your HVAC system running well, and should help keep your ducts clean.

You can also chat with the team at Gopher Heating and Air Conditioning about installing an air purification system. We offer the Lennox PureAir Air Purification System, Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16 Media Air Cleaner, Healthy Climate 11 Media Air Cleaner, Healthy Climate High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filtration System and Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Lights.

Other steps you can take include:

  • Frequently dusting and vacuuming your home.
  • Checking your air filters habitually and replacing them when the manufacturer recommends exchanging them. Most filters will display dust on them after a brief stint in service, but they may not demand changing.
  • Sealing drips in air ducts that permit dust to come in from areas like your attic.
  • Trading poor or broken air-duct insulation.

With an expert air duct cleaning and some preventive measures, you can help keep the air in your Savage home clean and healthy. Give the professionals at Gopher Heating and Air Conditioning a call at 952-373-0377.