Spring has sprung! After months of staying inside to avoid the snowy weather, you can now open your windows and let the fresh air in. Yet, that feeling of relief might be a sign of poor indoor air quality due to dirty air ducts.

In the winter, your home’s HVAC system circulates air throughout all the rooms in your house to spread heat. However, dirt and moisture brought on by wet weather accumulate in your home and air ducts. Once in your ducts, the contaminants disperse through the air along with the heat causing potential respiratory problems, such as coughing, shortness of breath, and allergies.

So how exactly can you tell if you need to add air duct cleaning to your spring-cleaning checklist?

Dust, Pet Dander, and Dirt

Through everyday activities, our family and pets create a lot of dirt, dust, and dander inside the home. You can spend hours or days wiping down every surface of your home and tossing out any excess clutter as part of your spring cleaning, but dirt, dust, and harmful contaminants can still be lingering in your air ducts.

After cleaning, you may notice a fine layer of dust forming on furniture you just wiped down a few days ago. If this happens, you need to clean your air ducts since they’ll blow the built-up contaminants around your home.

You can also tell if your air ducts need cleaning by checking your supply and return vents. If they are visibly dirty both inside and outside, then you should clean them.

Mold

If you live in a humid climate, your heating and cooling system can develop condensation leading to mold growth in your ductwork. Mold is difficult to detect when it is hidden in your home, but you can smell a musty odor. Search for mold in basements, attics, underneath sinks, behind the fridge, and around your HVAC units.

If you had heavy rainfall or suspect water damage in your home, play it safe and call a professional to inspect your air ducts for mold.

Rising Energy Bills

Your ductwork directs air around your home to keep everyone comfortable. When ductwork is filled with debris, airways are blocked and air flow is compromised. When this occurs, your system must work harder and more frequently to keep the preferred temperature.

However, it isn’t always the accumulation of debris that causes your system to have to work harder. Any leaks you have in your ductwork results in lost energy, decreasing the efficiency and increasing your energy bill. Hiring an air duct specialist like Clean Air Columbia to clean your ducts will remove harmful contaminants and fix potential leaks.