Duct Cleaning Salt Lake City is a necessary home maintenance project, especially if you have pets, recently completed remodeling, or smoke in the house. The process involves using powerful vacuums to suck away dirt and dust from all ventilation pipes.
An experienced contractor will start by closing all the vents to create negative pressure and then move through each room, opening and closing each register to vacuum and agitate the ductwork.
Dirty Ducts Can Cause Allergies
The dust and debris that accumulates in air ducts over time often contains common allergens like pet dander, mold spores, and bacteria. Those contaminants become airborne when the HVAC system runs, and they can circulate throughout your home, making you sick. Air duct cleaning services remove those contaminants and improve the quality of your indoor air.
You should have your air ducts cleaned if you or your family members experience unexplained health issues, such as headaches, fatigue, and dizziness. It’s also a good idea to have your air ducts cleaned if there has been smoke from nearby wildfires in your area and that smoke has seeped into the air vents.
Dirty ducts can make you and your family members sick by circulating allergens throughout the home. This can aggravate existing respiratory conditions and lead to irritated eyes, nose, and throat. If you have asthma or an auto-immune disorder, it can be even more serious for your health. Newborns are especially sensitive to these harmful pollutants, as they can cause breathing difficulties.
Research has shown that people with pulmonary health conditions benefit from routine air duct cleaning. Family members who suffer from allergies can also notice their symptoms are worsening. This is because the circulating allergens can cause more frequent and longer-lasting attacks.
Air duct cleaning involves cleaning all of your air ducts, drip pans, drain pans, grilles, diffusers, heating and cooling coils, fan housing, and the fan motor. Your HVAC service provider will also inspect the air handler and plenums to be sure they are clean. If your HVAC system is in the attic, it’s a good idea to have an attic cleanup before you schedule air duct cleaning.
When you have your ducts cleaned, your family will need to stay away from the house for several hours. This is because the HVAC technician will need to access the air handler and plenums, which are usually in the attic or basement. You should arrange your schedule so that your kids, babies, and pets are out of the house during this period. You should also close the doors to any rooms that you don’t want the technician to enter.
Ducts Can Lead to Mold Growth
Mold spores are everywhere, and they will latch onto any porous surface they can find. This is especially true of ducts that collect and trap water due to condensation. Unfortunately, this moisture can lead to a variety of issues.
One of the most serious concerns is that mold will release spores into the air as it grows. This can cause respiratory problems for those with allergies and asthma. It can also produce musty odors and create an uninhabitable environment for anyone who resides in the home.
The best way to determine if your ducts are contaminated with toxic black mold is to hire a qualified environmental professional. They will use lab testing to positively identify mold and other fungi in the ductwork and determine whether it has spread throughout the house.
It is possible to clean mold from ducts at home, but the procedure can be difficult and dangerous to do yourself. If you have a mild case, you may be able to wipe away visible mold spots with a mixture of bleach and water. However, this is not a permanent solution, as the problem likely stems from inside the ductwork itself and will return.
Another way to prevent mold from growing in your ducts is to hire a professional for regular maintenance. They will ensure that your HVAC system is running efficiently and will be able to keep humidity levels low.
In addition, you should invest in an air purifier with HEPA filters to help filter out mold spores and other contaminants before they can reach the surface of the ducts. This is a more long-term solution and will help protect your health and that of your family members.
It is important to be home when your air duct cleaner arrives. They will need to be able to show you where the vents are located and answer any questions you might have for them. It is also a good idea to remove any fragile items that could be damaged by the cleaning equipment and make sure your children’s beds are not directly under the air vents.
Ducts Can Lead to Odors
If you smell a foul, musty odor in your home, it may be caused by a mold or mildew problem in your return air ducts. If left untreated, the mold spores will be circulated throughout your entire home and cause respiratory problems over time.
A musty odor may also indicate that your ductwork is infested with rodents or insects. Rodents and insects are attracted to warm, moist areas such as ductwork and often find their way in through open vents or even unfinished attics and crawlspaces. Once inside the ductwork they can create further problems, including rodent droppings that will spread throughout your house.
Using a deodorizer such as vinegar, baking soda or fragrant essential oils might help to mask the odor until you can get the ductwork cleaned. It’s best to leave this task to a professional who follows NADCA guidelines for duct cleaning.
Another common reason to have your ductwork cleaned is after construction or remodeling. Even though contractors are supposed to seal off work areas, dirt and debris can find its way into the ductwork. Once again, a professional duct cleaner will follow proper procedures for cleaning the ductwork without causing further damage to the system.
Other indicators that it’s time for a duct cleaning include a noticeable difference in your home’s temperature, unexplained illness or a dusty appearance around the registers and vents. If you have pets, it’s especially important to keep up with their duct cleaning, as pet dander can build up and circulate in the house.
When you have a dirty duct system, your HVAC equipment has to work harder to heat and cool your home, which can reduce its life span and increase your utility bills. Additionally, a dirty duct system can make you and your family sick by circulating allergens, bacteria and contaminants throughout the home. This is commonly known as Sick Building Syndrome and can be particularly problematic for asthmatics and newborn babies. Duct cleaning can help to eliminate these harmful contaminants, thereby enhancing the air quality in your home. This will not only lead to healthier, happier families, but also a more efficient use of your energy.
Ducts Can Lead to Damage
While it seems logical that air ducts would get dirty and should be cleaned periodically, there is some controversy about whether this is a good idea or not. Regardless, it’s important to consider the potential harm that can be done by dirty ducts.
Dirty ducts may lead to health problems and damage your home. If you notice that you or someone in your family is experiencing allergies, wheezing or coughing, you may want to have your ducts cleaned. Air pollutants like dust, dander and mold can accumulate in your ducts over time. These contaminants are then circulated throughout your home, which can trigger these symptoms.
It’s also important to have your ducts cleaned if you’ve recently moved into a new home or finished a renovation project. The dust from construction and renovation can settle in your ducts, leading to problems later on. In addition, if you have a rodent infestation, dead rats and mice can make their way into your ducts, which can cause bad smells and other issues.
If you have a smoker in your house, it’s also a good idea to get your ducts cleaned regularly. Smoke can cause damage to ducts, making them more difficult to clean. In addition, if you have pets that shed, animal dander can collect in your ducts and become the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and other types of fungus.