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What Happens If You Don't Clean Your Air Ducts?

Barry Martin
June 7, 2021

Know and understand all the hazards of unclean air ducts in detail.

If you’re looking to save up money or just being lazy, you might have ignored cleaning out your air ducts recently. One may think, what’s the harm in that? What can uncleaned air ducts even do? It’s simply supposed to clean my house, and that’s it.

However, what’s hidden behind plain sight can often lead to devastating consequences, which is the case with uncleaned air ducts. What happens when you don’t have your air ducts cleaned? Let’s dive deep into the subject and explore the hidden consequences of having uncleaned air ducts.

Why Air Ducts are Important?

As we’ve specifically mentioned, air ducts have become necessary for buildings in a world where pollution predominates ideal breathing conditions. In addition, HVAC systems help preserve the health and wellness of all humans as they provide a stable and clean atmosphere which in turn prevents diseases and has increased the average life expectancy as well.

HVAC systems in homes are enforced in the US as both scientists and homeowners back its importance. However, its functionality dims over time and needs a deep cleaning to restore its full potential.

Why Clean Air Ducts?

Air ducts and HVAC systems provide constant circulation of clean air to the entire building at all times. However, while this goes on, it is susceptible to the accumulation of dirt and dust over time. This residual debris then gets picked up by air currents and gets carried to all the outlets as it deposits a fine blanket of dust throughout your air ducts as well as your homes.

The dust can also contaminate the air making breathing a hazard as it also carries pathogens that could spread airborne diseases. With such a dire situation, it becomes mandatory to conduct thorough cleaning periodically.

If you’re unsure when to get yours cleaned, you could book an appointment with a specialist to come and inspect your HVAC systems and give you a briefing and an estimate. However, for all those looking to take the risk, let us illustrate what happens when you don’t clean your air ducts.

Uncleaned Ducts - An Imminent Danger

Many untold implications are often hidden from plain sight when it comes to having dirty air ducts. Moreover, These things cause severe issues if left unattended. Filthy air ducts are worse than having no ventilation systems as they can cause a multitude of problems.

So, let’s get into the gritty details of what happens when you don’t attend to dirty air ducts.

Causes Health Issues

Air ducts clean out the atmosphere inside a building where its inhabitants can breathe air that has been through filtration. This filtration system removes particles of dust and airborne pathogens as it circulates clean air throughout the building.

If an air duct is not cleaned for six months, it accumulates these pollutants in large quantities. These pollutants then circulate all around the house.

If you or your family breathes in this air, their health could sustain substantial damage and deterioration.

Health issues generated from dirty air ducts.

The circulation of dust can aggravate allergic reactions and cause severe nasal blockages, while the pathogens can cause other airborne illnesses. Cleaning out air ducts can also help keep out the deadly coronavirus from circulating.

System Malfunction

When unclean air ducts operate, they often get clogged with dirt and dust. The clogging can cause systems to have reduced functionality that puts the HVAC systems under massive strain. This strain can result in entire HVAC systems malfunctioning, leaving your homes with no ventilation. It is also a common occurrence that in the event of HVAC systems clogged with dust.

In addition, the resolution of HVAC system malfunction takes a long time, which could leave your building without a ventilation system. Therefore, clean your air ducts periodically to prevent system malfunction and a lot of money in repairs and restoration.

Uncleaned Ducts are a Fire Hazard

It seems unlikely, but uncleaned air ducts can lead to disastrous fires. Fire outbreaks are most common with dryer vents but can also happen inside HVAC systems due to the heating systems. The built-up dirt and dust can sometimes contain flammable particles that could ignite easily.

Because of the volatile nature of accumulated debris inside the ducts and the presence of pests, this can lead to fires. Unfortunately, fires could go unnoticed until it’s too late, and cleaning out air ducts can prevent that horrible fate.

A New Home for Pests

Filthy air ducts laden with a sheet of dust are the ideal place for pests to start nesting. Many pests ranging from mice to various insects can take up residence in your air ducts.

We know you’re already cringing at the mere thought of that, but it gets worse. Pests tend to drop the fecal matter, and other pollutants picked up by the air circulation and spread throughout the entire building.

In addition, this can result in unimaginable health issues and diseases spreading. The risks of having unclean air ducts are severe and must be tended to ASAP.

Pests in your air ducts

Reduced Air Flow

The clogging of uncleaned air ducts results in a heavily reduced flow of air. The slow circulation of air not only damages your systems over time but can also result in the accumulation of other dangerous gases that tend to linger in the air. Critical levels of carbon dioxide and even carbon monoxide can build up over time, causing health hazards.

For this reason, It is best to have the air ducts cleaned out and prevent this entirely.

Higher Operating Costs

Unclean air ducts tend to generate higher electricity bills. Since the air inlets and exhausts are all blocked by dirt and dust, it needs more energy to sustain a steady airflow. It also requires more energy to stabilize the temperatures as sensors have reduced functionality.

The overall effect can cause systems to go haywire. You can already begin to see the devastating effects of unclean air ducts.

Recirculation of Dirt and Dust

Maybe we might have mentioned it earlier, but dirt and dust recirculation are more devastating than one may think. Of course, this can aggravate allergies while causing breathing conditions to decline sharply; however, there is a much more significant threat.

The dust in the air can settle all around the house and even get into electrical appliances and devices. The layer of dust forming inside sensitive electrical equipment can cause them to fail and malfunction as well.

Along with this, the entire house will require cleaning more frequently as dust will fly around uncontrollably. Nothing in the house will be safe from dust contamination.

Unclean Air Ducts are Expensive

If you think cleaning air ducts is expensive, you’re probably going to be in shock once you find out how much more costly it is to leave your air ducts collecting dust.

Cleaning air ducts can set you back for a maximum of $400 for a year. That is nothing compared to the higher electricity bills you will have to pay.

Uncleaned air ducts can also add medical bills that can rack up to $30,000. If that’s not enough, you could also be paying for the damaged devices and appliances that can suffer from humidity and dust accumulation.

Dirty Ducts are expensive
End Note

The importance of air duct cleaning can not be overstated. Unclean air ducts can have devastating effects on the entire building. It also affects the health of every inhabitant and the integrity of all devices inside the building.

Moreover, it adds thousands of dollars to your overall expenses that can inadvertently stack over time. Spending just a couple of hundred dollars stands as a much better option, and you can have it done right away. Contact your local HVAC expert today and get your air ducts cleaned before disaster strikes.

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