Duct Cleaning in Hickory, NC
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Seven months of heating pushes a lot of air through the same ducts
Your furnace runs October through April here, seven months of the year. Every time it kicks on, air moves through the same ductwork, and whatever is sitting in it, dust, pet hair, anything settled on the return side, gets pulled through and blown back into your rooms. Seven months of that cycle adds up on the inside of the ducts and on the coil and blower if nothing catches it.
Winter nights here average 31°F from December through February, so the furnace is not just running, it is cycling on and off often to keep up. Each cycle pushes more air through ducts that already have a season's worth of buildup in them.
- 7 months
- October through April, your furnace pushes air through your ducts
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner does the same
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should air ducts be cleaned?
- There is no fixed schedule that fits every home. Homes with pets, a recent renovation, or someone with allergies may need cleaning more often than homes without those things. If you notice dust building up around the vents or more dust in the house than usual, that is a sign it is time.
- Is air duct cleaning worth it?
- It depends on what is going on inside your ducts. Visible mold, heavy dust, or debris left over from a renovation are good reasons to have them cleaned, and clearing that out can ease the load on your furnace and air conditioner. If your ducts look clean and no one in the house has allergy or breathing trouble, you likely do not need it right now.
- What does air duct cleaning involve?
- A contractor uses tools made to loosen dust and debris stuck inside the ductwork, then pulls it out with a high-powered vacuum system so it does not spread into the house. This usually covers the supply and return ducts along with the grilles and registers, and sometimes the coils near the furnace or air handler. A contractor can look at your system and explain what it needs before any work starts.