When it comes to keeping your home clean and healthy, one of the most important things to consider is the air quality. Ventilation systems are essential for ensuring that the air in your home is clean and free of pollutants. But what happens when vents are cleaned? The process of cleaning vents involves a technician using specialized tools to remove dirt and debris from the system, followed by a thorough disinfection process to effectively “wash” the dirt away. After that, they will change the air filter and do a final test of the system's operation to ensure that everything is running smoothly again.
During the cleaning process, you may hear a vacuum running in your house, but it won't be too loud and shouldn't interrupt your daily routine. When the ventilation grilles are cleaned, you should expect that you will have to turn off the heating or cooling unit. So, if it's going to be hot outside, you might want to use a fan while the vents are being cleaned. If it's cold, a portable heater may come in handy. Knowledge about cleaning air ducts is still in its early stages, so no general recommendation can be offered as to whether you should clean your home's air ducts.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urges you to read this document in its entirety, as it provides important information on the subject. Duct cleaning has never been proven to actually prevent health problems. Nor do studies conclusively prove that particles such as dust, pollen, or mold spores are released from the ducts into the living space. This is because much of the dirt in the air ducts adheres to the surfaces of the ducts and does not necessarily enter the living space. It's important to note that dirty air ducts are just one of many possible sources of particulate matter that are present in homes. Pollutants that enter the home from both outdoor and indoor activities, such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or just moving around, can cause greater exposure to pollutants than dirty air ducts.
In addition, there is no evidence that a small amount of household dust or other particles in air ducts poses any health risk. If any of these conditions exist, it usually suggests one or more underlying causes. Before cleaning, reconditioning, or replacing the ducts, the cause or causes must be corrected, or else the problem is likely to reappear. Some research suggests that cleaning the components of the heating and cooling system (e.g., heating coils, cooling coils, fans and heat exchangers) may improve system efficiency. However, there is little evidence that cleaning only the ducts improves system efficiency. You may want to consider cleaning your air ducts simply because it seems logical that the air ducts will 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 is harmful. The EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned routinely, but only when necessary.
However, they do recommend that if you have a furnace, stove, or fireplace that burns fuel, they be inspected for proper functioning and maintained before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. If you decide to have your air ducts cleaned, take the same consumer precautions you would normally take when evaluating the competence and reliability of the service provider. Whether you decide to clean your home's air ducts or not, preventing water and dirt from entering the system is the most effective way to avoid contamination (see How to Prevent Duct Contamination).If you decide to clean your heating and cooling system, it's important to make sure that the service provider agrees to clean all components of the system and is qualified to do so. In addition, they may propose applying chemical biocides designed to remove microbiological contaminants inside ducts and other components of the system. Some service providers may also suggest applying chemical treatments (sealants or other encapsulants) to encapsulate or cover inner surfaces of air ducts and equipment housings because they believe they will control mold growth or prevent release of dirt particles or fibers from ducts. These practices have not yet been thoroughly investigated and you should be fully informed before deciding whether or not to allow biocides or chemical treatments in your air ducts.
They should only be applied if at all after the system has been properly cleaned of all visible dust or debris. Knowledge about potential benefits and potential problems of air duct cleaning is limited. Since conditions in every home are different, it's impossible to generalize about whether cleaning your home's air ducts would be beneficial or not. On the other hand, if family members have unusual or unexplained symptoms or illnesses that you think might be related to your home environment, you should discuss this with your doctor. The EPA has published several publications for guidance on how to identify potential indoor air quality problems and ways to prevent or fix them. Whether you decide to clean your home's air ducts or not, preventing water and dirt from entering the system is still one of the most effective ways to avoid contamination. While there is still debate over regular duct cleaning value, there is no evidence suggesting such cleaning is harmful provided it is done properly.
On the other hand, if a service provider fails to follow proper procedures for cleaning air ducts it can cause indoor air problems. For example, an inadequate vacuum collection system can release more dust, dirt and other contaminants than if left alone. A careless or inadequately trained service provider can damage your ducts or heating/cooling system which could increase costs for repairs/replacements. In conclusion, knowledge about cleaning air ducts is still in its early stages so no general recommendation can be offered as to whether you should clean your home's air ducts. The EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned routinely but only when necessary.
