Why You Might Want To Clean Your Ventilation
Your ventilation plays a huge role in the effectiveness of your air conditioner and heater. On top of that, it is crucial for maintaining air flow for rooms that don't have windows. There are also some health reasons for keeping your vents clean. Here is an in-depth look into why you might want to clean your vents.
First of all, why clean your vents?
There are a couple of reasons that you might want to clean out your vents.
Dust - If you haven't used your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system lately, then a lot of dust might have accumulated in your vents. If you suddenly turn on your house fan, then that dust might get blown into all of your rooms and you probably don't want that. By cleaning out your vents, you can remove the possibility of that dust coating the rest of your house.
Biological Material - Secondly, there is also the potential for growth of hazardous molds and bacteria in your vents. This is doubly true in areas that have high levels of humidity and lots of moisture, which is the ideal environment for many kinds of mold. If mold does grow in your vents, then the increased airflow might blow particles of that mold into your nose, which could result in health problems.
Blockages - Finally, you might actually end up with a large blockage in your vents that could lead to disgusting smells or prevent air from traveling through the vents. For instance, if a rodent died in your vents, then your house might be filled with the smell of decay if you turn on the fan. The smell and mess might be even worse if you turn on the heater, which could accelerate decomposition. Even if the blockage isn't organic in nature, it might prevent your heater or air conditioner from getting hot/cold air where it needs to go.
So how can you clean your vents?
In most situations, you will actually want to call a professional duct cleaning service to clean your vents for you. On your own, the best you can hope for is to clear a few feet into your vents in each room with a vent cover. However, you lack the reach and tools to clear the entirety of your vents.
A professional cleaning service will use extremely long vacuums to clean out the entirety of your ventilation system. They will also be prepared to handle any sort of mold that might be growing there.