Add Air Duct Cleaning to Your Fall Home Maintenance Plan
Most of us welcome the arrival of autumn with its brisk temperatures, clear blue skies, and brilliant displays of color just before the leaves fall. But the change of season not only brings cooler weather, apple picking, and pumpkin carving — fall also brings a whole new home maintenance checklist. Leaves to rake. Firewood to cut. Gutters to clean. Chimneys to sweep. Lawns to winterize, and much more. Seems homeowners have a never-ending list of things to do.
But there’s one thing many homeowners neglect when it comes to all those home maintenance needs: air duct cleaning.
As Mother Nature ushers in seasonal changes this fall, and we start to head indoors for longer periods of time each day, the quality of our indoor air becomes more important than ever. That’s why the fall season is the perfect time to get your home’s air ducts cleaned! Read on for a few reasons why:
Improved Indoor Air Quality
Your heating and cooling system is the lungs of your home, and the bottom line is that air duct cleaning improves indoor air quality. With dropping temperatures right around the corner, you’ll soon be spending more time indoors huddled under blankets, with the windows closed and the heat blasting or fireplace burning. Over time, dust, soot, dander, and other indoor air pollutants will accumulate in our home’s air ducts, and all that polluted air will be recirculated throughout your home every time the furnace kicks on.
By getting your air ducts cleaned in the fall, you’re taking the steps to ensure that you and your family are breathing clean air all year long.
Reduced Fall Allergy Symptoms
Spring may be long behind, but that doesn’t mean the end of allergy symptoms. Did you know that fall allergy symptoms can be just as bad? The biggest culprit? Ragweed. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), almost 50 million people in the U.S. experience allergy symptoms from ragweed pollen. The American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI) says that ragweed usually starts to release pollen in August when the days are still warm and the nights start getting cooler, and ragweed allergies can last well into September and October. Even if ragweed doesn't grow where you live, ragweed pollen can travel for hundreds of miles in the wind. Can you say “ahchoo?”
Mold is another fall allergy trigger. While we know that mold can grow in damp areas in the house, mold spores also love wet spots outside. Piles of damp leaves and decaying plants common in the fall season are ideal breeding grounds for mold, and all that mold can easily enter your home, worsening your allergy symptoms.
Other common fall allergens include the pesky dust mites that can get stirred up in the air the first time you turn on your heat, triggering sneezing, wheezing, and runny noses.
It’s important to take extra precautions to avoid a spike in symptoms during the fall season, when allergens can enter homes, travel through your air ducts, and then circulate throughout the home, potentially causing all sorts of health issues.
Increased Energy Efficiency and Savings
Contaminants in your home’s heating and cooling system cause it to work harder, which can ultimately shorten the life of your system. Even with proper use of filters, the heating and cooling system gets dirty through normal, everyday use. When an HVAC system is clean, it doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain the temperature you desire, so less energy is used — which can lead to lower electric bills. Add a proper HVAC cleaning to your fall home maintenance checklist to save money in the long run.
Ready to Get Started?
We all want our families to breathe clean, healthy air. When you’re ready to hire a company for your fall air duct cleaning, make sure you avoid common scams and choose a qualified contractor to ensure the job is done right – one with certified technicians up for the task. Members of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) have technicians on staff with advanced training and certification in HVAC system cleaning. They’re the best-of-the-best when it comes to getting those air ducts cleaned properly!
In fact, we make it really simple for homeowners to find an air duct cleaning professional. All it takes is a zip code to search our online directory to find a NADCA member in your area!
Click Here to Find a Trusted, Certified Air Duct Cleaning Professional Near You
