Buildings that have ventilation systems installed, like air conditioning, also have air ducts and over a period of time, dust, debris, indoor pollutants and bacteria builds up. This will affect the air quality people are breathing in which could cause serious health problems if duct cleaning is not carried out on a regular basis.
What Are Air Ducts?
Air ducts are the network of tunnels – usually made of a synthetic material, like plastic or metal – which connect together to allow the air in a building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system to travel through the building.
Stale internal air is drawn into the air ducts, pushed through an air cleaning unit which either cools or heats the air, and then drives the clean air back through the air ducts into the building.
Why Should Duct Cleaning Be Carried Out?
When stale air is drawn into the air ducts, it also pulls in a variety of other pollutants, like dust particles, virus-carrying bacteria, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and pesticides. If the air ducts are old and in disrepair, it’s quite likely that small bits of debris may also enter the air ducts.
Over time, these pollutants and other harmful bacteria will attach themselves to the air particles and are then pushed back into the indoor atmosphere with the clean air. People will therefore be breathing in contaminated ‘clean’ air and may suffer from respiratory and other health problems. Symptoms may range from headaches, wheezing and coughing to nausea and more serious issues, like respiratory infections, lung cancer and heart disease.
This is why it is important to employ a duct cleaning service on a regular basis. By doing this, not only will you be reducing the amount of contaminated air entering the system, but it will also improve the indoor air quality significantly.
Improving the internal air quality will also reduce the potential for mould forming in rooms, like bathrooms and kitchens which generate a lot of moisture. Mould releases harmful spores into the atmosphere which are also damaging to a person’s health.
In addition, using a regular duct cleaning service to remove clogged up air ducts will improve the efficiency of heating, cooling, ventilation or air conditioning systems within the building. Clean air ducts ensure the system is able to perform at its optimum level and that the indoor air quality is at its highest.
Workplaces, like hospitals, care homes and hospitals, and even laundry rooms that create a high level of dust and pollutants will find that these particles travel through the air ducts quickly. By making sure they are regularly checked and cleaned, not only will the air quality improve, but it will also reduce the risk of fire hazards and breakdowns, which could lead to unwanted downtime.
Is It A Legal Requirement?
In the UK, business owners and employers are legally obliged, under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Occupiers Liability Act 1984, to ensure the workplace environment is a healthy and safe place. Part of complying with this legal responsibility is to ensure duct cleaning is carried out on a regular basis.
