Air ducts are an essential part of any air conditioning system, and regular cleaning is necessary to ensure maximum efficiency. The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) recommends cleaning air ducts every three to five years. However, in some environments, the need for commercial air duct cleaning may be more immediate. There are a few factors that determine how often your duct system should be cleaned. Generally, air ducts should be cleaned every two to five years.
If your system is properly maintained and you change the filters twice a year, you can extend the time between professional cleanings. If your system has been active on your property for more than three years and has never been cleaned, it's likely time for a professional cleaning. Even a single station can accumulate enough dust and dirt to make it less efficient than when it was first installed. Changing air filters frequently is the best way to keep dust, allergens, and other particles out of your home. With a newly installed system or a system in a house you just moved to, check the filter once a month to determine how quickly it gets dirty at different times of the year.
Most need to be replaced every two to three months. Studies on the effects of duct cleaning do not conclusively show that the presence of dust and debris in ducts increases levels of particulate matter inside the house. But even if you don't have special health problems, cleaning the ducts may be attractive to you from an intuitive point of view. Most HVAC companies set a specific frequency or schedule for cleaning ducts, but regular cleaning of HVAC systems is not necessary to maintain health and air quality in the home. If you have serious allergies or live in a place with high pollen or allergen levels, you should reduce the time between air duct cleanings. Any sign of rodents or insects in the air conditioning system indicates that it is necessary to clean the ducts by a professional. Duct cleaning companies often advertise health benefits or suggest that duct cleaning will reduce energy bills by improving system efficiency.
If you or someone in your family has asthma or allergies, you may be thinking about cleaning your home's heating and cooling ducts.Environmental Protection Agency researchers measured dust levels and HVAC system efficiency in test homes over a one-week period during the cold season and found that cleaning the ducts did not significantly improve dust levels or system performance. Some air conditioning companies often state that a home's air conditioning ducts should be cleaned at least once every three to five years to ensure that hair, dust, and debris don't affect the home's air quality or cause health problems. Small amounts of waste do not affect the quality of the air inside the house and the air conditioning ducts do not need frequent cleaning. While duct cleaning operations may insist that duct cleaning is essential to health, the evidence doesn't support their claims. Most average cleaning companies don't have access to these tools, making their processes less effective.
