How to Tell if Your Ducts Need to be Cleaned

February 09, 2017

 

Generally, air ducts need to be cleaned every three to five years according to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association. Contingent on a lot of factors—like your home’s location, whether or not you have pets, and how regularly your air filter has been changed, to name a handful—you may require air duct cleaning more or less often. So, how can you find out for sure when it’s time to have your ducts cleaned? There are definitely some significant signs when it’s time.

Look for these clues:

  1. Are your cold air returns caked with dust or pet hair?
  2. Is there a blockage in your cold air return vent?
  3. Are your registers blowing out dust?
  4. When you look inside with a flashlight, can you see a buildup of debris or pet fur?
  5. Have insects or rodents made a home in your ductwork?
  6. Can you hear clatter other than your blower motor when you listen to the airflow?
  7. When your vents are fully opened, do any have not as much airflow than others?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it’s most likely time to ask A&M Heating & Cooling LLC in Tucson about air duct cleaning.

Prolonging Time Between Air Duct Cleaning
There are a couple things you can do to help keep your ducts cleaner and extend the amount of time between specialized cleanings.

Mostly importantly, schedule regular HVAC maintenance with the professionals at A&M Heating & Cooling LLC. A maintenance check of your furnace each fall and your AC each spring, which should include inspection, and potential replacement, of your air filter, will help keep your HVAC system functioning effectively, and will help keep your ducts clean.

You can also chat with the team at A&M Heating & Cooling LLC about installing an air purification system. We provide the Lennox PureAir Air Purification System, Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16 Media Air Cleaner, Healthy Climate 11 Media Air Cleaner, Healthy Climate High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filtration System and Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Lights.

Other measures you can take include:

  • Regularly dusting and vacuuming your home.
  • Checking your air filters routinely and replacing them when the manufacturer recommends replacing them. Most filters will present dust on them after a short period in service, but they may not require changing.
  • Sealing drips in air ducts that let dust to enter from areas like your attic.
  • Exchanging poor or broken air-duct insulation.

With a professional air duct cleaning and some proactive measures, you can help keep the air in your Tucson home clean and healthy. Give the professionals at A&M Heating & Cooling LLC a call at 520-200-1048.