When speaking of air ducts, some people might think of the heating and cooling units that are found in homes. However, an air duct can be any source of ventilation within a building. That means not only is there heating and cooling equipment to consider, but also the vents built into kitchen ovens, bathroom showers, fireplaces, and anything else that has a vent fan. There are even bathroom and kitchen vents that aren’t attached to any type of venting equipment, though they are usually controlled by an electric switch or have some other means of being turned on and off.
There are two main types of air ducts: return style and supply style. The former is characterized by having incoming airflow through the same ducts as the outgoing air, so they are all connected. The latter features distinct ductwork for both incoming and outgoing air to keep things separate. While return-style systems are most common, supply-style have certain advantages that some people prefer.
The Importance of Air Duct Cleaning Professionals
Even for those who can’t say they suffer from allergies or asthma, cleaning air ducts is still a good idea. There’s no way of knowing what has built up in them over time without cleaning them out. And even if there are no obvious signs of dirt and grime, chances are there may be unseen contaminants like mold that can cause a multitude of health problems.
People have the option of hiring air duct cleaning professionals to do the job or buying specialized equipment and learning how to clean them themselves. In either case, it is vital that someone takes advantage of this service as soon as they start noticing any signs of poor air quality within their home. It might not be a serious problem yet, but if it goes ignored for an extended period of time, that could change.
Clean Or Replace?
It can be very tempting to decide on having your air ducts replaced when they get dirty, especially when you see the price tag. However, there are several factors to consider before deciding whether it’s really necessary.
First, there is the age of the current ductwork. It may be coming up on its 25th birthday, but if it isn’t showing any signs of problems, it might not actually need to be replaced. In fact, when a contractor offers replacement services, they will take into account the age of your duct system while giving you a quote.
The second thing to consider is whether or not the existing ducts are properly insulated. While insulation will not fix any problems with leaky seams, it can help keep them from getting worse. However, if none of the ducts have this type of protection, then there’s no reason to worry about replacing them right away.