Duct cleaning isn’t exactly something that you think of all too often. After all, it’s not an annual expense on your HVAC checklist, so how important can it really be?
Well, as it turns out, it’s more important than you’d expect even though it’s not on the top of your priority list.
Duct cleaning is an indoor air quality service in Monclova, OH that you shouldn’t skip out on, so let’s talk about how often you need it and what the benefits are long-term.
Every 2-5 Years (Depending on Use)
Your ducts need to be cleaned but it’s certainly not a problem that needs to be addressed on an annual basis. Dust builds up regardless, so scheduling duct cleaning when it’s not providing much air resistance doesn’t really make sense.
Duct cleaning should be bad enough to justify the expense, but not bad enough to cause strain on your HVAC unit.
If your HVAC unit undergoes a lot of use (we’ll let you be the judge of just how much that means), it would make sense to get duct cleaning on the shorter end of that scale.
If not, waiting up to a maximum of five years is as far as you should push it, even with limited usage.
You Can Slow Large-Scale Dust Buildup
If your HVAC unit is on and pulling air, dust will get through. It’s inevitable. But there is something you can do to limit the amount of dust getting through (and put less strain on your furnace and air conditioner in the process).
Be consistent with your air filter replacements. You should replace your air intake filter every 30-90 days. At the end of each filter’s life cycle, look at the buildup and think about how bad it would be for that to be in your ducts.
When you switch out your air filters, your HVAC unit doesn’t have to work as hard to pull air through. This means there’s simply less time spent sucking air (and dust particles) into your HVAC unit.
Why It’s Important in the First Place
We label duct cleaning services as being related to indoor air quality, but the amount of dust that actually gets “shot out” of your vents each day is negligible. It’s no more than you’re already breathing in before the air hits the intake filter.
So what’s the big deal, and why does it matter? Two words: air resistance. It means less efficient airflow, which can increase the total runtime of your unit during each cycle.
Dust buildup in your ductwork means the air coming from your blower motor faces resistance, reducing its efficiency over time. Eventually, clearing out the buildup helps ease some strain on your HVAC unit.
Schedule Your Next Duct Cleaning
Reduce air resistance, improve your HVAC unit’s efficiency, and improve your indoor air quality as much as possible. Sounds like a win-win, right?
Duct cleaning only needs to happen once every 2-5 years depending on your HVAC unit’s usage. If it’s working overtime, err on the shorter side of that scale.
Contact AW Heating & Cooling today to schedule your next duct cleaning service and optimize your HVAC unit’s efficiency.