Typically, air ducts need to be cleaned every three to five years according to the
National Air Duct Cleaners Association. Depending on a lot of factors—like your home’s location, whether or not you have pets, and how often your air filter has been replaced, to name some—you may need to have air
duct cleaning more or less often. So, how can you tell for sure when it’s time to have your ducts cleaned? There are certainly some telltale signs when it’s time.
Look for these clues:
- Are your cold air returns coated with dust or pet hair?
- Is there an obstruction inside your cold air return vent?
- Are your registers blowing out dust?
- When you gaze inside with a flashlight, can you see an accumulation of debris or pet fur?
- Have insects or rodents found shelter in your ductwork?
- Can you hear noise other than your blower motor when you listen to the airflow?
- When your vents are fully opened, do any have a smaller amount of airflow than others?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it’s more than likely time to ask AW Heating & Air Conditioning in Lincoln about air duct cleaning.
Prolonging Time Between Air Duct Cleaning
There are a few things you can do to help keep your ducts cleaner and lengthen the timeline between professional cleanings.
Mostly importantly, arrange routine HVAC maintenance with the experts at AW Heating & Air Conditioning. A tune-up of your furnace each fall and your AC each spring, which should comprise of inspection, and possible replacement, of your air filter, will help keep your HVAC system functioning effectively, and will help keep your ducts clean.
You can also talk to the team at AW Heating & Air Conditioning about installing an air purification system. We provide the Lennox PureAir Air Purification System, Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16 Media Air Cleaner, Healthy Climate 11 Media Air Cleaner, Healthy Climate High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filtration System and Healthy Climate UV Germicidal Lights.
Other measures you can take include:
- Regularly dusting and vacuuming your home.
- Inspecting your air filters habitually and exchanging them when the manufacturer recommends replacing them. Most filters will present dust on them after a brief stint in service, but they may not require exchanging.
- Sealing seepages in air ducts that allow dust to enter from areas like your attic.
- Trading poor or broken air-duct insulation.
With an expert air duct cleaning and some proactive measures, you can help keep the air in your Lincoln home clean and healthy. Give the experts at AW Heating & Air Conditioning a call at 402-438-7992.