Indiana HVAC Guide
An attic space with wooden rafters, loose fiberglass insulation on the floor, and a metal air handler connected to flexible silver HVAC ducts.

Duct Cleaning in Portage, IN

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An insulated HVAC air handler unit connected to a reflective foil-wrapped flexible duct inside a residential attic.

Eight months of heat pushes a lot of air through your ducts

Your furnace runs October through May here, eight months of the year. That blower is moving air through the ductwork almost all the time, and every pass carries dust and pet hair along with it. Some of that settles inside the ducts instead of coming back out the vents.

Porter County has seen 101 damaging wind events and 13 winter storms over the past ten years, and storms like that knock out power. When the power drops, the furnace stops and starts once it's back, and each restart stirs up what has settled in the ducts and pushes it into the rooms you're heating.

8 months
October through May, your furnace pushes air through your ducts
3 months
June through August, your air conditioner does the same
Isometric cutaway illustration of a small house with a dark shingled gable roof, showing interior rooms with furniture, a furnace unit, and branching ductwork with round ceiling vents.
Your ducts carry heat October through May and cooled air June through August.

NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals

How often should air ducts be cleaned?
There is no fixed schedule that fits every house. If someone in the house has allergies, or you just finished a remodel that filled the ducts with drywall dust, that is a reason to clean them now. Homes with pets or a smoker tend to need it more often too. Outside of that, check the return vents for dust buildup as a sign it is time.
Is air duct cleaning worth it?
It depends on what is going on in your ducts right now. If you can see dust kicking out of the vents, or the system has sat with a dirty filter for a while, cleaning them clears out what is circulating through the house. If the ducts are newer or were cleaned recently, you likely will not notice a difference. A contractor can look at the actual buildup and tell you whether it is worth doing now or waiting.
What does air duct cleaning involve?
A contractor connects a vacuum to the duct system and uses brushes or air tools to knock loose dust and debris from inside, then pulls it out through the vacuum. Registers and vents get cleaned too, along with the coil area if it needs it. The furnace and blower may get a look since they connect straight into the same air path.
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