With the various cleaning and upkeep tasks the average home or business owner must attend to on a daily basis, it’s easy for tasks that might not require immediate attention to get sidelined indefinitely. Duct cleaning is an often overlooked consideration, if not entirely forgotten about until it’s too late.
But that begs the question… if getting your ducts cleaned is easy to forget about, is it really all that important? The short answer is yes. This realisation will naturally lead you to ask more questions in regards to cleaning your ducts. This article will take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to getting the ducts in your home or business cleaned.
Do Ducts Really Need to be Cleaned Regularly?
The best interval for duct cleaning purely depends on the type of duct and its usage. For instance, the exterior of the ducts in a commercial kitchen’s hood and exhaust fans will not only need to be cleaned by hand at least twice a week, but a professional should be servicing this system once a year at a minimum. This not only ensures that the indoor air quality of the kitchen is maintained, but also prevents the build-up of grease and chemicals in the ducts themselves.
An interval of every two to three years for residential ducts should suffice. But if you would like to maximise the efficacy of your air duct system, especially in the winter or summer months, getting your ducts inspected and cleaned by a professional is a must.
Is Getting Air Ducts Cleaned Expensive?
For the budget-conscious, the first question that might spring to mind is exactly how much does duct cleaning cost? The price of getting your ducts cleaned can vary based on a few factors. For instance, if you’ve moved into a new home or office building that has a recently installed duct system, then getting the ducts cleaned should be relatively inexpensive, as at this stage, they won’t require much if any major maintenance at all. If the ducts in your home or business are older, the price of getting them cleaned could be higher. Older systems that have been neglected and therefore have degraded considerably over time may require major repairs or installation of discontinued parts (which are often expensive and difficult to source). For this reason, it’s recommended to speak with a HVAC specialist if you’re unsure about the age of your air ducts or how often they’ve been serviced in the past.
What Are the Benefits of Getting Ducts Cleaned?
While regular duct maintenance and cleaning brings with it a host of benefits, chief among them is the improvement of the overall air quality of your home or workplace. Better air quality means you’ll literally be able to breathe easier, which in turn will maintain or even improve your day to day productivity. This is especially beneficial if you suffer from conditions such as asthma or sensitivity to dust or allergens.
