Why should I clean my air ducts?

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A camera inspection shows the before and after effect of a duct cleaning and helps to estimate the amount of work.

There are several reasons to clean the air ducts in the house from time to time. Among them are: Health, cost savings and safety issues. On average, people spend 90% of their lives indoors, where the indoor air is up to 70 times more polluted than the outdoor air, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This can promote the development of allergies and also leads to an uncomfortable indoor climate in the home. Infestation by fungi and bacteria can also occur in a ventilation system and pollute the air. It is therefore important that air ducts are not only tight, but also clean, so that your home is always supplied with fresh air. If a layer of dust builds up in the air ducts, a higher frictional resistance of the air is the consequence, which leads to a drop in pressure and a decrease in the volume flow of the air duct. Even a 10% decrease in the flow rate of a ventilation system is enough to turn a good indoor air quality into a bad one. And you do not want to spend 90% of your life time in bad indoor climate.

Polluted air ducts are often ignored for years, despite possible health risks.

The decrease of the volume flow leads also directly to the next point, the generation of costs by dirty ventilation ducts. In order to compensate for the decreasing air supply, the flow rate of the blower is often increased. While this measure may help to restore adequate air exchange, the amount of energy consumed by the ventilation system increases significantly. These costs are particularly noticeable in larger ventilation systems, such as in factories or office buildings. And this applies both to ventilation systems that transport cool air and to ventilation systems that blow warm air into the rooms. From 1990 to 2016, the energy consumption for cooling rooms by HVAC systems has increased by an incredible 82%. Given such a figure, it quickly becomes clear that a well-cleaned and efficient system is a necessity.

Last but not least, fire safety is also an important factor that speaks for the cleaning of ventilation systems. Depending on the installation situation, ventilation systems need to be cleaned from time to time in order not to cause a fire by clogging. Examples of this are dryer vents. Anyone who has ever observed the cleaning of such a dryer vent knows how much filth can accumulate in a ventilation duct. Therefore regular cleaning is a must.

The question of whether to leave the cleaning of the ventilation system to an expert or to take care of it yourself cannot be answered here. Depending on the installation situation, budget and degree of pollution, one or the other option may be considered. Experts often offer the possibility of a camera inspection to show that the cleaning was urgently necessary and successful. This way it can be excluded that your ventilation system is in any way a danger to your health or a money guzzler.

If you have any further questions on this subject, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

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