12 Aug Common Air Duct Contaminants

When it comes to maintaining clean air ducts, most of us are a little reckless. While we’re certainly not accusing you of keeping a dirty home, it’s just one of those tasks that often gets overlooked! Whether you’re looking at hospital duct cleaning or commercial duct cleaning in general, it’s crucial to have ducts cleaned regularly. You might think it’s safe to assume that because air regularly passes through, vents are somehow self-cleaning, but unfortunately, they don’t work like this. Instead, contaminants build up in your air ducts over time and inhibit the air quality that passes around. Because people spend up to 90% of their time indoors, your air quality must be a high standard for health reasons. To help you maintain a regular air duct cleaning schedule, here are some of the contaminants that you should be aware of in your air ducts. Be sure to contact professional duct cleaning services if you spot any!

Dust, dirt, and dander

The unholy trinity of dust, dirt, and dander are the most common contaminants you will find in your ventilation system. While they often accumulate on surfaces such as carpet, they can also become airborne, particularly when you open windows or doors. When airborne, some particles work their way through the filter and come to rest in your ducts, producing a layer of scum or dirt inside your duct system.

Pollen and allergens

Pollen that floats in through windows or clings to you as your wander in from outdoors can end up inside your air ducts. Also, if you have animals on the premises, their dead skin and fur can become airborne and eventually make their way into your duct system. Finally, if you suffer from allergies, dirty ducts can inflame your condition and lead to skin irritation and rashes.

Mould

While mould isn’t dangerous in small quantities, it certainly does affect the air quality and general circulation of air in the building. The longer you leave the mould sitting in a duct, the worse it becomes, and it will successfully contaminate your air quality when you initiate your system.

Pests

The relatively undisturbed spaces within your ducts provide a tranquil nesting spot for various pests and small rodents. If you don’t remove the pests as they nest, you run the risk of spreading disease, which could have nasty ramifications for your health and wellbeing. Even if the pests are fairly innocuous, who wants rodents or insects nesting on their property?

Final thoughts

While cleaning your air ducts might not be high on the list of your priorities, it perhaps should be. The air that you and your employees breathe is hugely important. Given the large amount of time people are inside, it’s vitally important that the air is not contaminated. Dirty air ducts reduce your air quality and can lead to a whole host of health complications if you’re not careful. So, having your air ducts professionally cleaned is an essential step in maintaining your duct systems. Please do get in touch if you’ve any questions about duct cleaning or air quality!