Remove Mold And Other Allergens With Routine Air Duct Cleaning Service | Richardson, TX
Your Richardson, TX, home’s ducted air conditioner has various components, including the compressor, blower motor, condenser, and evaporator coils, among many others. One critical component of your AC unit is the air ducts. They supply the conditioned air to different parts of your home to ensure it is sufficiently cooled. Unfortunately, the air ducts are not immune to various issues. From becoming clogged, getting perforated by rodents, and poor structural designs.
Air duct cleaning services are a critical part of air conditioning services. Air duct cleaning will remove the dirt, dust, and other particles lodged within the air ducts. It will also eliminate any old that was growing within the ductwork. Mold could prove pretty detrimental to your health. The mold spores can result in you or members of your family depicting various signs of infection, such as coughing, wheezing, sneezing, and teary eyes, among others. If you have an immunocompromised person at your home, they might become ill.
Mold easily grows in your air ducts whenever there are the right conditions. Mold breeds and thrives in moist but warm environments, most of which arise whenever your AC unit has an underlying problem. Unfortunately, your air ducts are normally warm and pretty humid. Additionally, the fact that they are tucked in out-of-sight out-of-reach places doesn’t help. Most homeowners do not know their ductworks have mold, bacteria, and other microbes. Fortunately, you can forego all these problems with a routine air duct cleaning service from a reliable company.
What Does Duct Cleaning Involve?
There are many benefits to regular duct cleaning. Unfortunately, most homeowners do not have a routine air duct cleaning service. As a result, they do not know whatever it involves. The professional technicians use special tools and equipment to clean your home’s intake, supply, and return air ducts. Some tools and equipment include blowers, vacuum cleaners, and brushes. They also know how to disassemble and assemble the air ducts without damaging them. Hence, they can get to the hard-to-reach areas.
The reliable air duct cleaning service provider will clean your motors, AC fans, coils, and all parts of your heating and air conditioning system. When they clean your air conditioning system, it will look as clean as new. During the cleaning, the technician will inspect the AC unit to ensure that everything is optimally working and whether anything needs addressing.
For instance, they will inspect the compressor and refrigerant levels to ensure that your AC unit can effectively cool all the sections of your Richardson, TX, home. Generally speaking, most service providers advise having your ductwork cleaned frequently once a year. Everything is based on your surroundings and where your home is located. The presence of pets in the house may also play a role.
Why Should You Have Your Ducts Cleaned?
What is the huge deal with professional air duct cleaning services? Why do many professionals recommend you do it twice or at least once yearly? There are many benefits to having your air ducts cleaned at least once every year, including the following:
Improves the IAQ
Duct cleaning improves your home’s overall indoor air quality (IAQ). This is particularly because the contaminants such as dust, pollen, and other allergens lodged in the air ducts will be removed. Duct cleaning is especially essential for homeowners that suffer from various respiratory diseases and conditions like Asthma.
Reduces Allergy and Asthma Symptoms
As mentioned above, a professional air duct cleaning service will help remove dust, pollen, pet dander, dirt, and other allergens. This means that you will have an easier time breathing. Hence, you will have effectively avoided allergic inflammations and asthma flare-ups for those with this condition.
Removes Mold and Other Tiny Microbes
Microbes are too small to see with the naked eye. However, you should know they thrive there if you haven’t cleaned your air ducts for a while. Air duct cleaning services are thorough and use specialized products to remove mold and microbes that might be hiding in the air ducts. These are great news for Richardson, TX, homeowners as they can rest assured that any mold or microbe infestation will be effectively removed. The mold spores and other microbes aren’t visible to the naked eye, meaning that you will never know the mold in your air ducts. You can only notice that there is mold growth if it starts showing signs and smells.
Improves the Efficiency of Your HVAC System
Regular air duct cleaning service improves the efficiency of your heating and air conditioning system. The unit can be bogged down if the air conditioning system ductwork is dirty. Cleaning your air ducts means that the unit will work effectively to cool your indoor space. As a result, you will have a lower energy utility bill at the end of the month because the unit will not be straining to cool your indoor space. Hence, if you notice an increase in energy utility bills, it might be time to have a duct cleaning or replace the air filter.
Fortunately, air duct cleaning services are very affordable. Even companies offer discounts, promotions, and coupons, bringing down the total duct cleaning bill marginally. The advantages of having your ducts cleaned much exceed the expenses. So, should you have your air ducts cleaned by a professional? Definitely. One of the benefits of duct cleaning is eliminating mold, but what are the signs that you have a mold infestation in your air ducts?
Do Your Air Ducts Have a Mold Infestation?
