What Is in Your Home’s Air Ducts

Homeowners and business owners in the Minneapolis St. Paul area usually simply ignore the air ducts that carry warm or cool air throughout their environment. They have other important things to do. Ignoring these important parts of your heating and cooling system, however, can be a serious mistake. Dust, molds, bacteria, and many other contaminants constantly circulate through your home, and collect inside those air ducts. Over time, they build up into a thick coating that continues to feed contaminants back into the rooms, exposing everyone in those rooms to a steady flow of allergens and irritants that can cause health concerns. Knowing what makes up that build up of contaminants is important. Once you know, you’ll understand why the EPA estimates that indoor air can be far more contaminated and unhealthful than outside air.

In Minnesota, our heating and cooling systems get a real workout, due to our weather extremes. We keep our homes tightly sealed to prevent high energy bills. The powerful fan in our furnace constantly circulates air through our homes and businesses, and that air carries with it a long list of contaminants that make up the dust we see in shafts of sunlight. It is estimated that over 2,500 dust particles settle on every square inch of surface in our homes and other buildings each hour. In the air ducts, which never get dusted like your furniture does, those dust particles build up into a thick coating. That coating constantly feeds dust, debris, and contamination back into your interior spaces. Here’s some of what is in that dust and debris:

• Microscopic Inorganic Particles – Dust contains almost invisible particles of paint, drywall dust, along with finely ground minerals and other inorganic contaminants tracked in from outdoors. Some of these can be toxic.
• Dead Skin Cells – Every person and animal is constantly shedding tiny particles of dead skin as new skin grows. How many particles? Millions every day. These particles make up a significant portion of household dust.
• Dust Mite Fecal Matter – Feeding on those skin particles are thousands and thousands of tiny dust mites, microscopic eight-legged creatures that inhabit every home. Like all animals, they create waste. That’s microscopic, too, and is part of the dust. This material can cause allergies and make asthma symptoms worse.
• Plant Pollen – Pollen from trees, grass, and weeds enters our homes constantly. The most frequent source of allergies in people, this pollen becomes part of the dust in our homes and collects in our air ducts.
• Pet Dander, Hair, and Litter – Like humans, pets shed millions of dead skin particles, plus tiny bits of hair, and pet litter also creates dust that can collect in air ducts and circulate in our home. Many people are allergic to these contaminants.
• Fibers from Fabrics – The clothing we wear, the carpets in our homes, and all fabrics constantly shed tiny fibrous particles. We often see these floating in the air in a shaft of sunlight. They make up those “dust bunnies” under your furniture and contribute to debris build-ups in your air ducts.
• Mold Spores – Molds are everywhere, and act as nature’s way of breaking down organic materials. They also cause many allergy symptoms in humans. Mold spores, the reproductive particles of molds, are microscopic and circulate through our homes and collect in air ducts.
• Smoke – If you smoke tobacco, the odors and oily film from that smoke collect in your air ducts and act as a sticky trap for other contaminants. Fireplace and cooking smoke act in the same way.

Cleaning Air Duct Dust for Minnesota Homes in Minneapolis St. Paul

There will always be dust. It’s just a fact of life. We constantly work to keep our homes clean, and dust is a big part of what we clean up. When it collects in the air ducts that help keep your home comfortable, though, only professional cleaning can rid your home of that dust, with all of its allergy-causing, unhealthy contaminants. As the most trusted air duct cleaning company, our professional technicians, using powerful equipment designed specifically for this job, can quickly, efficiently remove contaminants from your air ducts at an affordable cost. We recommend an annual cleaning for most homes, with more frequent cleaning when necessary.

Unlike some duct cleaning companies, we never engage in high-pressure sales or deceptive pricing strategies. Our prices are clearly advertised and there are no hidden fees or costs. As part of Residential Heating and Air Conditioning, we’re experts on installing, servicing and repairing heating and air conditioning equipment, including ductwork, and we are dedicated to doing every job thoroughly and correctly. Contact us today to schedule a duct cleaning or other service. Let us show you why we’re the Twin Cities most trusted duct cleaning company.