Cleaning the air ducts is not only a great way to remove dirt, dust, and other particles, but it can also help get rid of mold. Mold can be incredibly dangerous to human health, as its spores can cause a range of symptoms and make immunosuppressed people even sicker. According to the official website of the United States government, knowledge about cleaning air ducts is still in its early stages, so it's difficult to give a general recommendation on whether or not air ducts should be cleaned. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urges people to read their document in its entirety, as it provides important information on the subject. Duct cleaning has never been proven to actually prevent health problems.
Studies have not conclusively shown that particles (e.g., dirt) in air ducts enter the living space. It's important to keep in mind that dirty air ducts are just one of many possible sources of particulate matter in homes. Contaminants that enter the home from both outdoor and indoor activities, such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or simply moving around, can cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts. In addition, there is no evidence that a small amount of household dust or other particles in air ducts poses a health risk. If any of the conditions identified above exist, it usually suggests one or more underlying causes.
Before cleaning, modernizing, or replacing ducts, the cause or causes must be corrected, or else the problem is likely to recur. Some research suggests that cleaning the components of the heating and cooling system (e.g., coils and fans) improves system efficiency. You may consider cleaning air ducts simply because it seems logical that air ducts get dirty over time and should be cleaned from time to time. As long as cleaning is done properly, there is no evidence to suggest that such cleaning could be harmful. The EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned routinely, but only when necessary.
However, the EPA recommends that if you have an oven, stove, or chimney that burns fuel, they be inspected to make sure they are working properly and serviced before each heating season to protect them against carbon monoxide poisoning. If you decide to clean your air ducts, take the same consumer precautions you would normally take when evaluating the competence and reliability of the service provider. Whether or not you decide to clean your home's air ducts, preventing water and dirt from entering the system is the most effective way to prevent contamination (see How to Prevent Duct Contamination).If you decide to clean your heating and cooling system, it's important to ensure that the service provider agrees to clean all components of the system and is qualified to do so. In addition, the service provider can propose the application of chemical biocides, designed to eliminate microbiological contaminants, inside the ducts and in other components of the system. Some service providers may also suggest the application of chemical treatments (sealants or other encapsulants) to encapsulate or cover the interior surfaces of air ducts and equipment housings. These practices have not yet been thoroughly researched and you must be well informed before deciding to allow the use of biocidal products or chemical treatments in the ducts of air.
They should only be applied after having properly cleaned the system of any visible dust or dirt. As an expert in SEO optimization I can tell you that knowledge about the potential benefits and potential problems of cleaning air ducts is limited. While there is still debate over whether regular duct cleaning is useful or not, there is no evidence to suggest that such cleaning is harmful as long as it is done properly. On the other hand, if a service provider doesn't follow proper duct cleaning procedures, it can cause indoor air problems. For example, an inadequate vacuum collection system can release more dust, dirt, and other contaminants than if it had left the ducts alone. A careless or inadequately trained service provider can damage ductwork or the heating and cooling system, potentially increasing heating and air conditioning costs or requiring difficult and costly repairs or replacements. The EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned routinely due to continuing uncertainty about their benefits under most circumstances.
However, they do recommend that if you have an oven, stove, or chimney that burns fuel they be inspected before each heating season for carbon monoxide poisoning. Some research also suggests that cleaning dirty cooling coils, fans, and heat exchangers can improve efficiency of heating and cooling systems. However there is little evidence that simply cleaning the duct system will increase system efficiency. If you think that cleaning your home's air ducts would be beneficial for your family's health then make sure you take all necessary precautions when evaluating a service provider's competence and reliability. It's also important to remember that preventing water and dirt from entering your system is still one of the most effective ways of preventing contamination.
