Your HVAC ductwork has a major impact on the quality of air in your Phoenix, AZ home and your monthly energy bill. If you’re looking for ways to curb your carbon footprint, cut your spending, and improve your health and safety, properly maintaining your ductwork is a great place to start. Read on to learn everything you need to know about efficient HVAC air duct maintenance.
What Homeowners Can Do
Taking good care of your HVAC system is a great way to keep your air ducts clean and functioning efficiently. With diligent HVAC maintenance, you can limit the amount of dust, dander, pet hair, carpet fibers, and lint that builds up in these structures.
Regularly Change Your HVAC Air Filter
Much of the debris that lands in HVAC air ducts comes from dirty air filters. When your air filter develops a heavy, lint-like mat of debris, turning your furnace, heat pump, or air conditioner on could cause trapped materials to detach. Not only is this bad for your indoor air quality (IAQ), but it also impedes airflow throughout your HVAC system and raises your home energy bill.
To avoid filter-related efficiency losses, inspect this component every 30 days. As per HVAC equipment manufacturers, homeowners should replace their standard air filters every 30 to 90 days. You can determine whether your filter is ready for replacement by holding it up to the light. In most cases, if light can still pass through a filter, air can as well.
Establish an Ongoing Pest Management Plan
HVAC air ducts are a preferred hiding place for many common indoor pests. Ducting provides secure, private shelter and easy access to multiple water and food sources. Once in ducting, pest leaves lots of pathogenic detritus behind, including:
- Fur
- Wings
- Exoskeletons
- Food
- Feces
Having infested air ducts can fill your home with rank, funky odors and cause your IAQ to decline. It can also obstruct airflow, place stress on your HVAC equipment, and cause your energy bill to rise.
Pest treatment is anything that homeowners and professional pest control companies do to eliminate active infestations. Pest management is a series of ongoing efforts to deter pests from entering and congregating in buildings. Your pest management plan can include:
- Covering nearby water sources
- Checking for and eliminating plumbing leaks
- Shoring up potential entry points
- Properly storing food
- Keeping indoor and outdoor waste bins tightly covered
By keeping pests out of your HVAC system, you can extend the lifespan of your heating and cooling equipment and limit your HVAC-related energy use.
Inspect and Clean Your HVAC Air Vents
When performing monthly filter inspections, take a minute to inspect your HVAC air vents as well. If these are covered in the same lint-like debris that you find on your air filter, wipe them off with a soft, damp towel. You can also use your vacuum cleaner’s hose attachment to suction any debris that’s trapped behind them.
Schedule Regular Heater and AC Tune-up Services
Keeping your heater and AC tuned up will improve your IAQ and limit accumulations of in-duct debris. During these visits, our technicians test HVAC airflow and look for evidence of air leaks. This allows our team to catch and correct duct-related problems before they result in massive energy waste or spiral out of control.
Schedule Annual HVAC Air Duct Maintenance
Although HVAC companies test airflow during heater and AC tune-ups, this doesn’t constitute actual air duct maintenance. At least once each year, schedule a separate maintenance appointment for your air ducts. This will entail a more comprehensive inspection of your ductwork and allow technicians to identify problems that are hidden behind drywall, in crawlspaces, or around remote or low-lying areas.
Invest in Air Balancing
Air balancing ensures even and efficient air distribution. It involves strategically adjusting vent and damper positions to ensure uniform heating and cooling. If you have family members who regularly close air vents to customize temperatures in their immediate areas, air balancing will limit stress on your HVAC system and lower your energy bill. Most homes need professional air balancing services every three to five years.
Check for and Address HVAC Air Vent Closures
In between air balancing services, check your home for fully or partially closed air vents. When homeowners close their HVAC air vents, unwanted air has nowhere to go. It builds up in ducting and creates a marked rise in static pressure that can lead to HVAC performance issues like short cycling and overheating.
Have Your HVAC Air Ducts Professionally Sealed and Insulated
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), having your air ducts sealed and insulated can increase the efficiency of your HVAC system by as much as 25%. These services prevent air leaks that allow heated or cooled air to escape to remote building areas like attics, basements, and crawlspaces. They also prevent leaky air ducts from taking in unfiltered air from dusty areas which greatly undermines IAQ.
Schedule HVAC Air Duct Cleaning
HVAC air duct cleaning is considered an essential part of ongoing HVAC maintenance. According to the EPA, homeowners should have their air ducts cleaned on an as-needed basis, such as:
- After treating in-duct pest infestations
- When dealing with stubborn mold infestations
- Following exposure to wildfire smoke or smoke from indoor fires
- When IAQ suddenly declines
However, the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) recommends a more rigorous duct cleaning schedule. According to NADCA, scheduling HVAC air duct cleaning every three to five years is the best way to protect your IAQ and ensure the efficiency of your HVAC system.
Professional duct cleaning addresses far more than just ductwork. During these services, HVAC technicians also clean:
- Evaporator and condenser coils
- Indoor air handlers
- Blower motors and fans
- All air registers, vents, and grilles
- Condensate drain lines and drains
These treatments optimize airflow and make it easier for heaters and air conditioners to create and maintain the conditions that homeowners want.
Duct Cleaning and Pest Prevention
When devising your ongoing pest management plan, you’ll find that regular air duct cleaning is an important addition, especially if you’ve had an in-duct infestation before. When negative air pressure, vacuum suction, or mechanical drain cleaning are paired with odor removal and sanitization, these services will strip away pheromones and odors that might attract new pests to your ducting.
How Duct Cleaning Protects Your Condensate Drain
Treating condensate drain lines during air duct cleaning enhances the efficiency of heat pumps, condensing furnaces, and air conditioners. During long periods of dormancy, these appliances often develop heavy buildups of algae and biofilm in their drains. If left unchecked, buildups like these can increase your indoor humidity and cause functional problems like short cycling.
Consider Installing an Integrated IAQ Accessory
If your IAQ is exceptionally low and difficult to improve, you may need an integrated HVAC system accessory. These are secondary appliances that HVAC technicians install on or in HVAC air ducts. They extract the micro-fine particulates that pass through standard air filters. Some integrated accessories additionally deactivate dangerous pathogens like mold, bacteria, and viruses. Others eliminate gaseous chemical contaminants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In addition to improving IAQ, these accessories optimize airflow and increase the efficiency and lifespans of heaters, heat pumps, and air conditioners.
With many 5-star Google reviews, we proudly serve Phoenix and the surrounding cities. We offer expert air conditioning, heating, and plumbing services. We also provide cutting-edge indoor air quality improvements, duct cleaning, AC deep cleaning, and HVAC preventative maintenance plans. To find out more or schedule an appointment, contact Emergency Air Heating Cooling & Plumbing now.
