When was the last time you thought about your ducts? Have you ever had them cleaned by a duct cleaning expert? If the answer is never, it’s about time you did, because who knows what could be lurking in your heating and cooling ducts. Debris that can accumulate inside ducts includes dust, pet dander, vermin droppings – and sometimes dead vermin – pollen, bad food smells that soak into the dust particles, and mould spores. Now imagine propelling these bits of unappealing particles into your living space for your family to breathe in on a daily basis. It’s quite a terrifying thought, really. So, how often are you meant to be booking your house in for duct cleaning? There are a few tell-tale signs that indicate when duct cleaning is due − continue reading to learn more.

Bad Smells in the Air

If there’s an unpleasant smell in the air, it could be an old food smell that’s become trapped in the dust particles in your ducts, or it could be the smell of mould. Usually a problematic smell could be described as being “dusty” or “musty”. Obviously, anything that smells bad is a cause for concern and a good reason to arrange duct cleaning as soon as possible. If it smells really bad, you could even have a dead animal in your ducts, necessitating prompt action.

Your Ducts Have Never Been Cleaned

If you don’t remember the last time you got duct cleaning done, or if you suspect the ducts in your system have never been cleaned, then it’s time to get the professionals in. Ideally, ducts should be cleaned every 2 to 5 years. The exact frequency will depend on how well your system is maintained. If you change your filters twice a year without fail, then you can lessen the frequency. But if you’re slack on the maintenance front, then no doubt your system should be cleaned more often.

Someone is Suffering from Bad Allergies in Your Home

If there’s pollen debris and dust particles floating about the house, it’s because they’ve accumulated in your ducts and are now being pumped into your living spaces courtesy of your heating or cooling system. This situation can be very aggravating for people who have asthma, hay fever or other conditions that affect the airways. Booking a company to carry out duct cleaning in your house will cut down the amount of dust and pollen circulating in the air of your home. Duct cleaning can vastly improve the home environment for people with breathing difficulties.

Your Bills Have Increased

If you’ve noticed that your heating or cooling bill has begun to increase, you might have an inefficient heating or cooling system on your hands. This often means that there’s so much debris in your ducts that the system has to use more power to push heated or cooled air through your ducts and into your rooms. The solution to this problem is duct cleaning. When you get your ducts thoroughly cleaned out and the filter changed, your system can work efficiently once again. You might not want to spend the money for duct cleaning, but think of the savings you can enjoy when your system is working at full capacity again.