Keeping Your Air Ducts Clean
As we approach another summer season, spring cleaning is on most homeowners’ minds. Cleaning inside and out means selling old clothing, cutting down hazardous tree branches, and even sprucing up the outdoor garden. But look closer inside your home, behind the walls and under the floors, and you’ll discover how important clean air ducts are.
Air duct cleaning is an important part of many homeowners’ spring and fall cleaning process to keep their home fresh and clear of excessive amounts of dust. There are many reasons why you need air duct cleaning in Atlanta, from protecting your family, to saving your hard-earned cash.
Benefits of Clean Air Ducts
Air ducts provide a way of circulating air throughout your home or business keeping you comfortable all year round but if not properly maintained, it could leave your home’s air feeling stuffy and your wallet feeling lighter.
Here are a couple of reasons why cleaning your air ducts are so important:
Indoor Air Quality
You want your family to breathe in clean air while at home and by cleaning your air ducts, you’ll reduce the level of hazardous pollutants that could be contaminating your home.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA, indoor air pollution is ranked among the top five environmental dangers to the public. Studies have shown that two out of three indoor air quality problems involve the HVAC and air duct system. Research also shows 20 percent of all illnesses are either caused by or aggravated by polluted indoor air.
The EPA says cleaning your air ducts removes 5 – 15 pounds of dirt and debris from your ductwork each year! That’s dirt that your family could be inhaling that can influence multiple illnesses.
Other Statistics:
- The average adult inhales about two tablespoons of household dust daily.
- Indoor air can be 70 times more polluted than outdoor air.
- For one in six people who suffer from allergies, the cause is bacteria and fungi in air duct systems.
Some may have the perception that indoor air is safer than the air outdoors, but if you’re not taking proper care of your air systems inside, you and your family could begin become a statistic like the ones above.
Save Energy, Save Money
The second biggest benefit from cleaning your air ducts focuses on savings. We all look for ways to save money and energy especially when we know there are areas where costs can be reduced.
There are dozens of ways to reduce your electric bills year-round but once you’ve replaced your thermostats, sealed windows and doors, and even fixed or replaced your HVAC systems, you could still be using unnecessary energy. Finding the smallest ways to reduce usage means you’ll slowly start saving more over time.
According to the U.S Department of Energy, 25 to 40 percent of the energy used for heating and cooling in your home is wasted. One factor involved in that percentage is the cleanliness of your air duct system.
Air ducts run throughout your entire home and when clogged or layered with dust and debris, your HVAC system has to work even harder to produce cold air or warm heat.
According to researchers, .042 of an inch of dust on a heating or cooling coil can cause a 21 percent reduction in the efficiency of your system. An additional .042 of an inch of buildup on the system fan can result in an almost 50 percent loss of efficiency.
The build-up comes from excess dust trapped in your home that many times gets swept into air duct vents or is sucked in from your home ventilation system, leaving your system working harder to stay efficient.
Of course with regular maintenance on your air duct system, you’ll decrease the need to pay for significant repairs that will cost you big down the road. You’ll even be able to cut down your electric bills by conserving energy that’s not being used because your air ducts are free and clear of debris.
Get Your Air Ducts Clean, Today!
If you want to live in a clean environment, make sure you’re taking the necessary steps by keeping your home clean inside and out, under the floors and in the ceilings as well.
For more information on air duct cleaning, contact Anytime Heating, Cooling and Plumbing in Atlanta at 770-504-5881 or visit our website for a free consultation!