Having a preventive maintenance program of you HVAC system can be time saving than having to clean the ducts. This will save you a lot of hours and money when the cleaning service company comes by. Duct contamination can lead to bad air quality in the house, inefficient HVAC system and high energy bills due to increased consumption by your heating and cooling system.
Employing a number of contamination prevention mechanisms can have an overall impact air quality in your home. Bad air quality could lead to respiratory complications, constant cleaning of the house and uneven distribution on airflow in the house. Get the system inspected by professionals like Salt Lake City Air Duct Cleaning is also recommended.
As the saying goes, prevention is better that cure and as such, you should take due diligence is making sure you keep your ducts as clean as possible. The guide below can help you keep your ducts uncontaminated.
Preventing Dust and Debris
To avoid dust and debris from entering the house, use the highest efficiency air filter recommended by the manufacturer of your heating and cooling system. Regularly check the filters to ensure they are working properly. You should check if your filters are clogged and they should be repaired or replaced in case they are failing.
Also, make sure you do not have any missing filters. During construction or renovation work that produces dust in your home, the supply and return registers should be sealed off and you should not operate the heating and cooling system until after cleaning up the dust.
Remove dust and vacuum your home regularly. Dust in the house can be such in the ducts if left to accumulate in the house.
To Prevent Ducts from Becoming Wet
Molds are a common contaminant in the duct. If the ducts are wet, mold will find a conducive environment to grow. If your heating system includes in-duct humidification equipment, be sure to operate and maintain the humidifier strictly as recommended by the manufacturer to avoid condensation.
One of the ways moisture enters the duct system is through leaks. This is due to improper installation and servicing. The presence of condensation or high relative humidity is an important indicator of the potential for mold growth on any type of duct. Repairing the leaks or water damage promptly is the best way of controlling moisture.
Proper Equipment Maintenance
A faulty HVAC system could lead to contaminants. It is important to have a technician inspect the heating and cooling system to ensure every component is working well. One of the components that require regular checks are cooling coils. This component is used to remove water from the air and could be a major source of moisture contamination which leads to mold growth.
The ducts are supposed to be properly sealed and insulated. This will ensure moisture due to condensation does not enter the system. Condensation can be further prevented by properly insulating the heating and cooling system.
The air conditioning system should also be of proper size. Installing a unit which is too big may lead to the system cycling on and off frequently which will result in poor moisture removal.
