Cleaning Your Air Ducts Can Save House Cleaning TIme
Posted: Wednesday, November 12, 2008
by Jan Hayner
Organizing and Cleaning Tips and Hints
One day, as I was vacuuming the carpet, I realized how much I do automatically in my daily routine, I vacuum without really seeing! I, vacuum the carpet, but I never really look at it up close. When I did, I saw all of those pesky little hairs entwined in the nap from the pets, the stain that I thought I managed to remove and little bugs that seem to have come from no where!
To my amazement, I found out that three quarters of the dust was coming from my furnace ducts. I knew I had them cleaned a while ago, but I couldn't remember just when it was, so I went to the filing cabinet to see. Well, to my surprise, it was 3 years ago, that I had it done by a professional.
Normally a furnace duct cleaning should be done every two to three years, so you would think that I was right in the correct time frame to have it done. The only thing that I forgot was that we put up additional dry wall in the basement, added a new countertop in the kitchen and refinished the hardwood floors in the living room. All of these things have to be taken into consideration when you are planning your next furnace cleaning because they all create dust and it all collects in the ductwork.
So, I called and had them come to clean everything out and make my home smell fresh and clean again.
This wonderful man passed some tips on to me that I thought I would pass on to others, to help cut down cleaning time in your home.
1. Some furnace blower doors have a safety switch and if they aren't closed properly, your blower won't work right
2. Check your pilot light on your furnace; Check to make certain that your furnaces pilot light is lit and is free from built up dust and lint. The flame should range from to 1 inches with up to 3 separate flames
3. Are you suffering from uneven room temperatures? Try shutting down the vents in the closets and bathrooms, to force the air to rooms that require more heat. Heat rises, if the downstairs rooms are cold close vents upstairs or all the way as may be needed to balance the temperature. If you're still having issues, your homes duct system could be inadequate or your vents may be blocked from dust particles.
4. You should always keep at least 2' of free space in front of your air vents. Vacuum your vents regularly.
5. Are you hearing strange noises coming from your furnace? It could mean tht the filters are plugging up, try changing them before calling a repair man.
6. Inspect your outside venting system for your furnace and make sure that nothing is blocking it and keep it clear of snow in the winter.
7. Add humidity to the air to make it warmer. If your furnace has a humidifier already attached to it, it still may not be enough water. Set some decorative dishes or decanters around the house with water in them to help humidify the air.
8. Vacuum your cold air returns and put a piece of cheesecloth on the inside of the cover to catch some of the dirt.
9. Add cheesecloth to the heat vent to stop the dirt from the duct work from entering the house. Check them often and throw them in the washing machine to clean them.
10. If you hear a pinging or popping sound coming from the ductwork, this may be caused by thermal expansion or by air blowing past a loose flap of metal. Check your ductwork for loose metal and sealed seams.
Happy heating folks and hopefully less cleaning too!
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