Air ducts have a way of getting very dirty with time, leading to the redistribution of dirty air throughout the house. Duct cleaning services eliminate debris and mold spores from the ducts, enabling circulation of cleaner air through the home. If you’re trying to sell your home, getting the air ducts cleaned before putting it on the market can help you get your home ready to be seen by buyers.
Why Get Your Ducts Cleaned?
When you’re trying to sell your house, your main goal should be to make your home more appealing to buyers. Duct cleaning can help with the staging process and can make it easier to maintain your property while it’s listed on the market.
- Improve indoor air quality. Dirty ducts distribute dirty air. Dirty air can make people sick and may spread disturbing odors throughout the house. Cleaning the air ducts can improve the air in the home, making the environment inside the house healthier and more pleasant.
- Make house cleaning easier. Homeowners who are trying to sell their property do a lot of cleaning between showings. Cleaning your ducts can prevent dust from spreading throughout the house, which can ultimately make it easier to keep the house clean while waiting for an offer.
- Improve the functioning and efficiency of your air conditioner. Dust can buildup on the elements of the air conditioner and furnace, forcing these appliances to work harder than necessary just to maintain a comfortable temperature in the home. Cleaning the ducts prevents this buildup from occurring.
- Make your home more comfortable for showings. When the air conditioner and the furnace work more efficiently, it’s easier to make the house comfortable for showings.
- Improve staging. Duct cleaning makes the house more comfortable, cleaner and more pleasant for visitors. This makes duct cleaning an activity that can affect the overall staging of your house.
Signs Your Ducts Need to be Cleaned
Knowing when your home’s ducts need to be cleaned is important. Most HVAC professionals recommend cleaning your ducts every few years on an as-needed basis. If your ducts have not been cleaned in the last few years, or if you have never cleaned your home’s ducts, they may be dirty. Some signs that a cleaning is warranted include:
- Your house is dirty after running the HVAC system. A dirty duct system will redistribute debris into the air, causing the furniture to become more dusty each time the air conditioner or furnace clicks on.
- The HVAC system makes you or other people sneeze. If you or members of your household find themselves getting sniffy just by using climate control, this is a good indication that your air ducts need to be cleaned.
- The air filter gets dirty a lot faster than it should. The ENERGY STAR program recommends cleaning the air filter in the HVAC system every 3 months. If your home’s air filter needs to be cleaned much more frequently than every 3 months, this could be an indication that the ducts in your home need to be cleaned.
- The inside of the ducts just look dirty. Remove the cover from one of the vents in your home. Shine a flashlight into the space and examine the inside of the duct. You’ll be able to tell the ducts need to be cleaned if the inside is covered with a blanket of fuzz.