4 Reasons You Should Clean Your Building’s Air Ducts

If your HVAC system is not properly installed or maintained, dust, pollen and other debris particles can contaminate it. If moisture gets into the system, mold can grow and mold spores may be released from the system into the air.

washingThe end result is that your building’s occupants may experience allergic reactions or other symptoms related to poor indoor air quality (IAQ).

You’ve probably seen the advertisements for duct cleaning, which means cleaning all the components of your HVAC system, including the ducts, the drips pans, and the coils.

If you listen to the claims of the duct cleaning companies, it would seem facility managers should place duct cleaning at the top of their maintenance lists.

But, in general, the EPA doesn’t recommend cleaning air ducts that regularly because the agency isn’t sure about the benefits of routine cleaning.

Studies haven’t proven that duct cleaning prevents health problems or that particle levels in buildings increase due to dirty air ducts. Air ducts are only one of the possible sources of particles, as pollutants can come from the outdoors or from indoor sources such as cleaning and cooking.

However, even the EPA, says air ducts should be cleaned in these cases:

  • If there is visible mold growth on the ducts or on other components of the HVAC system
  • If the ducts are infested with rodents, insects or other vermin
  • If the ducts are clogged with dust and debris
  • If particles are obviously being released into the building from the registers

In the event, that your facility does require duct cleaning, Goodway duct cleaning equipment cleans ducts quickly and easily. Our duct cleaning equipment can clean 4″-18″ round and spiral ducts and 4″-16″ rectangular/square ducts with a simple one-person operation.

Some of the features available with our duct cleaners include flexible shafts, rotary brushes, reversible shaft rotation, adjustable speed control and 3-stage true HEPA filtration system.

If you decide to hire a company for duct cleaning, it’s important to make sure the technicians clean all the system components. Not cleaning every component can cause the system to become recontaminated by any remaining particles, according to consulting firm Building Air Quality (BAC).

And it’s important to be sure the duct cleaning company follows the cleaning standards set by industry associations such as the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA).

Next Steps:

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8 comments


  • great article as always. I always enjoy reading them

    November 22, 2013
  • […] 4 Reasons You Should Clean Your Building’s Air Ducts (goodway.com) […]

    November 22, 2013
  • I think just seeing the before and after photos would convince someone. While I understand the EPA isn’t convinced yet, plenty of the situations listed could happen, especially depending on climate and age of the home. Even if the cleaning is preventative, it may save time and health down the road.

    November 25, 2013
  • […] 4 Reasons You Should Clean Your Building’s Air Ducts […]

    December 3, 2013
  • […] 4 Reasons You Should Clean Your Building’s Air Ducts (goodway.com) […]

    December 30, 2013
  • You say that studies haven’t proven that dirty ducts can cause health hazards, but isn’t it possible? I would feel comfortable having ducts cleaned frequently to prevent some of the hazards you’ve listed here. After all, if the ducts are clean, how can mold start to grow?

    October 20, 2016
  • It’s good that you point out that having your air ducts cleaned can help make your air conditioning system more energy-efficient. I’ve been looking for a way to lower my power bills, so I’m considering hiring a professional to clean my air ducts. I’m going to look for a good company in my area that offers air duct cleaning services.

    May 1, 2020
  • My wife and I just bought a fixer-upper house last month and I have noticed my allergies have gotten worse. I liked that you said how clean air ducts can make a system more energy-efficient. It’s probably smart to look for a company that can clean my air ducts.

    July 20, 2020

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