DICO Building Inspection Service Inc.
  • Home
  • About
    • Inspectors
    • Services
    • Sample Reports
    • Client Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Helpful Home Inspection Articles
  • Home Inspection Links
  • DICO Home Inspector Blog

DICO Building Inspection Service, Inc.

An A/C Question for Willy

11/27/2017

0 Comments

 
​Hi Willy, hope all is well.
Question - Do you think I should get my central air vents cleaned? The ones that run through the home? Thanks!
Picture
Picture
Willy's Reply:  The short answer is NO. If your A/C ducts are made of plastic, they cannot be cleaned, and cleaning may damage the plastic liners. If they are metal, they may have some type of insulation inside them that can be damaged if cleaned. Even if they are unlined metal ducts, there have been studies that show if left undisturbed, dirt and dust that builds up inside ducts develops a hard shell over it. This shell harmless unless disturbed by cleaning and sometimes cleaning releases more dust and mold spores into the air.

Now there are conditions where you should clean the ducts - If there has been a fire in the home, it’s a way of helping to get rid of the smoke smell. If there is a continuing mold problem, then definitely clean the ducts. If there is a high moisture problem in the basement, the moisture can support mold growth inside the ducts.
​
The best thing you can do is change your air filters in the heat and A/C system about every two to three months. I tell people to use the 3-M Filtrate pleated air filters with a merv rating of 8 (see pic above). They remove 99.9% of all the dust particles in the supply air. Because they are so efficient at removing dust they clog quicker than a fiberglass filter, so you must remember to change them more frequently. If you have pets like dogs or cats, then you will need to change them more often as well.
0 Comments

    Archives

    August 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017

    Categories

    All
    Air Conditioning
    Air Filter
    Asbestos
    Attic
    Basement
    Bathroom
    Cables
    Central Air
    Chimney
    Circuit Breaker
    Clogged Pump
    Drainage
    Ducts
    Electrical
    Exterior
    Flashing
    Floor Framing
    Foundation
    Grading
    Gutters
    Insulation
    Leaders
    Lead Paint
    Lead Paint Testing
    Leak
    Leaks
    Main Breaker
    Mold
    Moss
    Oil Tank
    Overload Protection Box
    Pests
    Roof
    Roof Drains
    Roofing Material
    Roof Repair
    Scanning
    Shower
    Siding
    Sump Pump
    Tar
    Termite
    Toilet
    Underground
    Ventilation
    Water
    Wiring

    RSS Feed

DICO Building Inspection Service provides home inspections, commercial building inspections, radon testing and home inspection consulting services in Northern New Jersey including Bergen County, Essex County, Morris County, Passaic County, Union County, Hudson County, Middlesex County, Somerset County, Hunterdon County, Sussex County, Warren County, and Monmouth County.

Telephone

973-857-4220

Address

DICO Building Inspection Service, Inc.
​307 Ridge Road
West Milford, NJ 07480

Email

admin@dicoinspect.com
Picture
  • Home
  • About
    • Inspectors
    • Services
    • Sample Reports
    • Client Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Helpful Home Inspection Articles
  • Home Inspection Links
  • DICO Home Inspector Blog