You should think of your air ducts as the veins of your home. If they get clogged or dirty, it affects the health of your home. But it’s easy to forget about your air ducts, and some homeowners don’t even realize they should be cleaned.

Clogged Ducts?

You can usually tell if your ducts need to be cleaned by looking at the air vents. If you see noticeable particles of dust or dirt coming through, you should consider getting them cleaned. You can also check the surrounding area of your registers to see if there is more noticeable build up of dust or dirt than other areas of your home.

If you want to take a closer look, check out the inside surface of your ducts for any visible mould, rodent droppings or dead insects inside. If you’ve had a recent mouse or rat problem – or any other kind of pest problem – it’s a good idea to check out your ducts and vents, as these are the perfect transportation system for pests.

And if you’ve had construction in your home recently, chances are that there is a build up of dust in your ducts, so you should always clean them out after a big renovation.

Why Clean Them?

Whatever is in your air ducts will contribute to your home’s air quality. If your ducts are dusty and mouldy, they will blow dust and mould into the rest of your home, causing allergy symptoms and potentially more life-threatening illnesses. You’ll also likely have to clean more often, as more and more dust will circulate throughout your home and build up on the surfaces.

Beyond health reasons, having clean ducts will also mean your heating and air conditioning systems perform better. If your ducts are clogged, your home comfort systems have to work overtime to produce the same temperature output. This means more money spent on heating and cooling your home, as well as potentially having to maintain your home comfort system more often, as it can put more stress on it.

When Should I Clean Them?

The good news is that you don’t have to get your ducts cleaned too often. Unless you’ve had a pest infestation or recent renovation, like we mentioned above, you should get your duct system cleaned every three to five years.

You should also get your ducts cleaned if you have just moved into a new home (unless you know for sure that the previous owner had them cleaned recently). You might have to clean your ducts more frequently if you have pets, especially those that shed fur and dander.

Need a new duct system for your Orangeville, Shelburne, Caledon, Collingwood or Owen Sound home? Read more about our qualified installation teams and duct balancing!