Maintain Your Ductwork to Improve Indoor Air Quality
The air in your Mount Pleasant, Texas, home goes through your ductwork several times per day, and maintaining your ducts regularly will increase your HVAC system’s efficiency and lower your utility bills. If you don’t take care of your system, then dust, dirt, and other pollutants will build up over time, forcing your heater and air conditioner to work harder, making breakdowns more likely and shortening the unit’s life. You should clean your ducts, seal leaks, change your air filters regularly, and add a UV lamp to improve your indoor air quality and help reduce asthma and allergies flare-ups.
Cleaning Ductwork
To know if you should clean your ductwork, remove the air register on a vent and touch the side of the duct with your finger or a clean cloth. If you wipe off lots of gunk, or if you can see mold, pest droppings, or spider webs, you should have a professional clean your ductwork to keep these contaminants from coming through your vents with and lowering your indoor air quality. Buzzing, scurrying, or flapping sounds are signs of live pests inside your ductwork, and you should call an exterminator before you have your ducts cleaned.
Duct cleaning saves energy by removing obstructions from ductwork. It can also get rid of uncomfortable warm or cool areas in your home caused by clogged ducts. To save even more energy, make sure your air registers are open and that furniture, rugs, or drapes don’t block them. If you have respiratory problems or an autoimmune disorder, get your ducts cleaned once per year to prevent health problems.
Sealing Leaks
Leaks in your ductwork let conditioned air escape, wasting energy. Sealing your ductwork can actually increase your HVAC system’s efficiency. It’s also much less expensive. For more savings and better indoor air quality, have the exterior of your home checked for air leaks as well.
Leaks can let dust, pollen, mold, insulation particles, fumes from household chemicals, and other contaminants into your ductwork without going through your HVAC system’s air filter. Leaks can also attract combustion gases and particulates from furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, and wood stoves. All these pollutants can spread through your home, lower your indoor air quality, and make asthma and allergies worse. Since many parts of ductwork are behind walls and in crawl spaces, most homeowners have trouble looking for leaks themselves. A professional HVAC technician can inspect all the parts of your duct system for leaks and make repairs if necessary.
Replacing Your Air Filters
A dirty air filter can lower your indoor air quality by spreading contaminants through your entire home. It also wastes energy by forcing your HVAC system to work harder. You should look at your air filter at least once every month and replace it when it becomes dirty, or at least every three months.
Many thermostats can remind you when it’s time to change your filter. You can also add an air filter monitor that measures differences in air pressure and alerts you exactly when your filter is too dirty. Some monitors can even connect with your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Adding a UV Lamp
A UV lamp, also called an air purifier, can kill mold, mildew, bacteria, viruses, and dust mites in your ductwork and keep your system working efficiently. These lights go inside your ductwork and don’t use much energy since they only come on with your HVAC system’s cycle. Some models even have an indicator that glows when the lamp is on. In addition, you should replace the bulb for your UV lamp once per year. Your HVAC technician will keep all information about your system so that necessary maintenance can be performed on time.
Wood Air Conditioning & Plumbing has over 57 years of HVAC experience, and we can install, maintain, and repair a variety of equipment including your ductwork. Call us at 903-285-6550 for quality and reliable service.
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