In every home and in commercial premises there are essential systems that we simply take for granted. Plumbing is an example, as is the electrical system, and then there’s that Massachusetts essential – the air conditioning system. This is one of the home appliances that works continuously and can easily become overworked.
In this article we will look at what your air conditioning ducts do and why you should have them cleaned regularly. Let’s start by looking at the specific job the ducts perform.
What are the Ducts For?
The purpose of air conditioning is to take warm air out of the home. This is done by way of your air conditioning unit – usually placed outside the building – which is a complex machine involving compressors and other components. Unless your AC is a portable or one-room system you will also have a lot of connecting ducts.
The ducts are tubes of a prescribed diameter through which the AC unit extracts the warm air or delivers cooler air. They will be hidden behind your walls and identified by tell-tale grills that allow for the air to be drawn. Why do they need cleaning? That’s our next subject!
Why Do Ducts Need Cleaning?
If you check out local duct cleaning companies, you’ll find there are some that offer a full range of duct maintenance solutions at affordable rates. Ducts do need cleaning, so let’s look at why. As the air passes through the ducts, it takes with it any debris that can be airborne. Dust, hairs, any other substances that are in the air will carry through the ducts.
Over time this debris will settle on the inside of the duct, and quite quickly a layer can form that reduces the diameter of the duct. This is where problems start to occur. As your AC unit is programmed to move a certain volume of air every hour, it will need to work harder to achieve this. The result is that an overworked AC unit is trying to do a job it cannot achieve. The end result of this can be failure to the AC unit which is expensive to repair. To close, we’ll look at some of the signs that your ducts may be in need of attention.
How to Tell if Ducts Need Cleaning
There are many tell-tale signs that an AC unit is being overworked, including:
- The air in the rooms is not as cool as the settings say it should be. You will notice this naturally.
- The AC unit’s safety cut-out system trips repeatedly.
- You may hear unusual noises coming from your AC unit.
These are the main signifiers of an overworked AC unit and ducts that may be partially blocked and should be attended to quickly. If left alone the expenses incurred will be far greater than a regular duct cleaning by a professional outfit.
If you think your ducts may need a clean, or you are in a new home or other building, get the professionals in right now and avoid major expense.