Duct Cleaning in Fergus Falls, MN
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Nine months of heat moves a lot of air through your ducts
Your furnace runs September through May here, close to nine months a year. That is nine months of air pulled through the same ducts, carrying dust back through the system again and again. On nights that average 4°F, the furnace is cycling on and off often just to keep up, and every cycle pushes more air through the ductwork.
Otter Tail County has seen 88 winter storms and 157 damaging wind events over the past ten years. Storms like that knock out power, and 13% of Minnesota households went at least a day without it last year. When the furnace shuts off and starts back up, it stirs up whatever has settled in the ducts since the last time.
- 9 months
- September through May, your furnace pushes air through your ducts
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner does the same
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should air ducts be cleaned?
- There's no fixed schedule that fits every home. A contractor can look inside the ducts and tell you what condition they're actually in, which matters more than going by the calendar. If anyone in the house has allergies, or you've had renovation work done that left dust behind, it's worth having the ducts checked sooner rather than later.
- Is air duct cleaning worth it?
- It depends on what's going on in your ducts right now. If you can see dust coming out of the vents, if there's a musty smell when the furnace kicks on, or if someone in the house has allergy symptoms that ease up when they're away from home, cleaning is worth doing. If none of that applies, the ducts are probably fine and cleaning them won't change much. A contractor can inspect the ducts and tell you whether there's buildup worth removing before you spend money on it.
- What does air duct cleaning involve?
- A contractor connects a powerful vacuum to the duct system, then uses brushes or air tools to knock dust and debris loose so it gets pulled out through the vacuum. Every supply and return vent gets worked, and the furnace or air handler gets attention too since dust collects on the blower and coil. Once the ducts are clear, air moves through them the way it's supposed to instead of pushing past buildup on the duct walls.