Your home’s air ducts directly affect the quality of your indoor air, so it’s good to know exactly how they work—and how you should take care of them.
Duct cleaning generally refers to the cleaning of various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems, including the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers, heat exchangers heating and cooling coils, condensate drain pans (drip pans), fan motor and fan housing, and the air handling unit housing.
If not properly installed, maintained, and operated, these components may become contaminated with particles of dust, pollen or other debris.
Even worse, if moisture is present, the potential for microbiological growth (e.g., mold) is increased and spores from such growth may be released into the home’s living space. Some of these contaminants may cause allergic reactions or other symptoms in people if they are exposed to them.
If you decide to have your heating and cooling system cleaned, make sure you hire a qualified service provider agrees to clean all components of the system. Failure to clean even one component can result in the re-contamination of the entire system. Typically, a service provider will use specialized tools to dislodge dirt and other debris in ducts, then vacuum them out with a high-powered vacuum cleaner.
