Improving indoor air quality and reducing allergens, dust, and other potential contaminants is possible with duct cleaning. A clean air duct allows your HVAC system to work more efficiently by circulating clean air throughout your home. This can help reduce musty smells and improve indoor air quality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends reading this document in its entirety, as it provides important information on the subject.
Duct cleaning has not been proven to prevent health problems, nor do studies conclusively demonstrate that the particles present in homes can cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts. It's important to note that dirty air ducts are just one of the many possible sources of particulate matter that are present in homes. Before ducting is cleaned, modernized, or replaced, the cause or causes must be corrected, or else the problem is likely to recur. Some research suggests that cleaning the components of heating and cooling systems (e.g., cooling coils, fans, and heat exchangers) can improve the efficiency of heating and cooling systems. However, there is little evidence to indicate that cleaning only the ducts improves system efficiency. You may consider cleaning the air ducts simply because it seems logical that the air ducts will become dirty over time and need to be cleaned from time to time.
As long as the cleaning is done correctly, 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. However, if you decide to clean your air ducts, take the same consumer precautions you would normally take when evaluating the competence and reliability of the service provider. Whether or not you decide to clean your home's air ducts, preventing water and dirt from entering the system is the most effective way to prevent contamination. If you decide to clean your heating and cooling system, it's important to ensure that the service provider is committed to cleaning all components of the system and is qualified to do so. In addition, the service provider can propose the application of chemical biocides, designed to remove microbiological contaminants, to the inside of the ducts and to other components of the system.
Some service providers may also suggest applying chemical treatments (sealants or other encapsulants) to encapsulate or cover the inner surfaces of air ducts and equipment housings because they believe they will control mold growth or prevent the release of dirt particles or fibers from the ducts. These practices have not yet been thoroughly researched and you must be fully informed before deciding to allow the use of biocides or chemical treatments in your air ducts. They should only be applied, if any, after the system has been properly cleaned of all visible dust or dirt. Knowledge about the potential benefits and potential problems of cleaning air ducts is limited. Since conditions in every home are different, it's impossible to generalize about whether cleaning the air ducts in your home would be beneficial or not. On the other hand, if family members have unusual or unexplained symptoms or illnesses that you think could be related to your home environment, you should discuss this with your doctor. The EPA has published several publications as guidance on identifying potential indoor air quality problems and ways to prevent or solve them.
You may consider cleaning the air ducts simply because it seems logical that they will become dirty over time and need to be cleaned from time to time. Although there is still debate over regular duct cleaning value, there is no evidence to suggest that such cleaning is harmful when done correctly. On the other hand, if a service provider doesn't follow proper duct cleaning procedures, it can cause problems with indoor air. For example, an inadequate vacuum collection system can release more dust, dirt and other contaminants than if it had left them alone. A careless or inadequately trained service provider can damage your ducts or your heating and cooling system, which could increase your heating and air conditioning costs or force you to make difficult and costly repairs or replacements. The EPA does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned except when necessary because of continuing uncertainty about their benefits in most cases. However, if you have a furnace, stove, or fireplace that burns fuel, it should be inspected for proper functioning and maintained before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning.
