After vacuuming and blowing, dirt and dust may still remain in the ducts of the house. These particles can stick to the ducts and no amount of air will move them along the attached or caked parts. The only way to remove them is to brush them. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urges homeowners to read their document in its entirety, as it provides important information on the subject.
Duct cleaning has never been proven to actually prevent health problems. Nor do studies conclusively demonstrate that the particle (p. e.g. This is because much of the dirt in the air ducts adheres to the duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space.
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. Contaminants that enter the home through both outdoor and indoor activities, such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or simply moving around, can cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts. In addition, there is no evidence that a small amount of household dust or other particles in air ducts poses a health risk. If any of the conditions identified above exist, it usually suggests one or more underlying causes.
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. However, there is little evidence that cleaning only the ducts improves system efficiency. You can 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.
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, they do recommend that 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 it against carbon monoxide poisoning. 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 (see How to Prevent Duct 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, they can propose the application of chemical biocides, designed to remove microbiological contaminants, to the inside of the ducts and other components of the system. Some service providers may also suggest applying chemical treatments (sealants or other encapsulants) to encapsulate or cover inner surfaces of air ducts and equipment housings because they believe they will control mold growth or prevent release of dirt particles or fibers from ducts.
These practices have not yet been thoroughly researched and you must be fully informed before deciding to allow use of biocides or chemical treatments in your air ducts. They should only be applied if any after system has been properly cleaned of all visible dust or dirt. Knowledge about 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 air ducts in your home would be beneficial or not.
On other hand, if family members have unusual or unexplained symptoms or illnesses that you think could be related to home environment, you should discuss situation 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 can consider cleaning air ducts simply because it seems logical that they will become dirty over time and need to be cleaned from time to time. While there is debate over regular duct cleaning's value, there is no evidence suggesting such cleaning is harmful when done correctly.
On other hand, if service provider doesn't follow proper procedures for cleaning air ducts, it can cause problems with indoor air quality.
