How Duct Cleaning Affects Heater Efficiency

With the winter months creeping up, ensuring that you have an efficiently running heating system in your home takes on an even greater precedence. Although air ducts that are restricted can still provide your home with warm air, they can still have a negative impact on your health and safety – and your wallet! With that in mind, here’s some useful information to help get you started.

Why Duct Cleaning is Done

One of the biggest reasons to ensure that your ducts are clean deals with how air flows from your furnace, through the ducts, and into your living areas. The less resistance in the ductwork,  the blower has an easier time trying to pump the heated air throughout your home.  The blower won’t use as much power which jacks up your electric bill.

Another benefit you’ll see is a longer service life from your furnace and its components. The harder the furnace has to work to heat your home, the more likely the furnace components are to wear out before they should, causing costly repairs and potentially some cold, sleepless nights.

Additional Duct Cleaning Benefits

Duct cleaning helps with more than just heater efficiency. Restricted ducts can harbor anything from dust particles to mold, and even rodents.  Uncared for, anything lurking in your heating system – dust, mold, germs, etc. — can be picked up and blown into your living spaces any time the blower kicks on. Another concern regarding debris buildup is the fire hazard it presents, especially during the colder months when it’s constantly exposed to hot, dry air.

Scheduling a visit from trained HVAC technicians offers you multiple benefits. First, technicians have specialized tools for inspecting your ducts, alerting you to anything that might be lurking in there. Additionally, they have specialized training and equipment for safely and efficiently clearing and removing whatever debris they find. Also, in the case of mold, technicians can provide you with resources for how to take a sample of the mold and have it examined to determine if it presents any significant health threats.

Preventative Maintenance Tips

Having a certified technician inspect and clean your ducts is your most reliable option, but here are a few things you can do to help yourself in between cleanings:

• Filters – Since the intake filters are your furnace’s first line of defense against unwanted particles, inspect them regularly to ensure that they’re not clogged, ripped, or otherwise compromised.
• Dryer Vents – If your furnace is in the basement, vent your dryer outside rather than into the basement, if possible. The extra lint from your clothes can make the filters on your furnace clog up quicker.

Additional Information

If you would like to know more or would like to schedule an appointment to service your North Stafford, VA home, feel free to contact Brennan’s Heating & Air Conditioning. Their N.A.T.E. and CFC certified technicians will be happy to help provide you with assistance and additional information on the various services they have to offer.