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A professional air duct cleaning can make your home a safer place for you and your family. If your ducts are filled with debris, mold, or an infestation, a cleaning can go a long way by returning your ducts to a clear state. There is a lot of useful information about air duct cleaning available online, especially from reputable sources like the Environmental Protection Agency. Furthermore, there is a great deal of misinformation spread online about what this service provides.
Filterbuy believes it is important to understand the truth behind air duct cleaning when agreeing to have your home serviced. That's why we're debunking some of the most common myths about air ducts cleaning services.
Debunking Air Duct Cleaning Myths
When it comes to clean air ducts, many homeowners have common questions about the service and what it can do for them. Below are some of the most common air duct cleaning myths and the facts behind them:
1. Air Ducts Stay Clean By Themselves - False
Many people think that their air ducts won't get dirty if they clean their home and replace their air filters regularly. While that would be ideal, in reality, that is not the case. Even if you change out your air filters on the recommended schedule, there are ways in which your air ducts can become clogged or soiled.
Infestations are a common example of ducts getting dirty without running your HVAC system. From the outdoors, rodents can crawl through your ductwork and nest, bringing with them bacteria and other contaminants. In this case, you will typically notice a strong odor coming from your vents, alerting you to your new uninvited guests. By the time the smell reaches the inside of your home, it will often be too late to stop the infestation and your ducts will be dirty. A thorough air duct cleaning will be necessary to remove all animal particles, disinfect the area, and ensure that no traces of infestation remain.
2. You Don’t Need To Hire A Professional To Clean Your Air Ducts - False
While there may be a large amount of DIY air duct cleaning advice online, cleaning air ducts yourself is an unsafe practice. Duct cleaning without a professional is never a good idea for many reasons. Firstly, incorrect procedures without professional knowledge can result in damage to your system and ducts, costing you more time and money. It may seem like the cheaper option at the time, but if you cause damage to your system, you may have to shell out for another service or replacement part.
If something has infected your duct system, an unprofessional cleaning also greatly increases the chance that your ducts will get reinfected. Vermin infesting your ducts, for example, or having a significant mold problem increases the likelihood of reinfestation. Duct cleaning services use high-powered tools and anti-bacterial air duct cleaning chemicals to ensure an area is free of contaminants. Without these applications, your ducts could easily be retaken over by what you attempted to clean in the first place.
3. Cleaning Your Ducts Can Improve Indoor Air Quality - True
A professional air duct cleaning may improve your air quality if your ducts have a significant amount of debris build-up, especially after a home renovation. If you notice visible dust spilling out of your air vents and into the air, there is a good chance that your in-home air cleanliness is being affected. An air duct cleaning can clear out this built-up debris, allowing you to feel more confident about what is in your air.
Additionally, if you believe that there is mold growing inside your air ducts, there is a possibility that spores are floating around your home, considerably affecting your air quality. Many times, in this case, a professional air duct cleaning with an antibacterial solution is needed to destroy mold growth, preventing more spores from entering the air and making your family sick.
4. Duct Cleaning Will Leave a Mess In Your Home - False
As long as you hire a trusted, trained professional service, you should not have to worry about a big mess after a duct cleaning. Respected technicians understand the importance of a clean living space and will do everything possible to ensure you feel safe with the duct cleaning service. Professional duct cleaning tools and techniques ensure that your indoor air quality will be improved, not negatively impacted after a duct cleaning treatment.
In light of this, you should always verify a duct cleaning company's cleaning and safety procedures before hiring them. Reputable companies will allow you to ask questions beforehand and have information readily available about their techniques. If a service representative refuses to answer your questions or rushes you to purchase their service without proper information, it may be best to look for another trusted company.
5. Duct Cleanings Can Help Prevent Future Mold - True
In cases of previous mold growth in your system, a professional duct cleaning service can prevent harmful fungus from regrowing in your system. Air ducts and HVAC systems are where moisture and humidity often intersect, making them common areas for mold to grow. Smelling musty odors from your air vents is a sign that you may have mold growth present within your ducts.
Due to its invasive properties, mold is very difficult to completely eliminate from your home. When cleaning mold, every space in which the original growth took place must be cleaned thoroughly and disinfected. Without proper sanitization and cleansing procedures, mold spores can be left behind, causing a significant regrowth later. A professional duct cleaning service uses mild air duct cleaning chemicals and disinfectant solution to wipe out all original traces of mold and prevent regrowth in your ducts.
