As the National Air Duct Cleaners Association maintains, “because they get dirty!” (NADCA).

In addition to normal accumulations of dust and dirt found in all homes through regular use, several other factors can increase the need for air duct cleaning:

1.) Pets

2.) Save Money

3.) Occupants with allergies or asthma

4.) Cigarette or cigar smoke

5.) Water contamination or damage Home renovation or remodeling projects

Some occupants are more sensitive to these contaminants than others. Allergy and asthma sufferers, as well as young children and the elderly tend to be more susceptible to the types of poor indoor air quality that air duct cleaning can help to address.

# 1  PETS (Cats & Dogs)

Do you find yourself dealing with mystifying health symptoms or unpleasant odors when you spend time indoors? If you’re a pet owner, your furry (or feathery) friends may be to blame. Because your ducts trap all manner of airborne particles, they often trap pet debris that can affect your health and home. At Duct Heroes, we know that pet owners can benefit greatly from routine duct cleaning. Today, we’re sharing why you should have your ducts professionally cleaned if you have indoor pets.    

Pet Dander and Fur Can Decrease HVAC Efficiency

If you own a pet that sheds, your ducts will inevitably accumulate debris faster than a home without pets. Your pet sheds constantly, and if it lives indoors, it’s not just shedding fur all over your house; it’s shedding dead skin particles, too.

Pet fur and dander end up everywhere throughout your house, and often, they become airborne because they’re so lightweight. Once suspended in your home’s ambient air, your HVAC system can easily pull these particles into your ductwork. As pet debris builds within your ducts, it combines with other particles that can accumulate in any home’s ductwork. This buildup gradually decreases the efficiency of your HVAC system, which you’ll surely note in your monthly utility bill.

Routine, professional duct cleaning removes all manner of duct buildup, which can significantly improve your HVAC efficiency. Ideally, pet owners should have their ductwork cleaned every two years, but if you have several pets, you may require more frequent service.

Let’s Face It: Pet Odors Can Be Offensive

Got pet odors? If you’ve tried steam cleaning your furniture, deep cleaning your carpet, or stocking your home with air fresheners to no avail, your ductwork may be to blame. It’s normal for pets to have a distinct odor, just as humans have their own unique scent. However, humans bathe regularly, and pets typically get a thorough washing much less frequently.

When your pet sweats—and yes, pets sweat—it tracks that sweat throughout your home. Just as human sweat isn’t exactly the most pleasant scent, pet sweat is fairly offensive, too. Combine that odor with the scent of the natural oils produced by your pet’s skin, and you get quite the offputting combination. When that residue eventually evaporates into your home’s ambient air, it gets pulled into your HVAC system, where it absorbs into the debris within your ducts. Every time your heat or air conditioning cycles on, it distributes that unpleasant odor throughout your home.

If you feel like you’ve tried just about everything to rid your home of unpleasant animal odors, professional duct cleaning may be the answer to your prayers. By removing duct buildup and thoroughly cleaning the interior of your ducts, we can restore a clean, fresh scent to your home.      

Pets Can Negatively Affect Indoor Air Quality

Even if you don’t experience prevalent allergy symptoms, your pet’s skin, dander, and fur (or feathers) contain proteins that can irritate your respiratory tract. When your pet sheds, these tiny particles often become airborne and eventually make their way into your home’s HVAC system.

Every time your system cycles on, it propels these tiny particles into the air you breathe, which can repeatedly trigger your bothersome symptoms. Professional duct cleaning dramatically reduces allergy-causing particles within your home, leaving you with fresh, breathable air.

# 1  Save Money (Electricity, HVAC Maintains , ECT.)

1. HVAC REPAIR COSTS

Because your furnace and air conditioner must work harder to meet the heating and cooling needs of your home when air ducts are dirty, there is more opportunity for major components within your HVAC system to fail.

Dirty ducts can contribute to significantly higher HVAC maintenance and repair costs over time. The increased demand for heated or cooled air caused by dirty air ducts could lead to parts of your HVAC system wearing out prematurely. Really dirty air ducts could even result in the total failure of your HVAC system, requiring an expensive replacement of your furnace or air conditioner.

2. UTILITY COSTS

Heating and cooling your home can be expensive. Utility costs are something that homeowners must factor into their monthly budget, and these costs can vary depending on the condition of your HVAC system.

When your air ducts become dirty, your furnace or air conditioner must work harder to push the air required to maintain comfortable temperature into your home. A lot of the heat generated by a furnace can be lost in transit, as air takes longer to travel through dirty ducts than it does to travel through clean ones.

You may find that you have to turn up the setting on your thermostat to achieve the right temperature in your home. This will require the use of more electricity and natural gas, which could send your utility bills through the roof. Keeping your air ducts clean will help you avoid rising utility costs in order to keep your living expenses as low as possible.

3. HEALTHCARE COSTS

The cleanliness and condition of your air ducts can have a direct impact on the quality of your home’s indoor air. Since most families spend a significant amount of time inside the home, poor indoor air quality could be negatively affecting your family’s health.

Dirty air ducts allow dust particles and allergens to be picked up by the heated or cooled air moving through your home. Exposure to dust and allergens can result in respiratory problems and can aggravate existing issues.

Family members might experience coughing, inflamed airways, and stuffy noses. Residents with asthma and allergies may experience more severe symptoms than usual. Poor indoor air can also compromise the immune system and leave your family more susceptible to illnesses.

Having a professional clean out your air ducts on a regular basis could help reduce your annual healthcare costs by eliminating the contaminants that contribute to poor indoor air quality and cause health problems.