Every year there are over 22,000 residential fireplace or chimney fires in the United States according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. These fires are more likely to happen if you do not clean your chimney regularly. Another part of your home that you sometimes forget to clean is your home’s air ducts. The main reason people fail to clean their air ducts and chimneys is they are often located out of sight behind walls or above ceilings. However, cleaning these places comes with a number of benefits.
Save on energy bills
Your air ducts are the pathways for heated or cooled air on your air conditioning (HVAC) system. If you do not clean your air ducts, dust, mold and dander accumulate on the filter and block the easy flow of cooled or heated air. This makes your HVAC system work harder than it should to maintain air quality in your home. Just a buildup of 0.042 inch-thick-film of dirt on a heating or cooling coil can result in a decrease in efficiency of 21% according to research by the EPA.
This build up may also cause your furnace to break down, leading to costs and inconvenience. When you wipe away the dust and change the filters, your HVAC system works efficiently saving you money on monthly heating/cooling bills. Set aside the money you save and add it to gains made through other cost cutting means, and use it to treat the family so something special!
Expel smoke efficiently
Cleaning your chimney prevents animal nests, soot and creosote from reducing its size or blocking it. Creosote is the flammable black material that builds up on your brickwork, which is known to cause chimney fires. Cleaning your chimney allows smoke to be expelled efficiently and prevents carcinogenic air from being pushed back into the house. Aside from that, you can easily spot cracks and other damage in your chimney if it is clean before it gets a chance to take hold.
The Value of your home will go up
Dirty air ducts and chimneys lead to the circulation of bad odors and dust around your home. As a result, surfaces in your home will be dusty and the bad smells will linger. This can make it harder for you to sell your house. Clean air ducts keep your HVAC system working efficiently and your surfaces clean. Cleaning your chimney gets rid of the smell and prevents chimney fires. Potential home buyers will notice this and your home’s value will go up.
Cleaning your air ducts and chimney is not easy work and takes a long time to do. Save yourself some time and effort by hiring a chimney and air duct cleaning professional to do the job for you.