Air Duct Cleaning to Reduce Allergies – Real or Scam?

For many years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with other organizations, has claimed that cleaning air ducts is unnecessary in most cases. However, other experts strongly disagree.

Duct Cleaning in Toronto to Eliminate Mold

It is important to understand that air duct cleaning was still in its infancy when the EPA released its information. Today, a large number of professionals feel that unless the interior of ducts is cleaned, people are breathing in mold and other dangerous substances. Even so, the need for duct cleaning in Toronto remains extremely controversial.

One thing that most everyone agrees on is that in some cases, the contamination level within ducts is so severe that people could be exposed to health risks. Experts also agree that at no time should ducts contain moisture or dirt, because they create the risk for biological contaminant growth.

Reducing Allergies with Duct Cleaning in Toronto

While not considered necessary as part of annual maintenance for your heating and cooling system, if someone in the home has allergies or upper respiratory problems, hiring a professional to clean the ducts will not hurt anything. Since this could actually help, not to mention freshen the air, it makes sense.

Dating back to the 1970s, flexible duct lined with plastic, fiberglass, or another type of material has become the norm. While insulated ducts conserve energy, cut back on noise, improve temperature control, and reduce condensation, they also pose health-related risks.

Some experts believe the lining of flexible ducts is more prone to microbial contamination compared to ducts made from bare sheet metal. An EPA-registered biocide can clean and treat flexible ducts. However, if the liner is made from fiberglass, mold cleaning is simply not enough, since there is no way to prevent regrowth. Therefore, air duct cleaning alone would not suffice. Instead, the moldy or wet fiberglass material within the duct must be replaced.

The bottom line is that to battle allergies and upper respiratory problems, you should consider all options, including duct cleaning in your Toronto home.