On average, air ducts need to be cleaned every three to five years according to the
National Air Duct Cleaners Association. Dependent on a lot of factors—like your home’s location, whether or not you have pets, and how frequently your air filter has been changed, to name a few—you may require air
duct cleaning more or less often. So, how can you know for sure when it’s time to have your ducts cleaned? There are certainly some significant signs when it’s time.
Look for these clues:
- Are your cold air returns caked with dust or pet hair?
- Is there a jam within your cold air return vent?
- Are your registers blowing out dust?
- When you gaze inside with a flashlight, can you see a collection of debris or pet fur?
- Have insects or rodents made a home 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 less airflow than others?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it’s probably time to ask Forster Heating in Auburn about air duct cleaning.
Prolonging Time Between Air Duct Cleaning
There are a couple things you can do to help keep your ducts cleaner and extend the period of time between expert cleanings.
Mostly importantly, arrange routine HVAC maintenance with the specialists at Forster Heating. A tune-up of your furnace each fall and your AC each spring, which should comprise of inspection, and potential replacement, of your air filter, will help keep your HVAC system operating effectively, and may help keep your ducts clean.
You can also talk to the team at Forster Heating about installing an air purification system. We have 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:
- Consistently dusting and vacuuming your home.
- Checking your air filters habitually and changing them when the manufacturer recommends replacing them. Most filters will display dust on them after a brief stint in service, but they may not demand exchanging.
- Sealing leaks in air ducts that let dust to move in from areas like your attic.
- Replacing poor or broken air-duct insulation.
With an expert air duct cleaning and some preemptive measures, you can help keep the air in your Auburn home clean and healthy. Give the professionals at Forster Heating a call at 530-885-8081.