You will agree with me that a home is more than just a shelter or a physical structure where you can hide away from the weather elements such as the hot sun, strong winds, cold, and the rain. Especially the indoor environment, a home should be comfortable, safe, and healthy to live in. Speaking of comfort, this is one of the reasons why property and home owners equip their premises with heating, cooling, and ventilation systems, to keep warm when it’s freezing and to stay cool when it’s scorching hot.
If you’re using a ducted HVAC system, however, it is important to understand that your home’s ductwork deserves some attention, at least once annually or at least every 3 years, depending on various factors such as geographical location, size, and type of your ductwork system. There are various benefits in this. Even more alarming is the fact that there is a thin connection between duct cleaning and the residents’ or dwellers’ health in a building. This having been mentioned, here are a few pointers might want to process regarding air duct cleaning and your health.
Indoor Air Pollution:
In America, indoor air pollution is the 4th most alarming environmental threat according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This is because as the HVAC system is running, the duct system tends to draw a variety of airborne contaminants, including mold, dust mites, dust, and other kinds of allergens such as pollen. These particles will eventually build up in your ductwork system after a certain period of time depending on the location you live in.
How It Happens Through Air Ducts:
As your HVAC system runs to supply heated or cooled air throughout your house, these allergens and contaminants are released into your indoor space along with the conditioned air. Studies have actually proved that dirty air ducts contribute to an increase in indoor air pollutants. Do not forget that this is the same indoor air that you breathe and that some of these contaminants are capable of causing allergies and respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis, and so on and so forth. Below is a quick look at some common health risks that dirty air ducts could cause.
Allergies and Asthma:
There are various kinds of allergies, some of which affect the respiratory system, eyes, and the nasal passages. Asthma is a good example, even though you don’t have to suffer from asthma to experience allergic reactions. Asthma is a chronic/seasonal respiratory illness that is known to be triggered by certain airborne allergens. Symptoms of this problem are normally triggered by things such as dust, mold, pollen, and other allergens, some of which can enter the home’s air through your ductwork. Since dirty air ducts are known to increase indoor pollutants, cleaning air ducts could improve your respiratory health.
Sinus problems and Respiratory Infections:
Dirty air ducts could also harbor other disease-causing agents such as bacteria and fungi, most of which cause respiratory infections. These can be introduced into indoor spaces through your ductwork along with the conditioned air. When harmful airborne particles enter your breathing channels, they may find their way into the sinuses, causing inflammation and infection. Residential air duct cleaning can further exacerbate these issues.
It is important to have a professional air duct cleaning company assess your property whenever you are moving into a new home or you observe signs such as a spike in energy bills, heating irregularities or notice awful odors coming from your ductwork. Your health is obviously more expensive that the so-called air duct cleaning costs.