Because most parts of the air ducts aren’t visible, telling if there’s mold can prove difficult. Fortunately, this is a problem you can avoid by ensuring that you have an air duct cleaning service after every several months or annually. But how can you tell if molds are growing or thriving in your ducts? Below are some of the signs to watch out for:
Musty Odors
Mold is a Fungus that smells. Most molds are normally associated with a musty and unusual smell. It normally smells wet, stale, or rotten. It is never a great smell to have at your Richardson, TX, home. The majority of homeowners typically notice this as the first sign. Typically, the smell will only be noticeable when your heating or cooling equipment is used. There should be a considerable drop in offensive scents after you turn off any of these systems. Whenever you notice this, immediately contact an air duct cleaning service provider.
Noticeable Allergic Symptoms
Last but not least, it may indicate mold if you or your family start noticing noticeable allergy symptoms while the air conditioner or heater is on. Nausea, headaches, and respiratory irritation are some of the typical allergy signs and symptoms related to mold. Others may get itchy, dry eyes.
You must immediately hire a professional air duct cleaning service to clean your air ducts if you experience any of the symptoms above. The issue will only get worse if you wait any longer. If you wait, mold can be quite challenging to get rid of. This is because the spores can readily become trapped or hidden within crevices and are invisible to the unaided eye. Provided the conditions are favorable, they can grow farther.
Visible Mold
This doesn’t occur frequently. Most Richardson, TX, homeowners typically don’t discover mold in their homes. However, the vents may begin to sprout mold in some extreme and worst-case instances. Mold will become apparent in the AC drip pan and the ducts. This typically occurs as a result of clogged condenser coils. You must immediately contact an air duct cleaning service professional if you spot any visible mold. Spores are how mold spreads. This implies that there is probably a significant infestation when you see the mold.
Types of Mold That Can Thrive in Your Ducts
You may be surprised to know the number of types of bacteria that could grow in your air ducts. This is among the main reasons you should let an experienced air duct cleaning service pro clean your air ducts. They know which cleaning mechanism and product effectively remove what type of mold. Below are the most common types of mold you are likely to find in your ducts when the professional comes for a duct cleaning visit:
Acremonium
Acremonium is among the most common kinds of mold that you will find within your air ducts. It looks akin to a white powder. Though it is rare for Acremonium to infect you, it can still result in various health issues. For instance, it might combine with other types of mold, causing pneumonia, subcutaneous infections, and endocarditis.
Alternaria
Although there are various species of this fungus, they all might find their way into your air ducts. Alternaria is among the most prevalent allergens to humans. It can result in a variety of symptoms in allergy sufferers. Asthma can, at times, be caused by it as well. Alternaria typically has a velvet-like feel and a greenish or brownish tint. This mold often only manifests if your air ducts are experiencing a leak or humidity. That said, situations of that nature are not uncommon in some older structures or equipment requiring urgent repair. This is why it’s crucial to have your HVAC systems serviced, including an air duct cleaning service.
Stachybotrys
Your Richardson, TX, home may contain Stachybotrys if you spot a dark substance. Being black, this sort of mold is very noticeable. Stachybotrys is among the most dangerous mold species that can develop in your ductwork. In reality, congestion and burning, nasal irritability, tightness in the chest, coughing, dyspnea, and wheezing are all typical signs of a Stachybotrys infection. Some folks may even develop headaches, dizziness, or mental tiredness. Hence, immediately call an air duct cleaning service pro whenever you notice black spots near your vents.
Ulocladium
Ulocladium is a relatively uncommon mold compared to the other kinds of mold on this list. Typically, this kind of mold is gray, brown, or black. Its texture is similar to that of cotton, wool, or suede. Unfortunately, exposure to this kind of mold can seriously harm your health. It is well recognized to impair your immune system drastically and significantly harm your respiratory system. You will undoubtedly require an air duct cleaning service because this mold is quite difficult to remove.
Aspergillus
Aspergillus is one of the more difficult molds to distinguish. This kind of mold can assume a wide range of colors and forms. The most typical hues are white, green, or yellow. This mold can result in a fever, chills, shortness of breath, or joint and chest pain. Some persons exposed to this mold also say they have headaches or eye discomfort. Hence, cleaning the air ducts is the surest way of avoiding such health issues.
Fusarium
Another type of mold that is typically seen in homes is fusarium. It is called a “dirt mold,” typically growing outside. You might discover this kind of mold within your home if your AC system is leaking. The appearance of this mold will differ significantly. It can appear brown, white, or yellow and have various textures and consistencies. The good news is that this mold is largely risk-free. Plants typically suffer greater damage than mammals do. Unfortunately, those with compromised immune systems still risk being hurt by this mold. Call an air duct cleaning service provider to remove them.
Mucor
Mucor should be removed immediately because it is highly toxic and dangerous to people. This mold is frequently discovered in air conditioning units and vents. Depending on where the mold spores land, a person may have different symptoms.
Mold is a particularly dangerous fungus; every measure to eliminate it from your Richardson, TX, home or ducts should be taken. This includes having a routine air duct cleaning service done. Do you need your ducts cleaned to remove the allergens and mold? Contact us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas today to book an appointment.