Your Duct System: A Complete Diagnosis From Dust Doctors

Do you tend to overlook your home’s duct system? If so, there’s no time like the present to start paying attention to it. Maintaining clean, fully intact air ducts is vital for preserving good indoor air quality, encouraging efficient HVAC performance, and extending the life of your furnace and air conditioner.

Your ducts are essentially your home’s respiratory system, and keeping them healthy is one of the simplest things you can do for your home’s overall safety and well-being. Because your home’s duct system is so important, routine system inspections, cleanings, and repairs are crucial.

If your ducts have been neglected, our team at Dust Doctors can help. Read on to learn why having well-maintained ducts is crucial, as well as what we do when we inspect, diagnose, and clean your ducts. 

Clean Ducts are Healthy Ducts

When we think of fresh, cool air, it’s easy to forget that air carries plenty of particles. And while many of those particles get trapped by your HVAC system’s filter, plenty of them also make it past the filter.

When that happens (it’s virtually unavoidable), your home’s duct system will become dirty. And if you don’t get it cleaned, dust and other types of particulate matter will build to excessive levels inside your air ducts.

Unfortunately, dirty ducts can cause a number of problems, both with your HVAC system and your home’s indoor air quality, including:

●        Making your family or occupants sick

●        Slowing airflow

●        Wasting energy

●        Causing allergy and sinus problems

●        Worsening asthma

Our complete diagnosis looks for several substances that can build up in your ducts, along with other problems your ducts may be experiencing. Let’s take a look at what we inspect for and often remove during a typical duct cleaning appointment.

Cracks, Holes, and Air Leaks

Most duct systems have a functional lifespan of about 10-15 years, after which they often suffer deterioration. Seams may experience gapping, small holes may develop, or sections of the ducts may crack. Other, less common forms of wear and tear may occur as well.

All of these issues lead to air loss within the system, which will decrease the efficiency of your heater and air conditioner. Compromised air ducts can also allow unwanted substances (including insects, larger pests, and mold) into the system.

When we inspect your duct system, we look for these issues before beginning the cleaning process. If we find anything that requires repairs or believe your ducts should be replaced, we’ll let you know and advise you on the best course of action.

Mold and Mildew

Mold and mildew are facts of life in all buildings and homes since spores are virtually everywhere. If the weather or your home has been consistently humid, this is especially true. The problem occurs when those spores proliferate to the point that their concentration becomes higher than what would normally be found outdoors.

Unfortunately, it’s relatively easy for mold to get into your duct system because both your heater and air conditioner naturally remove moisture from your indoor air. That moisture travels into the ducts where it encourages spore proliferation. And when airflow through the duct system becomes slowed or clogged, those spores can reproduce at a rapid rate. 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, you should routinely check your home’s ducts for mold and mildew. During a duct cleaning appointment, we evaluate your system for condensation and eradicate any mold or mildew that can make you sick.

Think your ducts might be moldy? Check out 4 Signs Your Ducts Have Mold & What You Can Do About It. 

Microbes

Microorganisms in your ductwork can lead to serious health complications. A great number of these microbes are airborne, which means that if your filter doesn’t trap them, they’ll travel into your living areas.

Dust mites are rampant within dirty duct systems, feeding off organic materials found within the dust that resides there. Disease-causing organisms, including viruses and many types of bacteria, can also come to rest and reproduce within a dirty duct system.

When we clean your ducts, you can rest assured we’ll eliminate all traces of potentially harmful microbes within your system.

Pet hair

Pet hair can easily build up within your air duct system. And unfortunately, pet dander is a gourmet dish for the common dust mite. If you see pet hair built up anywhere around your ducts, it’s a pretty safe bet your ducts are full of it. After we inspect and clean your ducts, all of that dander will be a thing of the past.

Check out Got Pets? Why Air Duct Cleaning Is Critical for Your Indoor Air Quality for info on why routine cleanings are so important. 

Allergens

Besides pet hair and mold, there are a number of other allergens that can build up in your air ducts. Pollen and other allergy-triggering particles can make their way into your ducts and add to your asthma and allergy problems.

Infestations

If you’ve ever struggled with insect or rodent infestations, there’s a good chance your unwanted house guests made it into your HVAC system. And even if you’re not dealing with an active infestation, there could be dead carcasses hanging out in your air ducts.

When we perform a thorough duct cleaning, we’ll not only clear your ducts of stowaways but also alert you to any damaged areas that may have let them sneak in.

Dust and Dirt

Dust in your ducts can get into your HVAC system’s motors, gears, and other components and quite literally gum them up. When fans, sensors, motors, and other critical furnace and air conditioner parts get too dirty, you’ll notice a drop in your HVAC performance or may deal with more serious issues that require repairs.

Our professional duct cleaning system eliminates all of the dust and dirt from your system, so it blows clean and functions as efficiently as possible.

Contact Dust Doctors for Comprehensive HVAC Cleaning in the Twin Cities

Dust Doctors in Little Canada can help keep your home’s duct system healthy. Our team believes in providing you with a clean home and excellent duct and vent cleaning service for a reasonable price. We use a custom package of tools including high-powered blowers, truck-mounted vacuum units, and pneumatic brushes to get your ducts in top shape and keep your home healthy. For more information, call us at 651-319-9777 or message us on our contact page.