Our Most Frequently Asked Questions About Duct Cleaning

Duct Cleaning

Your home is more than just a place you spend time each day. It’s likely the place you feel safest. Within your home, you’re going to do what you...

Posted by Ryan | October 26, 2021

Your home is more than just a place you spend time each day. It’s likely the place you feel safest. Within your home, you’re going to do what you can to keep yourself and your family safe. Cleaning your ducts is a crucial part of keeping your home’s air clean and your home’s systems running smoothly.

If you’ve been told your ducts need cleaning during a furnace tune-up or you’ve had your ducts cleaned in the past, you may have questions on why they’re needed, how often they need to happen, and what they all entail.

To help answer all of your questions, these are our most frequently asked questions about duct cleaning.

How Often Do I Need Duct Cleaning?

One of the most common questions we answer is how often air ducts need to be cleaned. While it’s not the same for every home, you should have your air ducts cleaned every year. This regular cleaning will ensure your home has optimal air quality for you and your family.

In some cases, more frequent cleaning is needed. Depending on your home’s environment, more dust, dirt, and moisture may be accumulating in your ducts. A common cause of this is if you’re renovating your home or making serious changes.

How Does Duct Cleaning Improve Air Quality?

Your home’s air quality is likely something you don’t think of until it becomes a problem. Your home’s ducts play a huge role in this. As your home’s air ducts transport the air that travels through your home, it’s important to have them clear of any blockages or obstructions.

Even if there are no clear blockages in your ducts, smaller dust or dirt particles can make a difference. If these particles are in your ducts, your air quality is being lowered as it passes through the ducts. This poor air is then supplied to your home.

Does Where I Live Impact My Air Ducts?

Yes. Your home’s environment is a point you need to be aware of. This can be environmental factors such as the city you live in. For example, Calgary is a dry and dusty city, causing homes to accumulate more dust in their air ducts each year.

In addition to the city or town you live in, take into consideration your home’s community and what’s going on around you. In new, developing neighbourhoods, there will likely be more dust in the area due to construction. This extra dust could mean more frequent cleanings are needed.

One final environmental factor to be aware of is moisture. Although it may not seem like moisture could build up in your ducts, it can if there are other problems with your home’s systems. If this moisture is left uncleaned, mould can start to develop.

Dust from duct cleaning lying beside air vent

Can Clean Air Ducts Prevent Health Problems?

Did you know up to 50% of all respiratory illnesses are linked to poor air quality? This poor air quality can be caused by a variety of factors, such as dust, dirt, and mould. If these substances continue to accumulate in your air ducts, they can have serious effects on the health of you and your family.

While this is something that will not happen overnight, it will slowly grow worse as you live in your home. To protect your family’s health and prevent any issues from arising, regular duct cleaning is needed.

How Do I Know if My Ducts Need Cleaning?

Although we don’t recommend waiting to clean your ducts until warning signs arise, some signs cannot be ignored once you notice them.

As your home’s ducts are directly related to your air quality, having trouble breathing in your home shouldn’t be ignored. If you’re having a hard time breathing at home (even slightly harder than normal), a professional should be called to examine and clean your ducts.

Another warning sign for your home’s ducts is the smell they give off. Bad smells from your ducts aren’t something you should just put up with. If your ducts are beginning to smell, it could be a sign of dust, dirt, or mould build-up.

Finally, you need to be aware of rodent infestations. Aside from the negative experience of actually having rodents in your home, your air ducts need to be taken into consideration. If you’re dealing with an infestation or have cleared one in the past, your air ducts need to be cleaned. The droppings from rodents can cause blockages in your HVAC system and create awful smells in your home’s air.

Our Team’s Here to Help

As a homeowner, you want to do what you can to keep your home a safe and enjoyable place to relax and spend time. Our team is here to help you do just that. To learn more about our duct cleaning or our other HVAC services, give us a call!