Your HVAC system is your main source of comfort when it comes to your home life. Because your family’s comfort means everything to you, it’s important that when you’re performing your system’s routine HVAC maintenance that you’re not just ensuring that the system is functioning, but that you’re also keeping the air ducts clean.
Keeping the air ducts of your system clean may seem like an obvious tip, but you’d be surprised by just how often a homeowner will leave their HVAC system to the mercy of dust. If you don’t clean your air ducts every three to five years, there’s some of the potentially harmful things that can happen:
- Allergens can make you sick
When you leave your air ducts alone to collect dust and dirt, these potential allergens can build up in your system and release them into the air in your home. This is often why those suffering from spontaneous asthma symptoms are often asked whether or not their air conditioning system is a forced air system. If you’re suffering from itchy, watery eyes and it isn’t allergy season, you may want to check the air ducts on your HVAC system. - You may be breathing in more than allergens
If the idea of breathing in dust and dander doesn’t gross you out, the idea of breathing in air that’s been filtered through the dander and feces of pests certainly will. Pests can invade your home from anywhere, but many insects and rodents typically like the easy access your HVAC system’s air ducts provide. As a result, when these air ducts aren’t clean these pests aren’t taken care of and their resulting feces and dander stay up there in the ducts. - Your walls can become discolored
When you fail to clean the drain channels of your HVAC system, this can result in a rise in humidity in your home. This may not sound like much of a problem, but over time as your walls and floor collect the moisture from the air they can both become discolored.
Providing routine HVAC maintenance on your system may maintain the life of your system, but without cleaning the air ducts professionally by an HVAC company you may as well not perform HVAC maintenance at all. To keep your system working at its top performance and to ensure that the air your family is breathing isn’t filled with allergens, be sure to clean your air ducts every three to five years for the best efficiency possible.