Why Duct Maintenance Influences Both Health and Home Efficiency
HVAC maintenance plans often include inspections and cleanings of your coils and thermostat, as well as pressure/leak tests. Ducts aren’t always included in annual cleaning, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored year after year.
Dirty ducts affect more than your HVAC system’s cooling and heating; they also reduce efficiency, which drives up your bills. Your health depends on clean ducts, too. When you fail to maintain your system’s ducts, a lot can go wrong, which is why duct maintenance services are so important.
The Connection Between HVAC and Respiratory Health
When your HVAC system is properly maintained, it helps protect you from allergens and germs. MERV filters capture microscopic particles like dust mites, mold spores, pet dander, and pollen. There’s another piece of the puzzle that is often overlooked.
Reducing allergens lowers the risk of chronic allergies. But what do you do if the ducts are the problem? An HVAC system also helps remove excess humidity from your home. A home with humidity between 30% and 50% is ideal because it keeps dust mites from thriving and doesn’t provide the optimal conditions for mold spores.
If humidity levels are below 30%, your mucus membranes dry out. That makes it easier for viruses to sneak in and make you sick. It also triggers a dry cough that further irritates your throat tissue.
When humidity levels rise past 50%, mold spores and dust mites thrive. Those two common allergy and asthma triggers make you sick, and the symptoms won’t go away without getting mold and dust mites under control or seeking help from an allergist.
Duct walls become the perfect breeding ground for mold spores. Moisture lines the dark ducts, encouraging mold to grow and spread throughout your home.
Regularly replacing your HVAC system’s MERV filter helps protect it. Most homes need to change the filter every three months or less.
Adding features like UV lights provides an extra layer of protection. Berkeley Lab reports that extended UV exposure reduces bacteria and mold by up to 99%. A VA hospital equipped with ultraviolet germicidal lights (UVGI) experienced 90% fewer flu outbreaks than a nearby hospital without UVGI.
However, duct maintenance is also important. It’s something you should do regularly. A general guideline is to have them cleaned and maintained every five years. If your home has many residents or pets, you might want to reduce that to three years. If you live alone, you may be able to go more than five years without problems.
Efficiency Starts With Proper Airflow
A clogged air filter and leaky ducts can increase energy consumption by up to 45.5%. For optimal efficiency, clean, inspected ducts are essential. You don’t want cooled or heated air leaking into your walls, basement, or crawlspace.
The study examined pressure drops and fan energy consumption across various scenarios, including blocking dust with wood, foam board, or linen sheets. In each case, pressure drops were observed. The results underscore the importance of regularly changing air filters and keeping ducts clear of blockages from construction dust, pet hair, and other particles.
When your ducts are clogged or leaking air through holes or cracks, the system works harder to reach the temperature set on the thermostat. This extra work strains motors, fans, and other essential components. Your HVAC keeps running, so your utilities don’t get a break. You’re running up electricity and gas bills 24/7. Clean, repaired ducts reduce your bills and improve energy efficiency.
Don’t-Miss Signs That Your Ducts Need Maintenance ASAP
How do you know when duct maintenance is overdue? Watch for these signs.
- Dust Clouds – Your HVAC system turns on, and you see a sudden burst of dust from the registers. You notice your furniture and floors are getting covered in more dust than usual.
- Increased Allergies – Your allergies have been out of control recently. Nothing you do at home seems to help, but the symptoms ease when you leave home.
- Musty or New Smells – You come back from errands or work, and your home smells musty. There’s a musty odor you’ve never encountered before. It might smell like burnt rubber, plastic, or metal.
- Recent Home Improvements – You had your kitchen remodeled, which created a lot of construction dust. You might have had your carpeting replaced, and loads of dust and dirt settled on the plywood. Home improvements stir up dust and debris that settle in the ducts.
- Short Filter Life – You used to have to change your air filters every other month. Suddenly, you’re changing them every month because they’re dirtier than ever.
- Uneven Room Temperature – Despite the thermostat being set to 70, your living room doesn’t get warmer than 65. Meanwhile, your bedroom is at 75 because your furnace keeps trying to get your living room to the desired temperature.
- Unusual Noises – When your HVAC system cycles on, off, or is running, it’s making noises you’ve never heard before. There’s a whistling that wakes you up or rattling that indicates something has changed.
Types of Duct Maintenance and How They’re Completed
Air Blue specializes in duct cleaning, maintenance, and sealing for homeowners and businesses in Chicagoland and the surrounding suburbs.
1. Duct Cleaning and Maintenance
Registers and air vents are sealed with tape and heavy-duty plastic. Once sealed, technicians use heavy-duty portable vacuums to create negative air pressure that pulls out allergens, debris, and dust. Tools that dislodge build-up are used to remove stuck-on grime. Everything is pulled into the vacuum to be removed from the home.
We can use cameras to examine the ducts for holes and cracks. If they’re discovered, duct sealing or repairs may become necessary. Physical examination of exposed ducts helps technicians identify areas where the ducts may have separated and require repair.
2. Duct Sealing
Duct sealing is a process that seals even the smallest pinhole leaks to prevent air loss. Using Aeroseal’s duct sealing process, our technicians seal your HVAC system’s ducts from the inside. We don’t damage your walls to reach every section of the ductwork. The process is completed in several steps.
- Ducts are pressurized.
- Return registers and supplies are taped over to prevent air from escaping.
- A fan pumps air into the ducts to pressurize them.
- A non-toxic aerosolized sealant is injected into the system, where it remains suspended in the air as it travels through the ducts.
- Any air leaks are filled by this aerosolized sealant, creating a durable, flexible bond.
- A computer monitors the process, helping reduce leaks.
There’s no mess, and computers provide a precise application. Best of all, the duct sealant is warrantied for 10 years.
NATE-certified HVAC technicians perform Air Blue’s duct repairs, sealing, and maintenance. We provide a 100% satisfaction guarantee with every job we complete. Give us a call to schedule a free estimate today.
