How To Keep Your Home's Air Quality Fresh and Healthy?

A set of interconnected supply air ducts convey heated or cooled air to and from your home rooms via the HVAC system. Over time, the air ducts can become dirty as dust, hair, and other materials attach to the inside. If moisture is present, the unclean air ducts could even foster mold development. Insects, rats, and other pests can also subtract from the system’s effectiveness and influence interior air quality. Use this tutorial to discover when residential air duct cleaning in NJ is important and how to clean air ducts.

What Are Air Ducts?

The ductwork for a home is a set of interconnected ducts. It circulates air to and from the HVAC system. Ducts can be round or square, depending on where they are located. Large metal ducts are commonly observed in a basement or extending vertically up through the home. Smaller spherical ducts constructed of fiberglass, flexible plastic, or lightweight metal bend and twist through the floors, walls, and ceilings to supply air to the various areas of the home.

The two types of ducts in a home are return and supply ducts. Return ducts take air from the rooms to the HVAC system, while supply ducts deliver air from the HVAC system to the rooms of the home. When a duct blows air into a room, it is a supply duct; if the duct pulls air into it from the room, it is a return duct.

How to Clean Air Ducts?

Remove the Air Duct Covers:

Turn down the HVAC system at the thermostat or cut off the circuit breaker to avoid loose dirt and debris from being blown into the residence. Once the system is off, remove the supply and return the vent grilles. Some grilles may be attached with screws. Therefore, you need a screwdriver or drill to remove the screws before pulling off the air duct covers.

Clean the Supply and Return Grilles:

Clean the supply and return grilles with warm water and dish soap. Use a soft nylon brush to clean any dirt or debris from the grilles. If the interior sinks are too small to accommodate the return grilles, this job can be done in the kitchen sink, laundry sink, or outside with a hose or bucket. After washing the grilles, allow them to dry.

Inspect the Air Ducts:

Use a pipe-cleaning brush to clean the duct. With a flashlight, look inside the air channel to decide how much space is inside and in which course the duct runs. There may be a tee in some ducts, allowing them to split in different directions. Knowing the size and direction of the channel helps while coordinating the cleaning brush into the pipe.

Duct cleaning isn't a task that needs to be completed regularly. Instead, it is only necessary in certain circumstances, such as when visible mold growth is present inside the ducts or other components of the HVAC system.

DIY air duct cleaning in NJ is relatively basic and can save the homeowner several hundred dollars in maintenance fees. However, it's crucial to note that a comprehensive HVAC system checkup and cleaning should take place every two to three years. Between these sessions, homeowners can manage duct cleaning, filter replacement, and semi-regular system checks.