Your air ducts are the link between every room in your home. Even the best ventilation system can still fall victim to the pitfalls of the dusty, dark, and damp environment of a duct. Indeed, every duct is the perfect breeding ground for dust, and dust is the perfect breeding ground for common vent allergens like dust mites, bacteria, molds, fungi, and spores. Your health can be affected by living things in every duct of your home. Do you feel like you have a cold or allergy that just won’t go away? Symptoms like watery, itchy eyes and sneezing are common for persons with dust allergies, so the quality of the air in your home has much to do with your health and the health of the people you love. Dust allergies affect 20 million people in the United States, so every air duct in your home has the potential to affect your health in ways you’ve likely never imagined. When you look into a beam of sunlight streaming through your windows, what do you see? Every one of those small floating dust particles that travels through your air ducts can contain mold spores, pieces of cockroaches, and pet dander.

According to the USDA, one pinch of dust in any duct of your home can harbor more than 1000 species of bacteria and up to a million organisms. Reducing your exposure to dust is the best strategy for good health, and this is why duct cleaning is so important. Other common maladies that can be mitigated with proper duct cleaning include: Many people find that cleaning the ducts in their home immediately improves the quality of the air they’re breathing. Cleaning ducts means cleaner air because allergens are removed from the air conditioning or heating system that serves the indoor environment. Your air duct cleaning cost will have much to do with the size of your home or office. At JRCC, we are pleased to be able to offer our cleaning service for ducts to both homeowners and professional companies, because the air you breathe at work is just as important as the air you breathe at home. To find out more about your cost, give us a call (888) 765-4138, or fill our contact form, and a professional will help you determine a price for cleaning ducts in your ventilation system.

What Would Bob Do? Dust is everywhere—even in your house's ductwork. But is it really necessary to clean out your air ducts? Let's look at the pros and cons. I am moving into a new home. The previous owners had a dog. I am wondering if cleaning the air ducts is worthwhile. Anyone had it done? Cleaning air ducts makes a lot of sense, at least in theory. Because dust gradually accumulates on virtually every surface, doesn’t it stand to reason that it would build up to an intolerable degree in the mostly untended HVAC ductwork that runs throughout your home? cleaning leather sofa with doveYes, air ducts get dusty. cost of cleaning air conditioning coilsBut while air duct cleaning doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t always help either. laptop cooling fan price in bd

There are certainly occasions when it’s appropriate, but there are a lot of times when it’s simply not necessary. 1. In most homes, dust collects within a safe range. Your furnace or air conditioning filters trap a high percentage of particles in the air, preventing them from entering the ductwork. Surely, that’s a reason to clean or replace your HVAC filters on a regular basis, but it’s not a strong argument for taking any further action. 2. Cleaning air ducts is not a do-it-yourself job. Even if you were inclined to do it, chances are good that you wouldn’t own the right tools, such as special rotary brushes and a high-powered vacuum. You’ll need to hire professionals, and the cost isn’t low. You could end up paying $500 for work that didn’t need to be done in the first place. 3. In the course of cleaning nonmetal ducts, there’s a risk of dislodging vital connections or tearing walls. If undetected, such damage could seriously impact the efficiency of your heating and cooling appliances and let particle-laden air from the basement, crawl space, or attic enter the system.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that no evidence exists to suggest that any health hazards stem from light dust accumulation in ducts. In fact, shuffling across a carpet exposes a person to more contaminants. That said, the EPA does recommend cleaning air ducts if there is mold growth visible or if evidence points to an infestation by insects or rodents. Also, air duct cleaning may help to alleviate lingering odors caused by cigarettes or other sources. Before you contact a duct-cleaning professional for a consultation and estimate, it’s smart to do a little investigating on your own. (That way, you don’t have to take the contractor’s word for it.) Start by having a look at the duct registers or grilles: Are they discolored and coated with a fine, dark dust? If you remove the cover, reach into the duct, and wipe its sides with a damp rag, does it come out filthy? Go ahead and call the local service, if you discover that a seemingly excessive amount of dust is present.

Alternatively, try limiting dust accumulation in your ductwork by using one or all of the following methods: • Install filters over each of your hot air supply registers, following the manufacturer’s instructions so as not to restrict airflow. Check those filters after a couple of weeks to see what they’ve picked up. • With a general-purpose caulk, seal any gaps between the edge of the duct and the wall opening. Dust that appears to be coming through ductwork may in fact be entering through that slim sliver of a gap. • Bring in an HVAC technician to do an annual furnace cleaning. In the course of work, he will clean the furnace heat exchanger. If he finds that it’s not very dirty, in all likelihood the ducts aren’t either. There’s no way around it: Keeping the house clean demands your time, your energy, and even some of your money. Fortunately, this arsenal of cleaning tips can help you finish the housekeeping more quickly—and with fewer commercially sold products.