If you live in the Pensacola area and suffer from allergies, the spring months can be quite the challenge. As the region’s plant life releases billions of tiny pollen particles into the air, your quality of life can drop significantly due to sneezing, poor sleep and skin and eye irritation. Most people believe that suffering from allergies is just something that they just have to wait out with the help of antihistamine pills. But did you know that something as simple as cleaning your air conditioning ducts can be one of the best ways to get relief?
Just like anywhere else in your house, allergy-causing dust, pollen and mold will accumulate over time in the ducts of your HVAC systems. When you turn on the air-con, this material can become dislodged and end up as airborne dust in your living space. As well as allergies, this dust can cause a whole host of nagging health issues for you and your family, including persistent coughs, sneezing, eye irritation, and sometimes headaches and dizziness.
The Irritating Inhabitants of Your HVAC Ducts
When you have the air-conditioning switched on, almost all your indoor air supply passes through your HVAC unit’s network of ducts before it reaches you. Here is a shortlist of some of the irritants, allergens and pathogens that this air can bring with it if your ductwork is not as clean as it might be.
Pollen – When the pollen season hits, the volume of pollen that your air conditioning system will inadvertently suck in from the outside environment will be considerable. Closing the windows and doors to prevent pollen entering and aggravating allergies makes little sense when your air-con is turned on, and its ducts are full of pollen.
Dust and Dust Mites – Another undesirable inhabitant of your ductwork is the infamous dust mite. Dust mites are known to cause allergies among sensitive groups. As hard as you try, it becomes impossible to keep your home free of dust and dust mites if your HVAC ducts are constantly belching out the dust that has accumulated in the vents.
Mold and Mildew – You might not be aware of it, but the toxic spores released by mold and mildew can cause allergic reactions. The dark and damp environment inside HVAC ducts makes for the perfect breeding ground for these microorganisms. If they are always present in the air inside your house, they can end up making you quite ill over time.
Pollution – If you live in a city or near a busy highway or road, there is a good chance that the fans on your HVAC unit could be sucking in harmful pollution particles, which could then accumulate in your ducts. Some of these particles, such as PM 10 and PM 2.5, are incredibly small and have been found to cause allergies as well as cancer and chronic lung disease if they get lodged in a person’s lungs.
Pet Dander – Some of us wouldn’t dream of being without our pets. As lovely and affectionate as they are, there is no escaping the fact that the microscopic flecks of skin they shed known as “dander” is a proven allergen. Experts have estimated that as many as a third of people exhibit some kind of allergic reaction when they are exposed to pet dander, which is also known to accumulate in a building’s HVAC ductwork.
Bacteria and Viruses - When someone in your house is sick, your HVAC vents can quickly become a vector for the bacteria or virus that becomes airborne when they cough or sneeze.
How to Clean Ducts
Now that you are fully aware of all the nasty things that could be collecting in your ducts, your next question probably relates to the best way to go about cleaning them. While you could have a go at the job yourself, if you have no prior experience of what it takes to clean ducts, it may be advisable to call in the professionals. Cleaning ductwork thoroughly requires a specific set of tools and chemicals, the purchase of which might come close to the eventual cost of hiring a duct cleaning service.
Services to Expect from a Duct Cleaning Service Provider
Once you have made the decision to get your ducts cleaned, the next step is to contact a trustworthy and reliable duct cleaning service. There are certain things that you should expect for your money from a quality duct cleaning service.
- Before the cleaning process begins, the contractor should perform a full-system inspection to ensure that there is no asbestos in the heating and cooling system. If found to be present, specialized asbestos removal procedures should be carefully observed.
- Specialized vacuum equipment should be used to blow any materials accumulated in ducts toward the outside of the building.
- Any material that cannot be removed via vacuum should then be removed by brushing.
- Care should be taken to protect ductwork. The contractor should seal and reinsulate any access holes opened to aid in the cleaning process so that they are airtight.
- Carpets and furniture should be protected throughout the entire process.
Should I Also Install a New Filter?
As well as cleaning your ducts, another way to improve the air circulated by your HVAC is to install a new air filter. Every air conditioning unit should be fitted with a True HEPA air filter to ensure that dust, pollen, mold spores and other microscopic particles will be prevented from entering your air supply in the event of a future build-up of material in your ductwork. True HEPA filters are extremely efficient, absorbing 99.97% of particles before they can be breathed in by human lungs. Installing this type of filter will very likely alleviate symptoms of allergy sufferers in a short space of time.
The Bottom Line…
There will come a time in the life of every HVAC system when its ducts will have to be cleaned. A thorough cleaning of a system’s ducts will remove many of the allergens and other undesirable particles, preventing them from circulating around a building and causing health problems for its inhabitants. While it might be tempting to have a go at cleaning your ductwork yourself, the process needs a considerable amount of specialist knowledge and a specific set of tools. When it comes to ducts, it is always better to leave it to the professionals.
Call Air & Energy of NWFL today to arrange a free quote.
This article was written by:
Nathan Noa
Co-Founder & Home Comfort Specialist