Save Energy by Cleaning Your Air Ducts
It has been estimated that you can save as much as 11% if your air ducts are cleaned. A complete air duct cleaning, according to the National Air Duct Cleaning Association, has many items that need to be completed. Most people think that air duct cleaning is just the air ducts; However, you should also clean the fan and the AC coil of the heating and air-conditioning system.
There are, of course, air ducts that are so dirty the airflow becomes restricted and then the air flow is not adequately supplying each room with the correct amount of cold or heated air. In these cases, it is obvious you will save closer to the 11% in your energy bill. However, most air ducts are not so dirty that the airflow is being compromised. In these cases, cleaning the dust and other debris out is more for creating healthier air than saving energy. Cleaning your fan and your air conditioning coils are where the energy savings start to accumulate.
A dirty coil will not allow the cooling to transfer efficiently from the cooling calls to the air itself. Also, a dirty fan will not have the correct airflow that it had when it is clean. So, just like any other piece of equipment when it is clean, it will run more efficiently and last longer so you can save as much as 11% of your heating and cooling bill with a clean efficient unit. But, most of us clean the air ducts to breathe healthier air, and any amount of payback on energy savings is just another added benefit to cleaning your air ducts, your AC coil, and your HVAC fan.
And remember, to get a complete job, use a National Air Duct Cleaning certified company that also has their technicians trained and certified from the National Air Duct Cleaning Association. Another note when looking to save money on your heating and air-conditioning system is to make sure that the air ducts are completely insulated with no insulation missing, upon installing the next heating and air-conditioning system purchase the highest energy efficiency unit that you can afford, and by cleaning the fan and AC regularly.