Prevent Air Duct Contamination

While posts on this blog are generally dedicated to explaining the benefits of air duct cleaning, this post is going to be a little different, as it will be about things you can do to reduce your need for air duct cleaning. Actually, this is just common sense advice that basically applies to every homeowner, regardless of whether they decide to have their home’s heating and cooling system cleaned or not.

The best thing that you can do to make sure that your home’s air ducts are not contaminated to employ a preventive maintenance program. The home owner’s task of minimizing the risk of air duct contamination is twofold. Part 1) Keep dirt from reaching the inside of your HVAC system. Part 2) Maintain all parts of the heating and cooling system that you can. It’s like changing the oil in your car… it can prevent a lot of problems down the line.

Here are some tips for preventing contamination of your air ducts:

• The air filter that you use should be the highest efficiency that is recommended by the maker of your heating and cooling system.
• Air filters, like car oil, need to be changed on a regular basis. If you cannot remember the last time that you changed your air filters… then they probably need it really badly.
• If you notice that your air filters frequently get clogged or very dirty before you change them, then you should probably be changing them more frequently.
• Make sure that there are no missing air filters in your home ventilation system. Even one missing filter can cause a lot of problems.
• Check the status of the filters. Make sure that there are no gaps between the filter that air can get around. Like a missing filter, gaps allow the air, along with contaminants, to enter your air duct system with ease.
• If your air duct system is being checked or maintained, ask that the cooling coils and drain pans be cleaned.
• If there is any construction, maintenance, or renovation at your house, you should cover all supply and return registers to prevent the dust and debris from contaminating your system. You should not operate your HVAC system until the dust and debris have been removed from your home.
• Use a HEPA vacuum cleaner or at least the highest efficiency filter bags your vacuum cleaner can take.

The bottom line with these recommendations is that whether of not you make the choice to have the air ducts in your home cleaned, you can follow these tips to help reduce the risk of air duct contamination. These are just some friendly tips from your local New Jersey Air Duct Cleaners at Clean as a Whistle.

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