The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) recommends cleaning your HVAC system every three to five years, but this can vary depending on certain factors. If you have domestic smokers, pets that shed a lot of hair, or people with allergies in your home, it's best to increase the frequency of cleanings. The average duct system should be cleaned every two to five years, and if you maintain it properly and change the filters twice a year, you can extend the time between professional cleanings. If your system has been active for more than three years and has never been cleaned, it's likely time for a cleaning. Even a single station can accumulate enough dust and dirt to make it less efficient than when it was first installed.
The recommendation for air duct cleaning is every three to five years, but this depends on several factors such as location, climate, and use of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Other problems such as mold and disease can also be signs that your ducts need to be cleaned. To get a better understanding of how often you should clean your ducts, learn more about air duct cleaning. The best time to clean your ducts is in spring or early fall, after you've stopped using the air conditioning system and before you need to use it again. To see all the ducts, an air duct cleaning company will need to perform a video inspection. Any sign of rodents or insects in the air conditioning system indicates that the ducts should be professionally cleaned.
Small amounts of waste don't affect indoor air quality, so air conditioning ducts don't need frequent cleaning. Even if you use the system every day, if the air coming out of it smells strange, now is a good time to clean the ducts. Reducing the frequency of cleaning air ducts or eliminating them completely can help keep your home less dusty. Also consider cleaning the ducts if you smell dampness or burning when you turn on the oven. Don't make the mistake of thinking that since you have a filter in your system, there's no need for duct cleaning.
Only clean them when there is visible mold, signs of pests, or an excessive amount of dust and debris entering rooms. Most HVAC companies set a specific frequency or time for duct cleaning, but regular air conditioning cleaning isn't necessary to maintain health and air quality in the home. It's also important to note that if you share your home with pets that shed hair, this will increase the amount of dust and dirt inside the ventilation grilles, so it will be necessary to clean the ducts more often. While dirt, dust, hair, and other debris can accumulate inside these ducts, this doesn't mean they need to be cleaned regularly. People with sensitive respiratory systems or severe allergies should consider cleaning their ducts more often to reduce buildup before it becomes excessive. Some HVAC companies often state that a home's air conditioning ducts should be cleaned at least once every three to five years to ensure that hair, dust, and debris don't affect home air quality or cause health problems.
However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) takes a different position and notes that duct cleaning has not been proven to prevent health problems. Cleaning your HVAC system is essential for optimal performance and maintaining good indoor air quality. It's important to understand how often you should clean your HVAC system based on factors such as location, climate, use of heating and cooling systems, presence of pets or smokers in the home, and any signs of mold or pests in the system. Regularly changing filters twice a year can help extend the time between professional cleanings. The best time for an HVAC cleaning is in spring or early fall when you're not using your air conditioning system.
