Dirt in the air ducts of your home can negatively impact your health as well as your budget. Dirty air ducts can certainly reduce the air quality in your home, increase the level of potentially harmful allergens and become the home for mold. Heating and cooling systems run at their best when they deliver air through clean ducts, when the ducts are dusty, dirty and full of airborne debris the result can be an unintentional increase in your HVAC bill of 20 percent or more. As part of a home maintenance routine it is important to have the ducts inspected and if necessary, cleaned.
There are numerous contaminates that can clog the air ducts in your home:
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Dust: Dust is by far the most common problem. Any home, regardless of how clean it may appear, contains a significant amount of dust. It is not just dust as we think of it; it can be animal dander, animal hair, ash from air pollution, the remains of dead bugs and more, including harmful pollen. All of this dirt in air ducts gets recycled time after time causing irritation and is the leading cause of allergies.
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Vermin: Mice and their larger cousins, rats, are capable of going just about anywhere they please. Vermin love to nest in quiet places where there is no chance of disturbance; exactly the environment provided by an air duct. These animals are a huge source of fleas plus the fact that they will leave droppings which can lead to disease.
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Mold: If condensation forms in the air ducts the result will invariably be the growth of mold. Mold spores travel on air currents, exactly what is inside an air duct. When the spores get blown throughout the house they will begin growing when they find a source of water. Mold is dangerous, the results can be a serious allergic reaction, headaches, nausea and respiratory problems.
As you can readily see, dirt in air ducts can be a major problem; fortunately there are companies with the tools, skill and experience to deal eliminate the problem.
