How Often Should You Clean Your Air Vents?

HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems are integral parts of every home. This system is responsible for heating and cooling your home in order to provide a comfortable living space for all seasons. There are various kinds of HVAC systems out there – all with maintenance needs of their own.

Unless you are using a ductless HVAC (also known as ductless mini-split system), regular cleaning of the air vents is an integral part of proper maintenance for all other kinds of HVAC systems.

In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about how to clean air vents and how often you should clean air vents. We’ll also run through some fundamentals about what air vents are and why it’s essential to clean air vents regularly to protect your home and health.

 

What Are HVAC Air Vents?

HVAC air vents allow for air to enter and exit the air ducts that are running through your home. There are two types of air vents in most HVAC systems: supply vents and return vents.

Supply vents are connected to your home’s supply ducts. These allow conditioned air to be blown into your interior spaces. These are generally smaller than return vents and would have slats to allow you to control the direction of the conditioned air.

Meanwhile, return vents are those that are connected to your home’s return ducts. These pull air from your interior spaces to deliver it back to the heating and cooling system. Compared to supply vents, these are larger and do not have slats to direct the airflow.

 

Do All Kinds of HVAC Systems Have Air Vents?

The only HVAC systems that do not use air vents and air ducts are the duct-free or mini-split systems. These are individual units that condition air in just one room. They are usually used for new additions to a house, for garages, or for rental rooms. These are usually attached to an outdoor compressor and mounted on the room’s wall.

Other kinds of HVAC systems such as the split system HVAC, hybrid HVAC systems, and packaged HVAC systems, all rely on air vents and air ducts to work properly and would thus require homeowners to keep the air vents clean.

 

Why You Need to Clean Air Vents in an HVAC System

Having clean air vents is not just for HVAC system maintenance. It is also necessary for maintaining the quality of your indoor air. Here are the main benefits of making sure that your home has clean air vents:

 

You Will Have a More Dust-Free Living Environment

Clean air vents and air ducts means there is less dust in the ducts that can circulate around your living space. If left unremedied, these dust particles will get blown out the supply vent, landing on carpets, furniture, bedding, and so on.

When air ducts are professionally cleaned, this will mean that less dust is likely to get blown out and accumulate in your living space and you won’t need to clean as frequently to maintain a hygienic home environment.

 

You Will Be Able to Remove Unpleasant Odors that Circulate

Each time the heating or cooling system in your home is running, it circulates air through the vents. Therefore, odors from paint, cleaning agents, tobacco, or cooking can build up in the ducts. In some dire cases, there could also be mold growth in the vents, causing a musty smell to circulate throughout the house.

Having the air vents and air ducts cleaned will help remove these odors and freshen up your indoor air.

 

You Will Be Able to Reduce Latent Allergens and Irritants

Irritating particles like pet dander, pollen, mold spores, and mildew can also build up or circulate through your air ducts. These can cause health problems especially for people who are allergic to them or for those who are already suffering respiratory conditions.

In some cases, respiratory symptoms may also be experienced by perfectly healthy people because of these allergens and irritants – even if the symptoms are just mild difficulty in breathing or sneezing frequently.

Improving indoor air quality is a massive benefit of having air ducts cleaned.

 

You Will Have More Efficient Airflow and Less Energy Consumption

A heavy buildup of dust, grime, and other particles means that your HVAC system would need to work harder due to the airflow restriction. This decreased efficiency would also mean that you would be spending more on your energy bills.

Having clean air vents and air ducts will help your system work at maximum efficiency, with less strain, resulting in decreased energy consumption.

 

How Often Do You Need to Clean Air Vents in an HVAC System?

It is advisable to have your air vents and air ducts professionally cleaned once at least every two years. However, if you are already experiencing problems like rapid dust accumulation in your indoor spaces, persistent odors throughout the home, respiratory/allergy problems, and/or unusually increased power bills, it could be time to get your air ducts checked.

 

Is Having Clean Air Vents Enough for HVAC Maintenance?

Having clean air vents and air ducts is just one aspect of HVAC maintenance. If you want to keep your HVAC system running with peak efficiency, you should make sure to also regularly change the filters, clean the metal fins of the condensing unit, and remove debris from the area around outdoor units.

Calling in a licensed professional to do preventive maintenance about two times a year is also recommended to extend the lifespan of your HVAC system.

 

How to Clean Air Vents and Air Ducts

Cleaning the air duct covers alone is a simple task that you can do yourself every few weeks. Simply follow these steps:

1. Turn off the HVAC system

2. Unscrew the air duct covers on your walls and remove them

3. Use a brush to clean the slats and grilles thoroughly. If you see grime on these, use soap and water

4. For air duct covers that are too high to be unscrewed, try to reach them with a broom to dislodge any accumulated dust and particles

However, for cleaning the air ducts themselves, it is a task best left to professionals. You would need to have the right equipment that air duct cleaning professionals use such as high-powered specialized vacuum cleaners and rotary brushes. This type of thorough cleaning can be done at least every two years and is well worth the investment if you want to have the best quality of indoor air in your home.

 

In this article, we’ve covered how often you need to clean air vents and air ducts, how it’s done, and why it’s important to do so regularly. However, even with the best maintenance, the lifespan of an HVAC system is around 15 years and as your system approaches this age, you may encounter more problems regarding efficiency and overall function. If you’re in need of new, updated, and more efficient heating and cooling systems, check out Napoleon’s HVAC units.