Duct Cleaning

More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies or asthma. If you or someone in your family is sneezing or coughing, or if an unreasonable amount of dust seems to be building up in your house, consider having your air ducts cleaned.

Ductwork is the round conduit through which air travels after being cooled or heated. If you have not had air ducts cleaned in five years or more, you probably are thinking about it. Of course, prevention is always best: change your air filters exactly as the manufacturer recommends, and use the right size. Never run your heating or cooling system without filters. They are your first defense against dust, pet dander and plant allergens.

Almost inevitably, dust will build up in air ducts. You will almost always see dust around grilles and air returns; this does not mean your ducts need to be cleaned. Just vacuum the covers. It's in the duct work you can't see where problems could be hiding.

Ask your licensed contractor if pests, vermin or substantial mold exists in the interior of your ducts, or if they are literally clogged. If so, have them cleaned right away. Other sources of indoor air pollution could be fixed by duct cleaning, too: second hand smoke, pets who need to be groomed more often, dust from nearby traffic.

Another way to maintain clean air in your home is through ultraviolet lights installed inside your air handler. UV lights kill bacteria, mold and mildew. Left unchecked, mold can build up in the coil of your air conditioner, so a UV light not only makes your indoor air cleaner, it makes your system more efficient, too.