Q & A: Should you have your air ducts cleaned?

Posted by Ben Thompson on 10.5.12

Q: Should you have your air ducts cleaned?

A: Signs your air ducts need to be cleaned:

1.) You can see substantial mold growth inside your ducts or on other parts of our HVAC unit. Mold can only be determined by an expert and may need to be sent to a lab for confirmation.

2.) If you have insulated air ducts and your insulation has gotten wet or moldy. Once insulation is wet or moldy in can no longer be effectively cleaned and should be removed or replaced. You need to also address the issue causing the growth of the mold or the mold will return.

3.) Your ducts are infested with rodents or insects.

4) Ducts are clogged with a large amount of dust and debris.

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) states that since conditions in every household are different, it is impossible to generalize about whether or not air duct cleaning in our home would be beneficial. If no one in your home suffers from allergies or unexplained symptoms or illnesses and if, after a visual inspection of he inside of the ducts, you see no indication that your air ducts are contaminated with large deposits of dust or mold (no musty odor or visible mold growth), the EPA says having your air ducts cleaned is probably unnecessary. However, if family members are experiencing unusual or unexplained symptoms or illnesses that you think might be related to your home environment, you should discuss the situation with your doctor.

Cost:

Typically this type of service can range from $450 to $1000 per heating and cooling system.

For more information on this and other topics visit: http://www.epa.gov/

 

Topics: Love Where You Live