Understanding Filter Concerns

During allergy season, plant pollen and other environmental factors can make your life miserable. You might think that once you are safely behind the walls of your home, your troubles are over, but sadly this may not be the case. Even if you execute a strict cleaning regimen to prevent allergens from building up on the surfaces of your home, you still have to worry about what kind of build-up is accumulating inside your ducts. To make sure you are safe inside your home, you should have your ducts inspected regularly and cleaned as needed.   

Why Air Filters and Scrubbers Are not Enough

The air filter included in your AC system will only stop contaminants from entering your ducts through the intake lines. While cold air is flowing out of your system, you should not have to worry about allergens entering your system through the output vents, but what about when your system shuts off? Dust, dust mites, insect carcasses, dead skin, hair, pet dander, pollen, mold spores, and other contaminants can easily enter your ducts through the vents while your system is at rest. While installing an air filter or scrubber in your home should help to diminish the presence of such contaminants, there is still a risk. 

Why You Can't Clean Your Own Ducts

Depending on how thorough you are with your cleaning, you might try to clean your ducts on your own. If you have a vacuum with a hose, you can reach for at least a few feet down your ducts. Unfortunately, unless you clean the whole length of your ducts, your efforts are wasted. Duct cleaners will have specialized equipment, which enables them to clean the full length of your ducts. At the very least, you should have your ducts inspected at the end of the allergy season. At the very least, the inspection will confirm that there are no dangerous allergens lurking in the dark recesses of your ducts. And if your ducts are dirty, they will have the right equipment to do a thorough cleaning job. 

Air quality is a daily concern if you live with allergies. During the spring, when plant pollen can make every trip outside feel like a trip into hostile territory, you should do everything you can to make your home a refuge. Chaining your AC filter on schedule and installing a separate air filter inside your home will help to minimize the need to clean your ducts, but you may still face the occasional need to hire cleaners to rid your home of any allergen infestations lurking in your ducts.     

Contact local professionals, such as Capital Heating & Cooling, for further assistance.