Cleaning air ducts is a task that can be done with any vacuum, although it is recommended to use a heavier one if available. To do so, you should unscrew the ventilation grilles, vacuum them thoroughly and push the hose into the duct as far as possible to suck up any loose dust or dirt. However, your air ducts extend beyond the reach of your vacuum, so it is not possible to clean them completely. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not yet been able to provide a general recommendation on whether you should clean your home's air ducts or not.
This is because knowledge about cleaning air ducts is still in its early stages. Moreover, there is no evidence that dirty air ducts are the main source of particulate matter in homes, as pollutants can enter the home from both outdoor and indoor activities. As an expert in the field of air duct cleaning, I can tell you that there is no evidence that a small amount of household dust or other particles in air ducts poses any health risk. If any of the conditions identified above exist, it usually suggests one or more underlying causes.
Before cleaning, reconditioning, or replacing the ducts, the cause or causes must be corrected, or else the problem is likely to reappear. You may want to consider cleaning your air ducts simply because it seems logical that they will get dirty over time and should be cleaned from time to time. As long as cleaning is done properly, there is no evidence to suggest that such cleaning is harmful. The EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned routinely, but only when necessary. If you decide to have your air ducts cleaned, take the same consumer precautions you would normally take when evaluating the competence and reliability of the service provider. It's important to make sure that they agree to clean all components of the system and are qualified to do so.
The service provider may also propose the application of chemical biocides designed to remove microbiological contaminants inside ducts and in other components of the system. However, these practices have not yet been thoroughly investigated and you should be fully informed before deciding to allow them in your air ducts. Knowledge about the potential benefits and potential problems of air duct cleaning is limited. Since the conditions in every home are different, it's impossible to generalize about whether cleaning your home's air ducts would be beneficial or not. On the other hand, if family members have unusual or unexplained symptoms or illnesses that you think might be related to your home environment, you should discuss the situation with your doctor. The EPA recommends that if you have a furnace, stove, or fireplace that burns fuel, they be inspected for proper functioning and maintained before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. Whether you decide to clean your home's air ducts or not, preventing water and dirt from entering the system is the most effective way to avoid contamination.
If you decide to clean your heating and cooling system, it's important to make sure that the service provider agrees to clean all components of the system and is qualified to do so.