6. Duct Cleaning Will Get Rid of All Airborne Contaminants - False
While duct cleaning can significantly reduce the amount of debris and bacteria present in your duct, there are other ways that airborne contaminants can enter your home. Every time you enter the outside world and return to your home, you bring potential contaminants with you. Smoking, cooking, and burning candles are other ways that contaminants make their way into your home’s air.
If you are looking for a way to increase your overall indoor air quality, in terms of airborne contaminants, make sure to change your replaceable air filters regularly. Air filters are a homeowner’s first line of defense against everyday indoor air pollution. Many factors, such as allergies and pets, determine how often to replace your air filters. As air filter specialists, we have information available to help you learn more about this topic. You can find out more about replaceable air filters and how to find the correct filter for your home here.
7. Air Duct Cleaning Fights Bad Odors - True
When done properly, professional air duct cleaning can remove bad odors from your ducts and even prevent future odors. The presence of infestations or mold growth in air ducts can produce unpleasant or unwanted odors. If not properly cleaned, these odors can spread throughout your home. At their best, they make rooms feel somewhat musty. At their worst, your home can smell rancid, making your living environment less than ideal.
High-quality air duct cleanings get rid of the cause of the smell coming from your ducts, allowing fresh, odor-free air to recirculate back into your home. In many cases, such cleaning will also prevent the issue that made the smell in the first place from coming back into your vents. If an odor is coming from your air vents, a cleaning by a professional, trusted air duct technician should solve your issue and protect your ducts for the future.
8. You Should Get An Air Duct Cleaning Every Month - False
Many air duct cleaning companies claim that getting your ducts cleaned on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis is the best way to keep your ducts clean. This, however, is false information. As stated by the Environmental Protection Agency, ducts should only receive a cleaning when needed and in specific circumstances, including significant debris build-up blocking airflow in your ducts, mold growth, and vermin infestations.
Completing a home remodel or renovation project (even a small one) is another time that you should schedule a professional air ducts cleaning service. Debris and dust can get into your vents during a renovation, especially if your construction service did not seal them before starting your project. To be safe rather than sorry, having your ducts inspected and cleaned promptly after project completion is an important step in maintaining your home’s indoor air quality.
9. Professional Duct Cleaning Is Safer For You and Your Ducts - True
As previously suggested, having your ducts cleaned by a well-trained professional is the safest option for you, your family, and your overall indoor air quality. Cleaning with unprofessional tools and techniques has a much higher chance of damaging your air duct and costing you more money overall. Air duct cleaning professionals have the skills and knowledge necessary to completely clean your duct of harmful bacteria, vermin, and debris.
With this in mind, you should always make sure to research your air duct cleaner before agreeing to have them work on your vents. Legitimate duct cleaning companies will be able to answer your general questions about their service, as well as provide you with information related to the process.
Is Air Duct Cleaning Worth It?
Hopefully, these answers to common air duct cleaning myths will show that air duct cleaning when needed is indeed worth it. As previously expressed, getting a duct cleaning from a professional service is the safest, easiest, and most effective way to clear debris from your ducts.
You may still have questions about the air duct cleaning process such as:
- Does duct cleaning really work?
- Can air duct cleaning cause damage?
- Does air duct cleaning reduce dust?
If this is the case, feel free to take a look at our other air duct cleaning resources here. We are committed to providing accurate, truthful information to help you to make an informed decision about hiring air duct cleaning services.
Finding A Trusted Professional
The truth is, there is so much information online about air duct cleaning, it can be hard to know where to start. Finding a trusted, well-informed professional is always a great first step to learning what a duct cleaning service can do for you and your home. For a great duct cleaning experience, it is essential to find a company with truthful information, valuable answers, and a commitment to your safety.
If you are currently searching for an air duct cleaner, look no further than the most trusted name in filtration – Filterbuy LOCAL. We are a transparent, verified service with the facts. Our experienced, licensed service professionals are available now to provide you with top-tier air duct cleaning services.
Our mission is to improve your indoor air quality safely, effectively, and efficiently.
Click here to learn more about Filterbuy LOCAL for air duct cleaning.
