Should I Have My Air Ducts Cleaned ?
Photo courtesy of nicolas.boullosa(CC Attribution)
Importance in Keeping Clean Air Ducts
The statistics regarding the failing of our heating and cooling system due to dirt being on the coils are staggering. Those most affected by this failure are the children, because they breathe twice as much as an adult and the elderly with lung diseases and/or asthma.
Children are not only affected due to their breathing rates which enables them to inhale more air per unit of body weight. The height also plays a role in as much as they are closer to the ground and therefore inhale higher concentrations of contaminates.
As for the elderly, they are more sensitive to pollutants than any other age group.
As per Total Health and Better Health Magazine, “one out of every six people that suffer from allergies does so due to the direct correlation between the fungi and bacteria in their air duct systems”.
A very large percentage of heating and cooling system failures are due to dirt as small of an amount of 1 millimeter of dirt on either the heating or cooling coils can cause an inefficiency of 21% according to the EPA.
The average person spends approximately 60 -90% of their time indoors. Indoor air pollution aggravates up to 50% of illnesses. Further facts indicate that in the year of 2008 alone the top 5 visits to emergency rooms were asthma attacks, cold or flu for children under 10.
Why should we clean air ducts and air vents in our home ?
The tendency for our HVAC systems is to act as a collection unit for dust, fungi, mold and bacteria is a primary reason. Due to these statistics, the removal of these contaminants from our systems and home are important to our indoor air quality and ultimately quality of life.
The frequency of how often you should clean air ducts and air vents is based on individual preference but also:
- If a smoker inhabits the home
- Those allergic to pets particularly those with high dander
- After a renovation
- When moving in to a new home
- If there has been water damage to the HVAC system
A great many associations including the American Lung Association and the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service all recommend and demonstrate why and how the quality of indoor air is compromised without cleaning.
While the EPA, does not specifically endorse air duct cleaning, they have a number of facts and figures as to the affects of poor indoor quality air.
An annual cleaning of your HVAC system is one of the better ways of cutting back on the contaminants that is flowing through your house. Rely on a licensed professional to both inspect and clean your HVAC system.
Given the amount of time spent in our homes, it is better to spend it in clean air without contaminants and fungi. The fact that the most vulnerable of our society are also the most vulnerable to HVAC system failures we should concentrate and act on what would make these individuals healthier. It is after all our homes and we do have the ultimate control of the air in it.
