Duct Cleaning in Fort Madison, IA
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Eight months of heating pushes a lot of air through your ducts
Furnaces here run October through May, eight months out of the year. That is a long stretch of air moving through the same ductwork, night after night, through winters where lows average 20°F. Every cycle pulls household dust and whatever has settled near the return back through the system and out into the rooms you're heating.
The power going out adds to it. Lee County sees its share of winter storms and damaging wind, and when the power drops and comes back, the furnace starts up again from scratch. Each restart is one more cycle pushing air through ducts that were already carrying a season's worth of buildup.
- 8 months
- October through May, your furnace pushes air through your ducts
- 4 months
- June 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. Look inside a vent cover with a flashlight, and if you see dust buildup or debris, that is your sign. Pets that shed, anyone in the house with allergies, or recent renovation work are all reasons to check sooner rather than later.
- Is air duct cleaning worth it?
- It is worth it when there is a real reason behind it, like dust coming out of the vents, a musty smell when the furnace or air conditioner runs, or dirt visible around the vent covers. It will not fix a heating or cooling problem on its own, and it will not lower your utility bills. What it does is remove buildup that can affect the air moving through your home, and that matters here since the furnace runs every day from October through May.
- What does air duct cleaning involve?
- A contractor uses specialized equipment to loosen debris inside the ductwork, then a powerful vacuum pulls it out through an access point. Every supply and return duct gets checked and cleaned, along with the grilles and registers. The furnace and air conditioner coil often get looked at during the same visit, since the same dust that collects in ducts collects there too.