Malcarne Blog

Air Ducts: What’s in the air you’re breathing?

Oct 19, 2016 | Blog, Energy-Smart

This September and October has been kind to us, with its brisk, sunny mornings, warm, summer-like afternoons, and cool, clear nights. But if you’re like many New Yorkers, your allergy symptoms have not been so kind – and it may not be the weather outside that’s making them so frightful.

As fall firmly takes hold of the state, now is the perfect time to do a little “autumn cleaning” in a space of your home you may never actually have seen: your air ducts.

It’s not quite time to pull out that snowsuit yet, but the chill in the October air is a great reminder that winter is indeed just around the corner – and that means making sure your heating equipment is ready for plunging temperatures. The experts at Malcarne Contracting suggest twice-yearly inspections: one on your cooling system in the spring, and, in the fall, for your heating gear. When that first frigid night arrives, the last thing you want is to flick the switch to “heat” – and not have any warm, fuzzy feelings afterwards.

Have oil-fired equipment? Each year, it’s critical to give it a check-up, and have the nozzle and filter changed to keep it running safely and effectively. Other heating systems also should be serviced and cleaned – especially including any filters, which should also be changed every three to six months for them to truly do their job well.

And those HVAC filters are just a starting point: They connect to a maze of ducts throughout your home – through which flows all the air you breathe when your windows are shut tight against those chilly winter squalls. Your house may be holiday-party ready, but chances are your ductwork would scare you more than any neighborhood Halloween decorations: Caked-on dirt and dust, and mice and their droppings, are typical air-duct discoveries – especially in homes 20 years old or older.

Along with changing your filters, having your ducts cleaned regularly by a professional can ensure that your air is clean and safe all year long. Particularly for those with asthma or allergy issues, simply breathing in air that flowed from clean ducts, through new filters, can make a huge difference in their symptoms. Malcarne Contracting is proud to offer this peace-of-mind service to keep customers healthy and safe.

Outside, the season is changing, but, for your home, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Even though many homeowners may never peek inside their ductwork, keeping it professionally cleaned can be critical to the health and safety of the home. We’ve all said “so long” to summer: Is your heating system ready to welcome fall?

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