However, the EPA recommends it if fuel is burned. Indoor Air Pollution · A Guide to Indoor Air Quality · Printable Version You may consider cleaning your air ducts simply because it seems logical that the air ducts become dirty over time and be cleaned from time to time. As long as cleaning is done correctly, there is no evidence to suggest that such cleaning is harmful. EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned routinely, but only when necessary.
However, the EPA recommends that if you have a furnace, stove, or fireplace that burns fuel, it be inspected for proper operation and serviced before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. The average duct system needs to be cleaned every two to five years. If your system is properly maintained and filters are changed twice a year, you can increase the time between professional cleanings. If your system has never been cleaned and has been active on your property for more than three years, it will likely need to be cleaned.
Even a single season can accumulate enough dust and debris in your system to make it less efficient than it was when it was first installed. Professional air duct cleaners use commercial-grade vacuum systems and electric brushes to loosen and remove dirt and debris from your home's HVAC system. Dirty air ducts force the heating and cooling system to work harder, spending more energy on less efficient operation. While there are some benefits to cleaning and maintaining HVAC equipment, that benefit is relatively small and the little energy waste can be attributed to dirty ducts or equipment.
Companies that perform duct cleaning often advertise health benefits or suggest that duct cleaning will reduce your energy bills by improving the efficiency of your system. The CMHC researchers found that when duct cleaners also cleaned the fan blades, there was a small reduction in airborne particles. While ducts are usually round, they can be molded into all sorts of shapes depending on how the ducts must be routed through the house to properly disperse and return the air conditioning. While many of these products can legally be used inside unlined ducts if all directions on the label are followed, some of the instructions on the label may be inappropriate for use in ducts.
Cleaning should be done when moving to a new house, especially if the previous owner was a smoker, pet owner, or if he did not repair the ducts in the past three years. A careless or improperly trained service provider can damage ducts or heating and cooling systems, possibly increasing your heating and cooling costs or forcing you to perform difficult and costly repairs or replacements. But the reality is that ducts only need to be cleaned in exceptional cases when there is serious contamination. You can consider cleaning the air ducts simply because it seems logical that the air ducts become dirty over time and be cleaned from time to time.
You have probably seen an ad, received a coupon in the mail, or have been contacted directly by a company that offers you to clean your air ducts as a means of improving the quality of the indoor air in your home. Don't make the mistake of thinking that because you have a filter in your system, your ducts don't need to be cleaned. Knowledge about air duct cleaning is in its early stages, so a general recommendation cannot be offered on whether you should clean the air ducts in your home. .
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