In some cases, duct cleaning may help improve overall air quality and air flow if it is done in tangent with an overall system tune-up (furnace, humidifier, air conditioning and ducts). However, most households dont require regular duct servicing.
In the 1990s, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted in-depth research on the benefits of cleaning ducts. Insights from the study revealed that duct cleaning only cleans ducts and it does not reduce airborne particles (a.k.a., dust) in the house (dust originates from outside dirt, human or animal skin/hair and cloth fibres).
So when should you clean your ducts?
- When there is water in ducts, there may be mold. In some cases, it may be more effective to replace the affected duct
- After a new construction or renovation, duct cleaning can remove drywall dust, fiberglass, sawdust and debris that may have fallen into duct passages
- Poor airflow with a furnace may be caused by a duct blockage
- Hairy pets and curious children can add extra hair and surprises to normal dust accumulation
