A popular question and discussion point for homeowners is when to clean their air ducts, or more specifically, which season is the most appropriate for cleaning them.
When you really get down to it, there’s no “perfect” time to clean your air ducts. Each season has its pros and cons when it comes to HVAC maintenance.
Oftentimes, it boils down to whichever option fits your needs and circumstances. As such, in order for folks to come to a rational decision, it’s better if all options are laid out with their respective upsides and downsides for the sake of proper contrast and comparison.
Let’s dive into this topic together and learn more about the benefits of cleaning air ducts during each season.
Spring
Pulling out the duster in the spring provides the first obvious benefit in our article – preparing appropriately for the summer heat waves.
Since you won’t be facing too many (if any) weather-related issues thanks to the moderate temperatures, spring is an attractive choice for cleaning of any kind, not just regarding HVAC setups. This way, you also prevent spring season allergens from building up in your HVAC system. Unfortunately, this opportunity is also a downside of spring cleaning, as any allergic folk won’t be able to take part.
Plenty of sanitary services also benefit from the milder weather by providing faster delivery times than in harsher seasons like winter – where snowstorms and the like can impede service hours.
Fall
In the same vein as the spring season, fall is also a popular choice for preparations – in this case, for the harsh, frosty winter.
Unlike the case with spring, you won’t have to worry too much about allergens being a factor in your duct-cleaning process, assuming you’re doing solo work. Maintaining your cooling and heating equipment during fall also ensures that there aren’t any unwelcome surprises awaiting you for winter.
The downside of fall is somewhat obvious – mold. It’s far likelier for mold to start appearing throughout the fall season, thanks to the colder climate. As such, your dusting, wiping, and vacuuming may begin to feel like a losing battle, especially if you haven’t done any other cleaning during the summer.
Summer
Speaking of mold – if you want to reduce the future impact of this fungi menace, summer is your season. For one, you’re reducing contamination in the air from growing further in the course of the colder seasons.
During the timeframe spanning the end of winter and the beginning of summer, your HVAC system will most likely accumulate tons of dust particles. Bacteria and all kinds of other nasty germs prefer the hot, humid conditions that summer offers, so that’s another reason why people prioritize the summer instead of waiting for fall or winter.
Besides the downside of, well – sweating profusely through intense sanitary sessions – summer’s upsides are also its downsides. Professional cleaning services are more likely to be booked and busy during the warmer months, so keep that in mind if you want someone else to take a look at your HVAC system.
Winter
Probably the oddest choice in our article – wintertime isn’t cleanliness-time for most people, or at least it’s not the association that immediately pops up in folks’ heads.
Nevertheless, there are some underrated benefits to cleaning your air ducts during Santa’s hour. Since you’ll be spending plenty of time cooped up inside with the heat turned all the way up, any unhealthy particles will inevitably recirculate again and again. Naturally, you’d want to prevent this, but too many people wrongly assume that fall/autumn cleaning is the key to this.
As a matter of fact, cleaning your air ducts during the chilly times is beneficial if you want to enhance heat efficiency and improve on energy costs – or rather, reduce them.
So, Which One Should You Go For?
Generally speaking, one should always base their choice on whether or not the warning signs (provided by the EPA) are present. If there are indications of mold or any other kind of fungal build-up, then that should tell you your HVAC setup is in need of a good fall or winter cleaning.
On the other hand, if there are signs of insects or visible dust clouds, especially under direct sunlight, that should be your cue to get your handy tools ready for the summer or spring.
Regardless, your choice may also be skewed based on outside factors like service availability and locale, so whether you’re opting for colder or hotter seasons, you should aim for timeframes wherein your HVAC use is limited.