The Importance of Clean, Healthy Air Ducts and Their Effects on Air Quality
May 30, 2021
Many factors affect your home's air quality. Examples include chemicals, pets, ventilation, and more. Here are the facts regarding indoor air quality and ductwork.
What Is Ductwork?
Your ductwork consists of sectioned tubes that help the air travel throughout your home by forcing air through the vents. Ductwork comes in many shapes, including oval, rectangular, and cross-sections. These tubes can be made from different materials, including flexible plastics and fiberglass.
The Importance of Maintaining Your Air Ducts
Properly maintaining your ductwork offers these benefits:
- Minimizes dirt
- Reduces the collection of harmful substances
- Reduces allergies and asthma
- Maintains the efficiency of your HVAC system
- Makes your home more secure
- Removes unpleasant odors
- Saves money on energy expenses
What Happens If You Neglect Your Ductwork?
When you neglect your ductwork by failing to address needed repairs and regular maintenance, you will face a variety of issues, such as:
- An increase in your heating and cooling bills
- An uncomfortable home
- Poor air quality
- Excess dust and dirt covering the surfaces of your home
- What Are the Causes of Ductwork Issues?
- Improper Design and/or Installation
It’s best to have a professional design, install, and maintain the heating and cooling system in your home. Inadequate ductwork doesn't function effectively. This makes your HVAC system work harder, which raises your household energy expenses by hundreds of dollars each year.
Leaking Ducts
Improperly sealed ducts will leak. This makes your HVAC system less efficient. Leaking ducts cause your house to lose hot and cool air, which can make your home uncomfortably warm or cold. Among other issues, you may find it more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep under these circumstances.
Dirty Air Ducts
Dirty air ducts can make the air quality in your home worse than the air quality outside. Your HVAC system will distribute unwanted material throughout your home, including:
- Pollen
- Germs
- Dirt
- Dust
- Mold
- Mildew
Mold and mildew cause respiratory issues, and you may experience difficulty breathing, skin irritation, runny nose, coughing, wheezing, and other symptoms.
3 Ways You Can Improve Your Home’s Air Quality
Improve Ventilation
Improving the ventilation in your home improves the air quality. That helps you breathe better and contributes to overall health and wellbeing. Clean your cooking vents regularly to ensure they remain effective and don’t hold odors.
Use Ceiling Fans
If you have ceiling fans, use them. These fans help circulate odors out of your home, and they prevent dust and dirt from settling. Make sure you clean your ceiling fans because the blades collect dust and dirt over time.
Clean Your Filters
Your HVAC system filters help trap dirt, debris, and other particles in the air, preventing them from circulating throughout your home where you will breathe them in.
Here at One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning of Treasure Coast, your comfort is just a call away. Contact us to learn more about indoor air quality and our heating and cooling services. We look forward to speaking with you!