If you’ve ever had sneezing and coughing fits at home with seemingly no clear reason, then there’s a good chance that your home might be the cause. Air ducts are usually overlooked when it comes to home maintenance because most of us don’t know how to clean them correctly, let alone identify where they are.

However, it can be a significant contributor to poor indoor air quality. Whether it’s dust, pollen, or even insect droppings, these pollutants can cause strong reactions even in healthy individuals. Thankfully, regular air duct cleaning can solve these issues. But how do you know when or if you need to clean them? Here are a few signs.

You smell an unpleasant odour in your home

A common sign of a clogged air vent is an unpleasant smell in your home. If this smell gets a lot worse when you turn on your air conditioning system, then it’s a clear sign that it’s something in your vents. You should have a technician inspect your vents if this is the case as removing the source of the odor is the best way to deal with it.

Your vents are visibly clogged

If you know where your air vents are then it’s a good idea to check them to see if they are visibly clogged with dust and dirt. If they are, then you may want to disassemble the vent or at least open it so you can clear out the dust or any blockages. Make sure you wear a mask during this so you don’t breathe in any pollutants. Alternatively, you can contact a company such as DUCTZ to help you clean your vents for you. This is the best option if you don’t know where the air vents in your home are collected.

You notice more insects and rodents in the home

While it’s not always related to the air ducts in your home, if you notice more insects and rodents roaming around then it could be a sign that they are nesting in your air vents. If you’ve recently had a pest infestation then your air vents may be pumping out pollutants caused by vermin and insect droppings or bacteria.

You notice that your home is very dusty

Do you think that your home gets dusty very quickly? If that’s the case, it could be caused by your HVAC system. If you notice that your bedroom gets dusty quickly or that your shelves always have a layer of dust after using your air conditioning system for a while, then it could be caused by the vents pumping out dust. Giving them a good clean will be a quick and easy solution to deal with this.

Your heating and cooling costs are higher than usual

A clogged air duct usually contributes to an inefficient HVAC system. If you notice that your heating and cooling costs have been increasing drastically over the past year, then it could be a sign that you need to clear out your air ducts so that the system can function properly again.