June 8, 2017

As a homeowner you know that maintaining your home is key to living comfortably and maintaining the value of your home. Staying on top of all of the maintenance is a difficult task since there are so many components that make up a home: Your roof, walls, windows, frame, heating & cooling equipment, appliances, foundation, plumbing, electrical and more! The one area that most homeowners forget about is their ducts. 

Most people are now aware that indoor air pollution is an issue of growing concern and increased visibility. Many companies are creating products and services intended to improve the quality of your indoor air. Duct cleaning is one of the services designed to help with that. Your ducts are the vents which distribute warm and cool air from your furnace and air conditioning throughout the rest of your home. They play a vital role in keeping your house cozy in various seasons. However, they are hidden out of sight which often means homeowners easily forget about them. That means they accumulate dust and debris over time without ever being cleaned.

Over time your ducts also collect pollutants that enter the home both from outdoors and indoor activities such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, and daily life inside your home. The primary concern with having dirty air ducts is that over time, these pollutants accumulate and are spread throughout your home everytime your furnace or AC turns on.

The Major Concerns

The first major concern is mold growing in your ducts. Since your ducts create the perfect environment for mold to grow, this can happen quite easily. If this is left for extended periods of time and not treated it can result in serious health issues for the residents of the home. Below is a picture of a moldy duct.

 

The other major concern is rodents and insects living in your ducts. Your duct system is a place where insects, mice, and other rodents like to live because of the comfortable temperatures and the lack of disturbance. Especially in the winter months in Red Deer, mice and birds will find their way into your ducts through vents on the exterior of your home. As we know, mice and insects can multiply quickly which means your ducts become infested quickly. With mice in Alberta, their feces can carry deadly diseases that are toxic when breathed in. Having your ducts cleaned at least every 2 years will help eliminate this risk.

“Duct cleaning helps to keep your home safe, clean, and more energy effcient. Homeowners should get their ducts inspected every 2 years at least”
Jess FoxOzone FX Owner + CertifiedHome Inspector

Is duct cleaning worth it? 

We often get asked by homeowners, “is duct cleaning is worth the money?” And the answer to that question is YES! So how often should you get them cleaned? Certian conditions may cause you to need a duct cleaning more frequently than other similar homes. Below is a list of considerations when deciding to have your ducts cleaned or not.

• How many people live in the home? If there are multiple people (4+) living in the home, your skin, dust, and dirt accumulation will be greater than a home with fewer residents. This will cause you to need a duct cleaning more frequently than others.
• Do you have pets that shed? For a lot of families, pets live inside the house and contribute to dust build up by shedding. They also track dirt into the home more than most people since their hair captures dirt particles easily when outdoors. The more excessive your pets shedding and the more pets you have, the more frequently you should get your ducts inspected.
• Selling or Moving into a house. If you are selling your home, a great way to show your homeowners that you have cared for the home is to have the ducts cleaned regularly. This can be used to help you sell for closer to your asking price. On the flip side, if you are moving into a home and are unsure whether the ducts have ever been cleaned, having our team come clean them is a great way to start off fresh and to take care of your home properly.

Determining if duct cleaning is worth it for you will be different for each household. As a general guide, every two to three years is a good guideline.

Duct Cleaning Benefits

There are 4 major benefits to getting a duct cleaning.

1. Improved Air Quality: By removing the dirt, debris, and toxins from your ducts, you are improving the quality of air in your home. Since we tend to spend a lot of time in our homes throughout the winter as Canadians, this is important to help ensure our families stay healthy.
2. Improved Safety: When there is a buildup of dust and lint in your ducts, you put your home at risk of a fire. The constant heat dries out these particles which makes them more likely to combust. This happens most often in dryer vents that have excessive lint buildup. In fact, in the USA, over 12,500 house fires per year are attributed to a clogged dryer vent. Ozone-FX will help you remove this lint and improve the safety of your home.
3. Energy Savings: Some studies have shown that by removing the debris that blocks the smooth airflow from your furnace and AC, you can improve your homes energy efficiency. Smoother airflow results in better energy transfer, which means you don’t need to have your furnace or air conditioning on as long. This results in lower utility bills and more money in your pocket!
4. Reduced Maintenance: Clogged air filters and vents put a strain on your furnace system. When your furnace is continuously working harder and harder to distribute heat to your home, it becomes more likely to burn out. And with the average furnace costing over $3500 now, extending the life of your furnace is important for a lot of families.

How much does it cost?

Now that you understand the benefits of getting your ducts cleaned, you should understand the costs associated with it. We do a full service of any home with up to 20 vents for only $299. This included your furnace cleaning and duct cleaning. You can view our full range of services here.

If you are having mold and odor problems, we also offer homeowners the option to do an Ozone blast. This will eliminate 100% of odors in your home guaranteed! Call about our special offers on furnace cleaning and bacteria fogging combo. .

 

Check out our full line of residential and commercial services and book your next appointment with Ozone-FX.