Air Duct Series: Part 2 of 3 | Importance of Testing Home Air Quality

Testing home air quality is one of the first steps toward creating a cleaner, healthier home for your family. Healthy home air quality is directly related to clean air ducts, as mold and mildew find that ductwork is a wonderful place to live. Mold and Mildew Moisture in ducts, caused by the normal operation of your heating and air conditioning system, creates the nice, damp, comfy-cozy location that mold and mildew need to survive. Unfortunately, mold and mildew don’t stay put in those ducts.  Molds produce spores, which are tiny encased seeds that float in the air and spread to other locations.  Just like tiny birds flying the nest, these spores fly through the ductwork and pour into your home, where they find a new damp location to live. Even worse, you breathe in these spores, which often causes allergy symptoms such as headaches, water eyes, nausea, skin disorders, and all sorts of other pleasant reactions. Testing home air quality is one of the best ways to determine if a family of mold has taken residence in your ductwork. Home Air Quality and Air Ducts Visible mold or mildew is easy to identify; affected items are often discolored and there is normally an odor. Chlorine bleach can be an effective way to treat obvious mold and mildew infestations, but it is a little difficult to spray your entire ductwork system with Clorox.  If testing home air quality indicates mold spores in your home, it is possible that mold spores have taken root in your ductwork, where alternating high and low humidity conditions can become virtual incubators for the little guys.  Because the majority of the air in your home passes through the duct system, home air quality can be seriously affected if mold, mildew or bacteria take up residence there. Protecting Home Air Quality In addition to testing home air quality, there are several steps you can take to reduce the chances that mold, mildew and bacteria build up in your duct system.  Change filters often, and be sure to use the filter recommended by your heating and air conditioning manufacturer.  Have your air ducts inspected regularly for holes, damage, or areas where the ducts might have become disconnected.  Repair any damaged ductwork, and replace any ductwork that appears to have significant moisture or has evidence of mold or mildew growth. These are just a few tips to keep your ductwork free of mold, mildew, bacteria and dirt, and improve your home air quality.  For more information about testing home air quality, or about air duct inspections, give us a call at 972-375-9937 or visit our website.  Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.