How Often Should You Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned?

It’s not peak pollen season anymore, and you’re still battling allergy symptoms that strangely seem worse when you’re at home than they do when you’re out and about. An odd odor whose source you can’t seem to pinpoint is in the air. The vents covering your air ducts are clogged with dust, debris, and even a little pet hair from your four-legged friends.

All the signs remind you of what you experienced right before your first air duct cleaning, but why is this happening again?

Unfortunately, one air duct cleaning doesn’t prevent pollutants and other contaminants from returning to your air ducts. You’ll need to schedule this service regularly for the rest of your life to keep your ducts clean and your air healthy.  

But exactly how often is “regular” air duct cleaning? And what are the benefits of following this schedule? These are questions we thought long and hard about before we put together our expert guide on best practices for air duct cleaning.

And now we’re making that information available to you. Let’s dive right in!

Factors to Consider When Determining Air Duct Cleaning Frequency 

According to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association ( NADCA), each household should have its air ducts cleaned once every 3-5 years. This is what we consider “regular” air duct cleaning.

However, the exact timing of each air duct cleaning will vary based on your location and what your specific HVAC system experiences in a given time period.

We recommend you consider these factors when determining the air duct cleaning frequency that works best for you:

1. Number of people in the house: The more people that live in a house, the more contaminants and pollutants that will enter via coughs, colds, dead skin cells, and pollen-covered clothes. This matter enters air ducts and can cause respiratory symptoms as the HVAC system circulates the air. Larger households should then plan to clean their air ducts more often than smaller households.

2. Pets: Pets shed fur and dander, which ends up in air ducts and circulates throughout the home. If one or more pets are in a household, air duct cleaning will be needed more frequently.

3. Renovations or remodeling: Renovations and remodeling projects generate significant dust and debris that gets swept into air ducts. This reduces the HVAC system's efficiency and can have effects on a home’s air quality. Anytime a house undergoes renovations, it’s a good idea to schedule a cleaning to make sure the air stays safe. This might mean scheduling a cleaning only a year after the last one.  

4. Other air pollutants in the area: In places where outdoor air quality tends to be low due to pollution levels or in areas affected by wildfires, air ducts will need more frequent cleaning. HVAC systems constantly work to filter out the harmful elements from outside, but particles from wildfires can clog filters, leading to increased build-up in your ducts. Someone smoking in the home has a similar effect.

While these are the biggest factors that influence your cleaning schedule, there are a myriad of other factors that can come into play. Read more specifics on our blog about how to tell if your air ducts are clogged.

Why Regular Air Duct Cleaning is Important

So, you know your air ducts will get dirty again if you don’t clean them regularly. But why should you be concerned about regularly removing the things that accumulate in your vents?

Indoor Air Quality

Smoke isn’t the only harmful particle that your HVAC system has to filter out. When you fail to clean your air ducts regularly, other pollutants start to build up in the ductwork and are simply circulated throughout your house. Mold growth is another common threat in these situations. When these harmful substances build up, they can cause immediate adverse reactions for household members, including but not limited to dizziness, headaches, and fatigue. The long-term consequences of breathing these substances tend to be even more dire.

Reducing Allergies and Respiratory Issues

Outdoor allergens and dust run rampant in most HVAC systems, and the only way to get rid of these substances is by having your ducts cleaned. If anyone in your house struggles with allergies or asthma, you’ll definitely want to clean your ductwork frequently to keep the HVAC system from circulating these respiratory triggers.

Presence of Dust in Your Home

Does it feel like dust is constantly collecting on the surfaces of your home no matter how much you dust? This is actually a sign that your air ducts need to be cleaned. When enough dust builds up in the system, it will get blown out into your home as the air circulates. You can cut down on the time you spend dusting by cleaning your air ducts regularly.

For healthier air and a cleaner home, schedule your free air duct cleaning estimate by calling 1-800-STEEMER. Living Brings It In, We Take It Out.®