The condition of the ducts in your home can have a significant impact on utility bills as well as the health and safety of people living inside. It’s surprising, then, that so few people give much thought to maintaining and servicing their air ducts on a regular basis. Air ducts could be costing you money and harming your family without you even realising it. This blog post contains useful information and advice on the importance of keeping air ducts in good condition.
The Consequences of Damaged or Dirty Ducts
Damaged ducts can have numerous consequences, ranging from economic to life-threatening. Holes and leaks can reduce the effectiveness and efficiency of ducts, making it harder to maintain comfortable temperatures. This means you’re using more energy than necessary to warm or cool your property and wasting significant amounts of money in the long run.
Damaged or Dirty ducts can also be extremely dangerous. They can cause strain on the Motor as it works twice as hard to maintain temperatures, which can cause overheat, mechanical or electrical fault and become a fire risk. Dust, debris and ducts themselves are all flammable materials and fire can spread quickly throughout the ducts and therefore throughout a house. A faulty heating unit can also emit Carbon Monoxide. These harmful fumes get distributed into the house via the heating ducts and increase the air toxicity. In serious enough cases, exposure to these fumes can be fatal.
Checking the Condition of Your Ducts
It’s recommended that you contact a professional duct cleaner when any problems occur. However, there are some basic things you can do before you make the call. Firstly, examine the ducts from your air conditioning unit. These are more exposed than other ducts and are more susceptible to damage. Secondly, check the exposed ducts in your ceiling to see if rodents and birds have caused any damage.
Any holes can be patched temporarily with a metal tape that creates an airtight seal. These can be found in most hardware stores. You can also attempt to straighten minor bends and kinks in your ducts to remove blockages. If you can’t find the source of the problem or you still have problems after taking these steps, you should contact a professional.
Learn More Today
If you want more information about how your ducts could be costing you money and harming your family, get in touch with the friendly team at Duct Masters today. Give us a call on 1300 557 077 or enquire online and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible with answers to your questions.
