A lot of people think they need to have their ducts cleaned because of mold buildup, dust, or other reasons. It might be very necessary to do this but it might be an unnecessary and costly thing to do. Let me explain why:The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has concluded that indoor air quality can be worse than some of the outdoor air we breathe in. In addressing the question regarding whether, or not, you should regularly clean your air ducts in your house, the EPA says that duct cleaning has never demonstrated that it actually prevents health problems or decrease dust particles in a home. They say that most of the dust that enters ducts adheres to the wall of the duct system. The most likely place to increase the likelihood of poor indoor air quality is from particles that enter the air through such activities as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or even just moving around.
Given all of this, you probably should think about getting your ducts cleaned if there is any evidence of mold inside. The only real way to find out if there is mold in your ducts is to have a duct cleaning company come and do an inspection. Remember, that most of your ducts are not accessible so make sure to have the company give you real evidence of mold growth. Otherwise, you may be paying for something that is not needed.
You can call a duct cleaning company to come inspect your ducts but most people do not truly get concerned unless occupants of the house start to display respiratory problems or other symptoms that may be of a mystery type. Only after exhausting all avenues do people start thinking about duct problems.
Another reason to get your ducts cleaned are if they become infested with vermin or if you actually see dirt and dust particles coming from your registry. Before getting your ducts cleaned for these problems, you must get rid of the problem first or you will have the problem arise again after the duct cleaning.
If you do decide to find a duct cleaning company, use the same common sense consumer precautions you would normally use. One good place to check is the Better Business Bureau because if the company has demonstrated shady or illegal practices, the Better Business Bureau will have records. One place on the Web that has become a good resource to know if a comapny is legitimate is Angie's Place.
