Ductwork is the often overlooked aspect of a homeowner’s HVAC system. And it is a system, not just a unit. When thinking about air conditioners and furnaces, you also must keep in mind items such as thermostats, insulation, and ductwork.
A big part of ductwork is making sure it is sealed properly and there are no leaks. However, making sure that ductwork is clean is also important. Dirty ductwork can lead to a decrease in home indoor air quality. Over the year, homes are being built much tighter than they were in the past. This, of course, is for energy efficiency reasons. Homeowners do not want to pay to heat or cool air that is going outside the home. But the unintended consequence of these tighter homes are that the indoor air quality of the house can be affected when fresh air is not being brought into the house.
If ductwork is not properly cleaned, items like pet dander, mildew, and pollen can build up. Once your HVAC unit begins to push air through the ducts, those airborne particles from the dirty ducts can be pushed through the entire house. This is especially important if people in the home suffer from allergies. In addition, this type of buildup in the ductwork can also lead to odors throughout the home.
And, of course, there is energy efficiency. A dirty and clogged duct system makes your HVAC unit work harder than it was intended. This causes two problems for a homeowner. First, the harder an HVAC unit works, the more energy it is using. An HVAC system already accounts for approximately 50% of the energy a home uses. If a homeowner has their ducts cleaned on a consistent basis, they will likely see a respectable savings in their monthly energy bills.
Secondly, having these products work harder affects how long it will be until you need to replace it. The fact that the furnace is not working as hard in the winter and the air conditioner is not working as hard in the summer will increase the life span of these products. The expectation when these products were designed and installed is that they would operate in a reasonably clean environment
The final benefit of getting a home’s ducts taking care of is simply the cleanliness of the home. Many homeowners are confused as to why their homes get especially dusty week after week — even though they stay on top of the dusting chore. This is because as the air cycles through the duct system, so does the dust and debris that is built up inside the ducts.
Your local HVAC contractor can most likely take care of this for you. An added benefit is having an HVAC contractor looking at your system on a consistent basis is that it will help them identify any other issues with the system. Many times, finding a problem early on becomes an easy fix for the trained professional and can prevent a larger repair needing to be done.