Lung Disease And The Hidden Danger Presented By Dirty Ducts

Posted on: 8 March 2016

A central-air system consists of an AC unit and a furnace located in a central location in your home. If this equipment pushed conditioned air directly into your home, it would only benefit the rooms right around the outlet from the HVAC equipment. This is why a central-air system uses ducts to push air from your heating and cooling equipment to all of the rooms in your house. This is a good way to heat a home, but it does require some maintenance. For example, you need to keep your ducts clean in order to prevent diseases.

Filters Aren't Enough

A central-air system uses a filter to clean the air in your home, so you might think that a filter is enough to keep the air in your home clean. While a filter will help, it is not enough on its own. Contaminants can still enter your ducts through the vents scattered throughout your home. Thus, while replacing your filter regularly will help to limit contamination, it is not enough. 

Can You Clean Your Ducts on Your Own?

You might be tempted to try to clean your ducts on your own, but you will not be able to do enough on your own. A household vacuum with a hose will be able to reach for a few feet down your ducts, but anything further down the ducts will be out of reach. In order to thoroughly clean your  ducts, you will need to hire professionals to do the work for you. They will have the right equipment to clean every inch of your ducts. 

Why Clean Your Ducts, Anyway?

Dust is not the only thing that will collect in your ducts. Dead skin cells, insect carcasses, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, dust mites, and other contaminants will gather in your ducts. If you have a history of lung disease or lung problems, you want to make sure you keep your house as clean as possible—and this includes your ducts. 

Asthma attacks and allergies can make life extremely difficult, and it is nice to have a place that you can trust as a safe haven. You might think that your home is such a space, but if you neglect your ducts, the air in your home can be just as bad as the air outside. Check your ducts by opening a vent and checking the first few feet for signs of dust build-up. If you see built-up grime, schedule for a duct cleaning.

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