Indoor air pollution is a serious health hazard; in fact, it has been shown to be at least partly responsible for the occurrence of a number of health conditions. Many people have reported their allergies are often made worse by the unclean air circulating in their homes. That is why it is essential to be sure your air ducts are cleaned and properly cared for on a regular basis.
One important part of maintaining a clean air conditioning and heating system is making sure the filter is regularly changed. This process should take place at least once a year, and even more frequently if necessary. If you do not own your own home, you should make sure your landlord takes care of this important detail. Failure to do so can result in the circulation of unclean air through your home, as well as actually diminishing proper air flow.
Regular air duct cleaning has been shown to help prevent some health problems, while easing the stress of others that already exist. While some in the profession will argue that this has not actually been proven, it is strongly believed by others because of the improvement people have experienced after having the ducts cleaned. It is time to consider having your air ducts cleaned if the following occurs.
If mold is visible on or around your air duct, it is time to have it cleaned. This will remove the mold that can be potentially dangerous to you and others living in your home. Because of the nature of certain molds, it may be necessary to have this area treated before the cleaning takes place. It is important to remember that though a substance may appear to be mold, it may take an expert in the field to actually determine if this is true.
If your air ducts are insolated and they become wet or moldy, it is time to have them cleaned. If this is the case, the insulation should be removed and replaced. This is an important detail because it may be more internal and, therefore, more difficult to see.
If you do find there is an occurrence of mold, you should remove the cause. If you fail to do this, the mold will recur. The cleaner your air is overall, the easier it will be to breathe. Cleaner, less polluted air will also result in better health for you and your family.
If you can't remember the last time that you had your home or office air ducts cleaned, it's probably time to have them inspected and cleaned. On average, air ducts should be inspected and cleaned every two years to get rid of the contaminants that get deposited along the passageways during the years of use. For those people with any sort of allergies, or that have asthma or pets, the cleaning should be done at least once a year - if not more often.
A good way to know if your air ducts need cleaning is to have a look at the air return grilles in your wall. If there's any black along the grillwork at all, this is a good sign that there's also probably a buildup of contaminants in and along the walls of your air duct system. If you find that after thoroughly dusting your home there's a thin layer of dust on everything again after a few hours, the air ventilation system in your home is probably filled with dust and blowing it around your home. The regular filters in your air duct system should be changed every three months (simply because on average, they're only about seven percent effective at removing air contaminants from the air). Some special media filters only need to changed once a year, but if you have any sort of allergy, pets or suffer from asthma, you should think about changing them more often. If you constantly find that the air in your home or office is stuffy and dry, you should have your air vents inspected and cleaned.
Having air duct systems that are dirty can mean that the air you breathe in around your home and office is filled with contaminants that will make your life less enjoyable and can cause health problems for you and your family. Dust, pollen, dirt and animal dander can fill up the areas of your air duct system and create problems.
When the furnace or air conditioner is turned on and running - which is usually all through the year - these contaminants are pulled into the ducts and are blown into the air that you breathe. Anyone in your family who suffers from allergies or asthma or who have respiratory ailments such as the elderly, are especially vulnerable to the effects of these airborne contaminants. Mold spores, mildew and other forms of bacteria will find it easy to grow in the contaminants within your air ducts if you neglect to have them cleaned By cleaning away the dust and other contaminants in your home air duct system you'll be able to have a healthier lifestyle for you and those around you. Some studies have found that the level of hazardous pollutants inside your home or office is 50 times higher than the air outside. More than sixty million people in North America suffer from some form of allergy, with children and the elderly being the most susceptible to respiratory ailments affected by airborne contaminants.
Because people spend the majority of their life indoors (60-90%), the quality of the air you breathe needs to be of the highest quality - or at least, as clean as you can make it. By having qualified and well-trained professionals come in and inspect your air duct systems on a regular basis, you'll be doing all you can to ensure that the air you breathe will be doing your health no harm.
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