If you live in Texas or pretty much any southern state, you already know that the dust and allergens outside can be killer during the spring and summer months. What you might not know is that the state of your air ducts can cause you health problems, affect your indoor air quality and cause people with asthma to have problems breathing as well.
Health problems, indoor air quality, pollution, and mold are the main reasons you need to keep on top of cleaning your air ducts regularly. In this article, you’ll find five ways dirty air ducts cause trouble and how to prevent that trouble from happening in your home.
1. Dust and Debris
Air ducts collect dust, such as pet dander, pollen, and other dust particles, trapping them in the air ducts, then they circulate through your home, contaminating not only the air but your AC unit as well. When you or anyone in your family breathes in this air, it can cause allergies and eventually lead to more complicated respiratory problems. It’s best to contact a professional to come out and not only inspect your HVAC unit but to clean your air ducts while they’re at it to prevent the buildup of dust and debris from happening to begin with.
2. Musty Smells
If you’ve ever walked into your home and wrinkled your nose at the musty smell, your air ducts could well be the culprit. No amount of essential oils, cleaning, or spraying air freshener will eliminate the musty smell that clogged, and filthy air ducts leave behind. Musty smells are off-putting and can even cause guests to your home to hurry up and go back to their own better-smelling homes. If you’re worried that your home smells musty, call in professional air duct cleaners to clean your air ducts and see if that helps.
3. Insects and Rodents
Believe it or not, dirty air ducts can lead insects and rodents to them and from there right into your home. Many different things attract pests to your home; dirty air ducts are one of them. Not only are these pests annoying, but they can cause problems with your health also. If a rodent or insect leaves contaminants behind, then the husks, excrement, and urine float through your air ducts and into your home, which can make you and your family sick. Not only do pests carry diseases, but some of them also bite, which can injure you and make you sick as well.
4. Higher Energy Bills
If your air ducts are filled with dust, debris, and allergens, then it’s going to clog your HVAC unit, which in turn will have to work harder to cool your home. This leads to high energy bills, along with sicknesses such as sore throat, headaches, and severe allergies. It’s better to clean your air ducts and avoid the high energy bills and the doctor bills from getting sick, wouldn’t you think?
5. HVAC Wear and Tear
Whether it’s dirty air filters or dirty air ducts, the wear and tear on your AC unit will be lasting and expensive to deal with. The last thing you want is to spend a ton on repairing or replacing your unit because you didn’t have your air ducts cleaned. Trust and believe air duct cleaning is much cheaper than replacing an AC unit.
These are just a few of the ways that dirty air ducts can affect your health and the health of your HVAC system. It’s best to have your air ducts cleaned regularly, just as you have your HVAC system inspected.