Typically, air ducts need to be cleaned every three to five years according to the
National Air Duct Cleaners Association. Contingent on a lot of factors—like your home’s location, if you have pets, and how regularly your air filter has been replaced, to name a few—you may require air
duct cleaning more or less frequently. So, how can you find out 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 covered with dust or pet hair?
- Is there a blockage within your cold air return vent?
- Are your registers wafting out dust?
- When you check inside with a flashlight, can you see an accumulation of debris or pet fur?
- Have insects or rodents found shelter in your ductwork?
- Can you hear clatter 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 more than likely time to ask Rapids Sheet Metal Works Inc in Wisconsin Rapids about air duct cleaning.
Prolonging Time Between Air Duct Cleaning
There are a few things you can do to help keep your ducts cleaner and prolong the period of time between specialized cleanings.
First and foremost, setup annual HVAC maintenance with the experts at Rapids Sheet Metal Works Inc. A tune-up of your furnace each fall and your AC each spring, which should include inspection, and possible replacement, of your air filter, will help keep your HVAC system running well, and may help keep your ducts clean.
You can also chat with the team at Rapids Sheet Metal Works Inc about installing an air purification system. We provide 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 steps you can take include:
- Consistently dusting and vacuuming your home.
- Examining your air filters habitually and changing them when the manufacturer recommends changing them. Most filters will show dust on them after a brief stint in service, but they may not require changing.
- Sealing seepages in air ducts that let dust to enter from areas like your attic.
- Replacing poor or broken air-duct insulation.
With an expert air duct cleaning and some proactive measures, you can help keep the air in your Wisconsin Rapids home clean and healthy. Give the experts at Rapids Sheet Metal Works Inc a call at 715-301-0256.