The most common solution that homeowners think of when it comes to respiratory problems, is to clean the ducts in their home. It is a universal misconception that clean air ducts produce good quality, clean air.

Of course, getting the air ducts cleaned regularly is important in the world of appliance repair and maintenance but it does not have much to do with health benefits. In fact, it is a little-known fact that the actual process of duct cleaning increases the amount of dust, causing more harm than help.

It is very natural to want to clean the ducts but studies have shown that most of the accumulated dust particles are in reality, harmless and do not merge with the air present inside your house. In contrast, using heavy cleaning equipment disturbs these particles from rest and spreads them over, leading to bigger problems.

Unfortunately, very little information is present surrounding the subject of clean air ducts and health. A study done by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency measuring levels of dust and HVAC efficiency found that cleaning out the air ducts had no significant impact on either the dust levels or system performance.

A misconception regarding clean air ducts is that it saves energy. It is a belief that dirty and heavy ducts increases the electricity load and consequently, wastes energy. Of course, cleanliness of apparatuses in general is a good habit but the process of cleaning the ducts saves a negligible amount of actual energy. This is because of inefficient cleaning equipment, lousy insulation and improper sealing of ducts after the cleaning process. Thus, there is more waste than power saving involved while cleaning the ducts of your heating and cooling system.

Another common reason people are eager to clean ducts is the suspicion of mold in the air vents. That being said, mold growth usually begins with an excess of moisture which indicates that the air ducts are not likely to be the source of the problem. In such a situation, it is recommended you check the air conditioner’s evaporator coils which are more probable to cause the growth of mold and other bacteria.

So here’s when you should actually consider getting appliance air ducts cleaned:

1. Insect/rodent infestation
2. Massive amounts of stored debris or dust
3. Substantial mold growth in the coils and ducts

There is nothing better than regular maintenance and service when facing appliance issues. When it comes to HVAC equipment, it is recommended you change the air filters at frequent time intervals to keep all dust and allergy-causing particles out of your house. Monthly filter checks should be carried out and air filters should be replaced with new ones every couple of months.

We hope that you have now realized that cleaning the air ducts is not the one-stop solution for indoor air quality or any other issues as well. As always, to prevent these occurrences from ever happening, it is best to get your appliances repaired by a professional repair service like HWisel to help you understand exactly what your problem may be! Visit https://hwiseliot.com for more information.

This blog has been written by taking the following article as a reference point: Considering having your air ducts cleaned? Think again. – The Washington Post

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