Do Your Air Ducts Need Cleaned?

Do You Sneeze When Your Heating or Cooling System Comes On?

Wake Up with a stuffy nose and headache?

The comfort of a home is significantly affected by indoor air quality. The presence of particles of dust, mold spores, pollen, and insect droppings can cause reactions, even to the healthiest people. Regular air duct cleaning is one way to improve the overall air quality in your home. If you are not sure if your ducts need cleaning, here are some common signs to look out for.

1. Dust - Probably a clear sign of dirty air ducts is the presence of dust and dirt on your registers.  Dusty vent registers clearly signify dusty air vents.  Do you continuously find yourself having to dust frequently? This indicates that a significant amount of dust is being directed to the surfaces, most likely from the HVAC system.

2. Your air filters become clogged - If you must swap out filters in your heating and cooling system continuously, this could be an indication of a deeper problem. For sure, your filters should be changed periodically. However, they shouldn't be getting clogged after a week or two of replacing them. If they do so, this is a sign that you need to check on the air ducts.

3. Unpleasant odor from ducts - Another sign that you should conduct serious ventilation system cleaning is odor. If you experience an unpleasant smell in your home and can't find the source, it could be emanating from the air duct system.

4. Mold & mildew presence inside or outside your HVAC system - Dust has serious effects on your health, but mold is worse. Mold and mildew not only exacerbate allergies and respiratory conditions but also spread quickly in the house. Therefore, take quick action if you spot mold around vent covers and air conditioning units. Apart from cleaning out and sanitizing HVAC ducts with mold, technicians will advise you to invest in a home dehumidifier, since mold and mildew grow in wet areas.

5. Insects, rodents, and other vermin infestation in your air ducts - Pest infestations in your home is another sign that you should clean your ducts. Why is air duct cleaning necessary after pest infestation? Well, this is done to prevent the spread of allergens and other disease-causing microbes. Vermin dander, insect droppings, bacteria, and viruses can cause serious health problems.

6. No records about prior air duct cleaning - If you live in an old home with no recollection of when the air ducts were last cleaned.  I tell our clients, “Imagine, if you had a piece of furniture in your home that you had not dusted for years and years. The amount of dust that would have built up on it. This is what the inside of your air ducts look like”. 

7. Your home was just built or has undergone a major repair - Construction work is messy. Even if the contractors observe maximum cleaning or close the areas that were under renovation to prevent other parts of the house from construction activities, dust, dirt, and debris always find their way in. Unless the HVAC system is off or completely covered during the renovations, be sure that dirt and dust will have been sucked up into the ductwork. Therefore, you should consider cleaning your air ducts after any renovations.



Most homeowners know that duct cleaning is important. However, most have the common question, how do you know if your air ducts need to be cleaned? Well, there you have it. Engage the services of a professional technician if you witness any of the above-mentioned signs.