Did you know that there are good reasons both for and against scheduling your HVAC system’s air ducts to be cleaned this summer in Rockledge, FL? Read on to learn what’s involved in professional ductwork cleaning, reasons to get your air ducts cleaned and reasons you may want to put off this task.

What’s Involved in Air Duct Cleaning

It takes professional equipment and HVAC system knowledge to fully clean the air ducts of an HVAC system. Your local, highly trained HVAC contractor will use specialized blowers, vacuums and brushes to get the job done. The technician should also clean the coils, housing, motors, fans, grilles, registers and air handler as part of the job.

The EPA is highly concerned with biological growth and with infestations of bugs and rodents. In fact, those are the only reasons that the EPA says ductwork should be cleaned. The EPA’s laser focus on biological growth and infestations means HVAC contractors are sure to check for humidity-related problems and for bug and rodent infestations.

The ductwork in your Rockledge, FL, home is more susceptible to bacterial growth than those in homes located in less humid areas of the nation. Additionally, bugs and rodents commonly seek shelter in the air ducts of homes if the air duct system provides easy access. You can expect the contractor to look for these problems in your ductwork.

Should you have a biological growth or infestation problem, the contractor will let you know and advise you to contact the appropriate specialist to take care of it. Once that issue has been resolved, the contractor will clean your ductwork plus the coils, housing and motors.

Reasons to Have Air Ducts Professionally Cleaned

Good reasons to have your HVAC system’s ductwork cleaned generally include better air quality and efficiency. While the EPA recommends cleaning when biological growth or infestation is present, there are many other reasons to have your ductwork cleaned.

A home’s occupants often contribute to poor air quality. Examples include:

• A household member who smokes
• A recently ill resident
• Housepets
• Recent home renovations

Your air ducts may be sufficiently clean for most people. However, some people are particularly susceptible to and negatively affected by poor air quality, such as those with allergies or asthma, young children and the elderly. Their health needs require the air quality that clean air ducts help to create.

Your air ducts could need cleaning for other reasons. Here are some examples:

• Buildup of dirt that causes inefficient use of power
• Water contamination
• Damage to the home or its HVAC system

Reasons to Wait to Have Air Ducts Professionally Cleaned

In some cases, it’s not necessary to have air ducts professionally cleaned. Because this service costs a few hundred dollars, you want to conduct a miniature inspection of your air ducts and vents to be absolutely sure that the air ducts need cleaning.

Carefully look inside your most easily accessible vents to check for a buildup of dirt, bacterial growth or other debris. If you’re unsure, a technician can advise you when they perform maintenance on your HVAC system. You may not need duct cleaning if:

• The air ducts are not dirty enough to affect the health of occupants.
• They are not dirty enough to increase utility costs.
• They do not contain bacteria overgrowth.

There comes a time when poor air quality or HVAC system inefficiency necessitates professional air duct cleaning. If you’ve determined that it is time to have your air ducts cleaned, contact us at Ellington Air Conditioning and Heating. If you’re unsure whether your ducts need cleaning, we can perform a quick inspection and offer our professional insights.

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