Why Should You Clean Your Air Vents and Change Your Air Filter

Your HVAC system helps keep your home cool in the hot summers and warm during the cold winters. It is also complex and made up of vents that bring air to various parts of your home as well as the air filter. It is important to follow a regular service for these components. Replacing the air filters and cleaning the air vents will help keep your unit working as efficiently as possible and your home at the appropriate temperature.

Replacing Air Filters

A major component of any HVAC system includes air filters. The air filters are responsible for preventing allergens and other pollutants from coming into your home and improve air flow.

When an air filter becomes dirty, its performance degrades causing more pollutants to come into the home. The excess material that gets trapped within the filter reduces effectiveness and cause even more pollutants to escape. It also restricts air flow causing your HVAC unit to suffer from poor performance.

How often you replace your air filters depends on many different factors. These include how frequently the home is used, how many pets are present, and how many people live in the home. For example, if you rarely use your home, you may just need to replace your air filters once every 6 to 12 months. On the other hand, if you have pets or suffer from severe allergies, you may need to replace it more often.

Cleaning Vents

The air inside your home is circulated through a series of vents. Since the air filters do not trap all pollutants, dust may get trapped inside the vents.

The trapped particles inside the vents restrict air flow and reduce operating efficiency. Cleaning vents not only helps increase efficiency, it also helps improve air quality when excess dust and particles are removed.

Sometimes cleaning vents can be done by yourself. This involves simply removing the vent cover and cleaning the area around it. Primarily the return vents are the dirt catchers, seldom do supply vents need to be cleaned. Other times, you may need a deeper cleaning that targets the entire duct system which may require the help of a professional. Though government agencies such as the EPA are skeptical about benefits from air duct cleaning, many allergy sufferers have seen major improvements as a result of it.

How often you clean your vents and air ducts depends on several factors including the level of allergies you have and the number of pets. Cleaning is highly recommended if insects or other pests are present in the duct system or if you notice mold growth. It is especially important to get rid of mold at the first chance since it will be much more costly to remove later on.

Conclusion

Two of the most important things you can do for your HVAC system is to clean the air vents and change out air filters. These simple steps can be done with a help of an HVAC professional or on your own. Taking these easy steps will improve your HVAC system’s performance and help your family breathe easier!

Need help? Give Empire HVAC a call today: 404-294-0900