Every day we use our HVAC systems to keep our homes comfortable. Behind the scenes, though, a lot is going on to keep your rooms at the desired temperature. Part of the system is your air ducts. Let’s take a quick look at how the role your ducts play in keeping your home welcoming and comfortable.
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The Main Goal: Transporting Air
This one might seem pretty obvious, but it is the main goal of your HVAC system’s air ducts. While the main unit is responsible for cooling and the furnace or heater is in charge of heating, without a pathway to move that conditioned air, it won’t get to your rooms. That’s where your duct system comes into play.
Your ducts help maintain peak efficiency. The proper seals ensure that the only places your cooled or heated air is escaping are the vents. When leaks occur, it usually means your system isn’t performing properly — and you’re using more energy to cool or heat your home.
Signs of Leaks
Leaks are the main concern when dealing with ducts. Of course, that’s not the only thing you’ll need to worry about, but we’ll get to those other problems a little later. So, when it comes to leaks, what are some of the common signs you’ve got an issue?
- Temperature irregularities with thermostat — While this can be a symptom of other issues, it can mean leaks in your system are wasting efficiency.
- Persistent hot or cool spots — If you’re noticing certain parts of your home are at different temperatures than others, it could mean leaks are keeping the air from properly circulating.
- Higher than usual energy bills — You’ll want to keep an eye on your electricity bills. Again, this is a symptom of other HVAC issues but can be a good indicator that your ducts may be leaking.
If you think leaks are the problem, make sure you contact your local air conditioning repair service. Only trained HVAC technicians should deal with duct issues.
How Air Ducts Affect Air Quality
Your air ducts work kind of like your respiratory system. Much like our lungs, the build-up of material can cause some unwanted consequences. In our bodies, this comes in the form of mucus. For air ducts, it’s dust and debris.
Dirty ducts can be a safe harbor for some nasty contaminants:
- Pollen
- Dirt
- Pet dander
- Other allergens
These contaminants can wreak havoc on individuals with allergies or asthma. Maintaining your ducts is vital to keeping your indoor air quality at optimal levels. Additionally, dirty ducts mean all that dust and debris is just waiting to dislodge and coat your home — making cleaning up your rooms that much harder.
How Often Should You Have Your Ducts Cleaned?
Cleaning your air ducts is a great way to reduce the amount of dust and allergens in your home. How often you should clean your ducts will depend highly on your environment. Houses located in dusty or moist areas, like the desert or near the beach, often have more issues with cleaning than homes in other areas. Other contaminants, like smog and environmental pollutants, mean homes in urban areas may also need more frequent duct cleaning.
Generally speaking, you should have your ducts cleaned about every three years. To do this, contact a company you trust for HVAC in Dallas, TX. Only a licensed technician should perform a cleaning. During this visit, they may go ahead and check for other problems like leaks.
If you suffer from constant allergies or asthma, you may want to keep a more frequent schedule. As a general note, you should keep up with both cleaning the air ducts and regularly changing the air filter. Both of these tasks can greatly improve your air quality and home’s comfort levels. While you should leave duct cleaning to your local HVAC pros, changing your filter is easy to do even if you don’t know the first thing about your air conditioning system.
In most cases, you’ll only need to change your filter every few months. Keep in mind; you’ll want to ensure you’re getting the right size and type of filter. If you don’t, it could mean your system won’t perform at peak efficiency.
Can Dust Damage Your Air Ducts?
Your HVAC system can easily become an out of sight out of mind problem. Since most of what’s happening goes on behind your walls, if you’re not on top of regular maintenance, you can easily let a small issue grow into a serious problem.
Over time, dust can build up in your system, clogging up your ducts. Clogged air ducts greatly reduce system efficiency. Much like our lung analogy from earlier, all this dust keeps your system from properly functioning. If you’ve ever had bad chest congestion, you know it can be a struggle just to breathe.
Much like our lungs, when you jam your ducts with dust, it means the system needs to perform that much harder just to reach normal operating levels. This means components need to work overtime, causing extra stress on parts. After a while, this can cause your HVAC system to break down, sending you to your local HVAC technician for emergency repairs.
Looking for an Air Conditioning Repair Service in Dallas, TX?
If you’re on the hunt for a reliable and affordable company to take care of your HVAC in Dallas, TX, Dial One Johnson Plumbing, Cooling and Heating have the pros you need to get the job done right. Our qualified technicians have seen it all and can handle anything from routine repairs to duct cleaning.
No matter what your HVAC needs are, our team is here to help. Reach out today to schedule an appointment.
Author Bio:
Sherrie Johnson-Hartsock
Dial One Johnson Plumbing, Cooling & Heating is now owned and operated by Sherrie Johnson-Hartsock, with his grandson, Daniel Johnson, a third-generation plumber who is also the Service Manager.