When your home’s ducts start showing signs of clogged, mold or odor, it may be time to call in professional duct cleaning services. Fortunately, these signs aren’t hard to spot. If you follow these tips, you’ll be sure to identify a problem before it gets out of hand.
Clogged Ducts
If you’ve noticed that your heating and cooling system is not working as well as it used to, or if you’ve been experiencing increased energy costs, clogged ducts might be the culprit. Not only do clogged air ducts affect the performance of your system, but they can also be a fire hazard. Air ducts are a very important part of your home’s HVAC system. This is because they circulate the air throughout your home. However, they can become clogged with debris, dust, mold, and mildew. That’s why cleaning your ducts is a good idea. One of the most obvious signs of dirty ducts is the increase in dust in your house. Changing your air filters is one way to get rid of dust, but it doesn’t remove all the dust from your ducts.
Odor
Using professional duct cleaning services can help you eliminate nasty odors in your home. Ducts can have an unpleasant smell if they have been overrun by dust, dirt, debris, and mold. This can cause poor indoor air quality and can lead to respiratory problems. Mold and mildew are both common causes of foul odors in ducts. Mold will release spores into the air and, if not cleaned, can cause serious health problems. Foul odors from air ducts can also be a sign of a vermin infestation. Various types of vermin, such as mice and ants, like to nest in ducts. Their droppings and fur can be extremely uncomfortable. You should contact a service provider for a professional inspection if you smell foul odors when you turn on your heating or cooling system. These professionals can determine the cause of the odor and help you avoid further problems.
Mold
If you notice a strange smell in your home or an unexplained illness, you may have mold in your air ducts. Mold is a dangerous fungus that can cause sickness and can even spread throughout your home. It can also affect your health if you have allergies or asthma. The best way to determine if you have a problem is to perform a visual inspection. Mold grows in places where there is a lot of moisture. So if you see a build-up of mildew or black mold in your bathroom, you might have a problem. There are many signs to look for, but the ducts are a particularly important area. Check your vents for black, brown or yellow particles that indicate mold spores.
Moisture In The Area
For various reasons, if you’re having problems with moisture in your air ducts, you might want to consider some duct cleaning services. Having a properly sealed duct system means that you won’t have to worry about fungus or mold in the future. However, a faulty installation or improper sealing of a duct can lead to the proliferation of various microorganisms that can be difficult to eradicate. One of the best ways to reduce the risk of having moisture in your air ducts is to install a dehumidifier. It’s also wise to keep an eye out for standing water in your home. If you can’t see the source of the problem, you might be best served by hiring a professional.
Construction Work
Construction work is often messy, and if you have been doing a lot of renovations lately, it’s a good idea to consider getting air duct cleaning services. After all, you never know when debris will wind up in your ducts. If you don’t clean them, you could have health problems. In addition to causing respiratory issues, contaminants in your ducts can cause persistent odors in your home. A professional duct cleaning service will remove these and other harmful particles.
If you’re building a new house, you’ll also need to consider hiring a duct cleaning service. Newly built homes will be exposed to a huge amount of construction debris. This debris can include sawdust, insulation fibers, and dust. Some harmful particles that can wind up in your ducts are carcinogenic, which means they are known to cause lung infections and other serious health problems.