Typically, air ducts need to be cleaned every three to five years according to the
National Air Duct Cleaners Association. Depending on a lot of factors—like your home’s location, how many pets you have, and how frequently your air filter has been replaced, to name some—you may adjust your air
duct cleaning more or less often. So, how can you find out for sure when it’s time to have your ducts cleaned? There are certainly some revealing signs when it’s time.
Look for these clues:
- Are your cold air returns coated with dust or pet hair?
- Is there a jam inside your cold air return vent?
- Are your registers blowing out dust?
- When you gaze inside with a flashlight, can you see a collection of debris or pet fur?
- Have insects or rodents nestled 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 Gilray Heating and Cooling in Wausau about air duct cleaning.
Prolonging Time Between Air Duct Cleaning
There are a couple things you can do to help keep your ducts cleaner and prolong the amount of time between specialized cleanings.
Above all, setup routine HVAC maintenance with the professionals at Gilray Heating and Cooling. A service 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 functioning effectively, and should help keep your ducts clean.
You can also chat with the team at Gilray Heating and Cooling 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.
- Inspecting your air filters regularly 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 need changing.
- Sealing leaks in air ducts that let dust to come in from areas like your attic.
- Replacing poor or damaged air-duct insulation.
With a professional air duct cleaning and some preventive measures, you can help keep the air in your Wausau home clean and healthy. Give the professionals at Gilray Heating and Cooling a call at 715-301-0727.