Air Duct Cleaning in the Winter

Keeping your indoor air quality is especially important during heating season. An efficient ventilation system ensures the removal of dirt and excess moisture, and that fresh air enters the building, but also saves a great deal of energy. Find out how to improve the ventilation performance of your home. Should air ducts be cleaned in winter?

Indoor air quality affects your health and comfort, especially in the winter when your home’s doors only open to let the resident in or out and your windows stay closed shut to prevent warm air from escaping. During the long months of our Chicago winters, air ducts collect a lot of dust, debris, and other contaminants, which all get trapped inside. The air you breathe is brought in, distributed and exhausted through a network of ducts connecting a central discharge plenum to a plurality of air vents, fans, ventilators, dehumidifiers and hoods. Have you ever wondered if all these channels and the air they carry are clean?

Professional Air Duct Cleaning

The most dust and dirt accumulate in heating systems with forced air circulation, especially in the air ducts. These air ducts can only be cleaned using specialized equipment: their wavy path in walls and floors and their fragility make it impossible to clean with domestic vacuum cleaners.

When To Clean Air Ducts?

It’s very relative. It is certain that in a house without a proper exhaust hood, where there are two smoking adults, children, a cat and a long-haired dog, the ducts will clog very quickly. A good way to find out if your air ducts need cleaning is observing the grills and covers if they are visibly contaminated with substantial deposits of dust, dirt and debris. As a rule, these outside elements reflect the appearance of the air ducts channels quite well.

Air Extractors and Dehumidifiers

Bathroom fans and hoods usually do not require routine cleaning. Checking their external surface of the ducts will keep you informed of their condition. So, when the fan is running and the valve is not opening or opening very little, it is possible that the duct is blocked or detached.

Outside Ventilation Openings

Checking the outside vents is also necessary as half-open exhaust valves will increase your heating bill. Seasonal maintenance is a great time to see it. Remove anything that might be blocking the vents. In addition to leaves, scraps of paper and fluff, you can even find birds or other pests there that have been looking for a little warmth and comfort!

Filters

Clean and unobstructed air ducts in your home will not be able to provide optimal performance of your ventilation or heating system unless its filters and fans are properly maintained. Check the instruction manual of each device to find out how often you should clean or replace the air filter in your building.

Filters on the latest generation of ventilation and HVAC systems, as well as in exhaust hoods and dehumidifier vents are usually easy to remove. You can simply vacuum them or wash them with mild soap and water. When it comes to forced air heater filters, regular maintenance guarantees their correct operation and allows the device to function effectively and efficiently throughout its years of service.

Promoting Healthy Buildings Through Air Duct Cleaning

Everyone knows a house requires a lot of maintenance. As a homeowner, you need to make sure that your property remains in good condition throughout its life. However, many people often forget a central point of their property: the ventilation and heating ducts, as they are not visible and it’s easy to tell yourself that there are no problems, since the impact is not necessarily obvious at first.

However, according to recent studies, indoor air contains more pollutants than outdoor air. Thus, the air pollution inside our properties is becoming more and more worrying and it becomes imperative to take the necessary measures to neutralize this pollution before it takes a toll on our health. Even today, many homes suffer from what is known as Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). These buildings contain air of lower quality than the currently established standard. People who live in SBS listed buildings may experience certain unpleasant symptoms, such as headache, dizziness, nausea, itching, sore throat, dry cough, and more.

In order to ensure that the air you breathe in your property is of good quality, and incidentally not harmful to your health, it’s important to hire professional ducts cleaners. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to do it on your own, as the process calls for specialized equipment that will be much more efficient than your vacuum or broom and will not damage your ducts.

Expert Duct Cleaning Service in Chicago

Your ventilation system along with all your air ducts must be cleaned by professionals in order to remove all traces of dust, mold and any other substances that may be harmful to you and your family’s health. Heating ducts should be cleaned to remove dust and debris that has accumulated in the return ducts. These ducts can be roughly cleaned with your sweeper, but you should still keep in mind that a thorough professional cleaning is still necessary after a few years to get your ducts back to excellent condition.

Call PT Duct today and hire the best air duct cleaners in Chicago!

We have all the necessary equipment and products that will get your air ducts clean and will remove any smells and odors that can settle inside your house over time.