While many of us take the air that we breathe inside our homes for granted, you might be surprised to learn just how much HVAC systems can impact that air, and not always in a positive way.

Having your air ducts cleaned regularly (which can be annually for some homes, or every 3 years for others) helps to drastically improve the quality of air inside your home, and with many of us spending as much as 80% of our time indoors, this is not surprisingly significant.

What could be lurking inside your air ducts?

Over time, the air ducts in our homes accumulate a thick layer of debris, pollen, germs, pet dander, mold, fungus and even rodent droppings. This means that every time you turn your HVAC system on, the fan pushes these potentially harmful particles through the air ducts, and throughout your entire home. And if such particles are in the air, it’s inevitable that we’ll inhale some of them as we breathe.

Not only do these contaminants get spread around your home, but they also get re-circulated back into your HVAC system as many as 5 to 7 times a day, and over time, can clog the filter, the fan, and eventually block the entire duct system and prevent it from working effectively.

Damp in your duct system

If you’re running the air condition in your home, or sometimes if conditions inside the home are humid, the entire duct system can become moist, and when left in such a way, can quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria, mold and fungus. When the air is being pushed through your air ducts, some of these particles may be lifted out of the duct work to be circulated through your home. In some instances, you might even be able to see mold forming on the vent covers, or smell the mildew emanating from the HVAC system.

What happens if you don’t clean your ducts regularly?

All of the contaminants mentioned above will simply continue to build up inside your HVAC system if you don’t hire a professional duct cleaning company to come out and clean them. You’ll continue to breathe in the dirty, polluted air, and the system won’t be able to perform at its optimum, which could result in higher energy bills and an overall reduction in efficiency.

How often you need your ducts to be professionally cleaned will depend on a variety of factors, but it doesn’t hurt to have them inspected annually, and cleaned each time, if necessary. For homes that experience less contaminants, having your ducts cleaned every 3 or 4 years, might suffice.

For more details about air duct cleaning, visit Ductgurus.com (Air Duct Cleaning)