Air Duct Systems - 5 Issues You May Face

We spend most of our lives indoors, whether inside your home, or at work in an office building. And one thing both places have in common is some form of air circulation system. Either from air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, or whatever other methods of heating and cooling are used, air is circulated throughout the building. And in most cases, this air travels through air ducts. However, air ducts can also be one of the most problematic causes of illness ever invented.

As air travels through the ducts, dust, dirt, pollen, germs and a wide variety of other airborne particulates are carried with it. Filters placed in various areas of the circulation system can only do so much. It is very important to make sure they are replaced every three months to be able to work at their capacity. These particulates accumulate at joints and bends in the ductwork, sometimes to the point where the inside of the ducts can actually look like they're covered with a layer of carpeting. This can become a fire hazard on top of posing a serious health risk.

Unfortunately, there has been no invention to make cleaning the inner depths of complex air duct systems easier. This is the reason that professional companies developed a means of removing the dirt and debris from the smallest of areas to make homes and businesses as healthy as possible. Many companies employ what is called a "negative air" method of trying to clean as much grime out of the air duct systems as possible, but without some kind of proactive method of dirt removal, it only accomplishes part of the task. Some of the best companies have developed a type of vacuum system that actively goes into the ducts and removes dust and dirt directly from the places they accumulate. Not only that, but the very best companies ensure that during the cleaning process, none of the dirt and dust that has accumulated is returned to the air system. By using HEPA filters on their equipment, they prevent even the smallest of particulates from being left in the ductwork to be spread back out after they've left.

Many professional services will remove the registers and grates and clean them, and some will even remove and replace the filters to reduce the amount of dirt and allergens that make their way into the systems, but the best companies have filter replacement strategies to not only replace the filters on a regular basis, but to even replace the filter system entirely, using state of the art electrostatic filters that never need replacement.

Taking care of the air circulation systems in your home or business makes for a healthier, safer environment. And while cleaning these systems only makes sense, the return on the investment through increased productivity at work and a happier, healthier environment at home is its own reward.