Most of the year in Arizona, our homes are closed up against the weather – to keep the cold air out (like today!) or the cold air in (remember August?). In this enclosed environment, you breathe the same air over and over.

The home heating and cooling system “breathes” air in and out, just like we do. The difference is that we don’t recycle our air. If the air circulating inside a home is dirty, it stays that way. Thankfully, there is a way to ensure that your home air quality stays squeaky clean. Duct cleaning by a certified professional HVAC technician will not only help guarantee that your air ducts are cleaned in the correct and safe way, but it will also bring other benefits. Read on to get the scoop on why everyone should keep their air ducts clean and pristine:

1. Prevent breathing in strange and unwanted debris

Over time, your air ducts accumulate all kinds of debris if they aren’t maintained. There are many pollutants in the air that, frankly, have no business inside of our bodies. They can be anything – pet dander, human skin and hair, harsh chemicals, and as if those weren’t scary enough, airborne viruses. Not only do we brush clean the air ducts from the vent to the main unit, we also treat the air with a DSV, which is a disinfectant sanitizer and virus killer. It can kill any airborne virus. It’s basically a hospital-grade mist that scrubs the air and picks up any particles.

Harsh chemicals are also a threat to your health, and they come in many forms. Furniture and other products in your home shed chemicals into the air and keep getting circulated. This can happen with anything such as your couch, stereo or kitchen appliances, shoes, plastics, some fabrics and even food. Many homes have been found to have chemical flame retardants, or PBDEs, in the air.

2. Keep allergies at bay

According to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA), a six-room home creates 40 pounds of dust annually. Forty pounds! Just think about how much that disrupts your breathing, irritates your sinuses and causes you to get sick.

The NADCA says that on average these pollutants are drawn into the HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) system and re-circulated five to seven times per day, causing buildup over time. Having dirty air ducts doesn’t automatically mean that the air in your home is unsafe, but it is definitely possible that contaminants can contribute to larger health issues. Additionally, it can cause severe problems for people with respiratory health conditions, autoimmune illnesses or every day environmental allergies.

3. Keep moisture out to prevent mold and mildew

Over time, moisture can build up in the air ducts and cause growth of mold and mildew.  Mold growth only happens inside the home when spores touch wet surfaces. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, molds produce allergens, irritants, and sometimes substances like mycotoxins, which are the toxic chemical product produced by fungi. Inhaling mold spores may cause allergic reactions in people with sensitivities, causing symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and even skin rashes. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with the condition. Exposure to mold through the air circulating in your home can also irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people. Getting a home dehumidifier installed by a professional will not only reduce the moisture in your air, minimizing irritants, but it helps your entire HVAC system to operate more efficiently.

There are plenty more reasons for AC duct cleaning, such as improving your home’s energy efficient, saving money on bills, and simply being able to breathe easily, knowing that your air is clean and safe for you and the people you love. A qualified Cooper Climate Control technician can clean air ducts, registers and grills and treat the system with the DSV mist. Adding any extras like the UV light disinfection, house dehumidifier, and whole house air filter can only enhance the cleanliness of your system.  Regularly changing out the air filters in your home is just as important as getting professional maintenance, so don’t forget it!

An air duct cleaning is recommended every three years to improve indoor air quality. The sooner you take control of your home’s air quality, the sooner you and your family can breathe easier.

• air quality
• family
• home
• pollutants