Raymond Michael Harrington provides up-to-date information on current air conditioning technology, research results and high efficiency air purification products.

The Value of Clean Home Air Ducts: Should You Consider Having a Licensed HVAC Professional Clean Your Home’s Air Duct System?

Pure air makes for healthy living. In a recent study, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) examined the relationship between clean home air ducts and the related issues pertainint to public health. The summary suggested that duct cleaning is not conclusively linked to the prevention of health problems. However, the EPA went on to establish several contrary positions on this matter. Rather than making a clear statement that you should never have your Arizona HVAC ducts cleaned, the EPA suggested that you should always be concerned with the presences of:

• Mold
• Rodents
• Insects
• Excessive Dust
• Debris.

Clean Home Air Ducts: Dealing With Mold in Your Home HVAC Duct System

Mold within your air conditioning ducts can present potential health hazards ranging from simple allergic reactions to complicated fungal infections. Since visual detection of mold is not always possible, you may be forced to rely on digital air examination devices. Other mold-related heating and air conditioning concerns include the need to:

• Use microbiology resources to confirm the true existences of mold
• Replace wet or moldy air condition ducts that cannot be properly cleaned
• Correct the conditions that favored the growth of mold.

Clean Home Air Ducts: Clearing Your Home Air Conditioning Ducts of Vermin Waste

Hantaviruses can induce a deadly disease into the human pulmonary system. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, deer mice, the white-footed mouse, the rice rat and the cotton rat carry hantaviruses. When human beings breath in infected air, they are at risk of catching Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). Some at-risk activities listed by the Centers   for   Disease   Control   and   Prevention include:

• Improper cleanup of mouse infected areas
• Working in sheds or cabins that have remained undisturbed for an extended period of time
• Working or living in an area that typically contains mouse droppings or urine.

Clean Home Air Ducts: Why the Heating Ducts in Your Home Should be Free of Dust and Debris

Under normal conditions, the air that passes through your home duct system will not present any serious health problems. Most of the dirt clings to the duct surfaces and never enters your living space. In fact, most air pollutants are generated via cleaning, cooking, smoking and other general household activities. However, it is possible for the air conditioning ducts to become clogged with excessive amounts of debris and dust. When these particles become too dense to be controlled by your home supply registers, you should consider cleaning the heating ducts in your home.

Clean Home Air Ducts Prevention and Purification – AC Repair And AC Replacement Services That Work

Bottom line of the EPA report: Conclusions on the relationship between clean air ducts and public health remain open to interpretation. Duct cleaning is not yet considered a yearly maintenance requirement. However, even the EPA acknowledges that this process sometimes makes for good sense.

Even if yearly duct cleaning is not a necessity, you can help prevent duct contamination by taking the following steps:

• Purchase air filters that meet or exceed the highest efficiency rating given by the manufacturer of your HVAC system
• Seek out and replace any clogged filters
• Never run the units when a filter is missing
• Make certain that your service tech cleans the cooling coils and the drain pans
• During any type of dust producing home renovation, take special precautions to protect your return registers
• Keep your home clean
• Use high efficiency home vacuum units
• Use a home humidifier.