Are Yearly Airduct Cleanings Needed?

8/13/2019 (Permalink)

Do you know where the average American spends 90% of their time? Indoors. Whether you’re lounging around in the comforts of your home, hard at work or simply trying to escape the insufferable California heat, you’re likely to find yourself in an enclosed, air-conditioned environment. While sitting in the refreshing air conditioning, it’s easy to forget that impurities could be lurking in the air around you. In fact, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), concentrations of pollutants are often 2 to 5 times higher indoors than outside. Yikes! Now you might be thinking to yourself, “That’s impossible! I keep an impeccable home!” and though that is probably true, dust is a devious enemy and yearly air duct cleanings are an essential tool in defeating it. Let us explain.

The average house collects 40 pounds of dust, dirt and allergens each year. This combination of contaminants is made up of pollen, hair, fibers of paper and fabric, soil mineral, pet dander, dead skin cells and more. When these different particles come in contact, they stick together like pieces of Velcro creating dust. These pollutants get inside your home every day by traveling on your clothing, shoes, shedding off your pet and even from you and your family. In fact, the average person creates 1/3 an ounce of dead skin cells each week; about the weight of a house key. That isn’t even the grossest part. Numerous people believe that they are allergic to dust, however many times they are having an allergic reaction to dust mites. Dust mites are microscopic, spiderlike, creatures that live inside of dust and enjoy munching on pet dander and dead skin cells. While you might think that means they are helping clean up the problem; that isn’t the case. Many people who claim to have dust allergies are having a reaction from encountering decomposing bodies and fecal matter of dust mites. According to the EPA, indoor levels of dust mites are substantially higher than outdoors. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America(AAFA) claims that dust mites may be the most common cause of year-round allergies and asthma.

One of the most common reasons these pollutants can become problematic and persistent is due to an unclean Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) unit. It makes a lot of sense why these systems become dirty over time when you consider how your unit works. Anytime your unit is off, dust begins to settle and collect. Once your unit switches on again, the collected contaminants are distributed throughout your home. When your HVAC system is running, it recirculates air throughout your house 5 to 7 times a day. As the air is pulled through the ducts to be heated or cooled, it goes through your filters. Over time these filters become clogged, resulting in unclean air being continuously cycled all over your home.

This is why SERVPRO of Van Nuys South strongly recommends having a Yearly air duct cleaning and HVAC inspection. Yearly air duct cleaning is an excellent way to improve the air quality inside of your home, reduce the potential for mold growth, extend the life of your HVAC equipment, remove unpleasant or stagnant odors, and even save you money!