Duct Cleaning in Waukegan, IL
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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Eight months of heat pushes a lot of dust through your ducts
Your furnace runs October through May here. On nights that average 19°F, it cycles on and off for hours at a stretch, and every cycle pushes air through the ductwork. Dust and whatever else is sitting in the ducts moves with that air, and some of it settles out along the way instead of reaching the rooms it was meant to heat.
Buildup inside the ducts narrows the path the air has to travel, so the furnace works harder to move the same amount of heat through the house.
- 8 months
- October through May, your furnace pushes air through your ducts
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner does the same
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NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should air ducts be cleaned?
- There is no fixed schedule that fits every home, but a contractor can tell you if yours needs it now. Pets, a recent renovation, or someone in the house with allergies are reasons to have them checked sooner rather than later. Your furnace here runs from October through May, so dirty ducts spend more months pushing that air through the house than they would somewhere with a shorter heating season. If you see dust blowing out of the vents or notice more of it settling around the house than usual, that is the sign to call someone.
- Is air duct cleaning worth it?
- It depends on what is actually in your ducts right now. Visible mold, heavy dust buildup, or debris left over from a renovation are reasons to have them cleaned, and doing so can improve the air moving through the house. If your ducts are already reasonably clean, cleaning them just to keep to a schedule will not add much. A contractor can look at your system and tell you whether cleaning will make a real difference in your case.
- What does air duct cleaning involve?
- A contractor loosens the dust and debris built up inside the ductwork, then vacuums it out of the system. Every supply and return duct gets cleaned, along with the grilles and registers where air enters and leaves each room. Some contractors also clean the blower motor and coils if they can reach them. Most of this work is done from inside the house without cutting into walls or ceilings.