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 frequently your air filter has been swapped out, to name a few—you may adjust your air duct cleaning more or less regularly. So, how can you know for sure when it’s time to have your ducts cleaned? There are definitely some revealing signs when it’s time.

Look for these clues:

  1. Are your cold air returns coated with dust or pet hair?
  2. Is there an obstruction in your cold air return vent?
  3. Are your registers wafting out dust?
  4. When you gaze inside with a flashlight, can you see a collection of debris or pet fur?
  5. Have insects or rodents nestled in your ductwork?
  6. Can you hear noise other than your blower motor when you listen to the airflow?
  7. When your vents are fully opened, do any have less airflow than others?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it’s probably time to ask Fleming Heating & Air Conditioning Inc in South Beloit and Belvidere about air duct cleaning.

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

First and foremost, setup routine HVAC maintenance with the experts at Fleming Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. A tune-up of your furnace each fall and your AC each spring, which should include inspection, and possible replacement, of your air filter, will help keep your HVAC system operating effectively, and will help keep your ducts clean.

You can also converse with the team at Fleming Heating & Air Conditioning Inc 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 actions you can take include:

  • Frequently dusting and vacuuming your home.
  • Examining your air filters routinely and exchanging them when the manufacturer recommends replacing them. Most filters will show dust on them after a brief stint in service, but they may not need exchanging.
  • Sealing seepages in air ducts that permit dust to enter from areas like your attic.
  • Trading poor or impaired air-duct insulation.

With a professional air duct cleaning and some proactive measures, you can help keep the air in your South Beloit and Belvidere home clean and healthy. Give the experts at Fleming Heating & Air Conditioning Inc a call at 877-389-2465.