Have you noticed dust building up around the vents in your home? Homeowners don’t tend to give their air ducts much thought, but maintaining a clean heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system helps the overall air quality and health of your home.
Look out for these four signs that it’s time for an HVAC cleaning:
- Visible dust and grime. This first sign is fairly obvious. If your vents are looking dingy, it’s safe to assume your HVAC system needs a thorough cleaning. Ducts and vents are bound to collect a myriad of particles circulating in the air, which build up over time. When you start to notice the visible signs of a dirty HVAC system, it’s likely there is more build-up throughout the ducting that should be cleaned out.
- Persistent or increased respiratory issues and allergies. Dirty air particles that collect in HVAC systems can have adverse effects on your health. If you’ve noticed persistent allergies or an uptick in respiratory symptoms, it could be due to mold spores, allergens, dust mites, and other problematic particles that have settled in your HVAC system and are contaminating your home’s airflow.
- Stale air odors. If you notice a stale smell in the air every time your HVAC system turns on, you may actually be smelling accumulated mold and mildew in your ducting. HVAC cleaning can target the source of these odors and properly remove potentially hazardous contaminants.
- Slowed airflow. If your HVAC system’s airflow seems stifled, blocked ducting may be to blame. Blockages can cause your HVAC system to work in overdrive to try to adequately moderate your home’s temperature, costing you more money while potentially pushing harmful particles into the air. Restricted airflow shouldn’t be ignored.
A routine HVAC cleaning can help ensure the longevity and efficiency of the system while also keeping your home clean and healthy.
