How Air Ducts Work and the Importance of Cleaning

Critical Components of Air Ducts

What are the major components of a home air duct system? There are five core parts, which we'll discuss below. Here's a look:

These ducts connect directly to your furnace and the vents and registers throughout the home. Duct pipes and trunks are often made from stainless steel or galvanized steel and help allow for adequate air distribution throughout the property. If you go into your basement or crawl space and look up to the ceiling, there are likely many duct pipes and trunks. Pipes and trunks run through wall cavities as well.

Plenum

A plenum may also be referred to as an air distribution box. Its purpose is to bring in air and distribute air throughout the property. There are both return plenum boxes, which gather air from the return vents in the home and supply plenum boxes, which push new air through the ducts and into the home. A plenum is one of the most important pieces of the HVAC system.

The AHU incorporates the blower fan, dampers, air filter, and other heating and cooling elements into the setup. It integrates into the duct system and works to help distribute air through the ducts after it has been brought to the proper temperature to heat or cool the property.

Flues

Flues work to take air to the outside of the property. They're best utilized on a gas HVAC system when it must vent properly outside the home for health and safety purposes.

How Air Ducts Work

How do air duct systems work? We covered a lot of how air ducts work in the section above. But it's worth noting again that existing air in the room is pulled out as new air is pumped in. Just think of air ducts as the key access points to the HVAC system. This old air is returned to the plenum, pumped outside, or sent back through the system. In other words, supply vents (usually installed on the floors of a room) work to disperse hot or cool air throughout your home, while return vents (usually located near the ceilings in rooms of the home) are connected to separate ducts that pull air out of a room and back into the HVAC system.

Why It’s Important to Keep Ducts Clean

Why is cleaning important? As we said in the beginning, dirty air ducts will lead to a dirty home. And this may result in more frequent dusting and cleaning. But one of the biggest reasons to keep your air ducts clean is to help improve your home's indoor air quality. Soiled air ducts can lead to more severe allergies for property owners and residents due to contaminants being dispersed throughout the home. And mold and mildew growth in the duct system can also lead to illness, such as headache, fatigue, skin and eye irritation, and more. There may also be foul odors from the duct system if rodents or pests have infiltrated it.

Duct cleaning is also essential after a property has sustained water or fire damage. Since duct cleaning also sanitizes and disinfects the ductwork, it can help prevent mold growth following water damage and eradicate any smoke odors following a fire.

Finally, dirty ductwork will wear and tear your HVAC system more. If there are blockages in the ductwork, your HVAC system will have to run longer and work harder to heat or cool your property adequately. In the most extreme cases, this can lead to premature wear and tear, more maintenance on the system, and potentially even early replacement.

Finally, dirty ductwork will wear and tear your HVAC system more. If there are blockages in the ductwork, your HVAC system will have to run longer and work harder to heat or cool your property adequately. In the most extreme cases, this can lead to premature wear and tear, more maintenance on the system, and potentially even early replacement.

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If you’re concerned about dirty air ducts, learn how air duct cleaning services by one of Atlanta’s most trusted air duct cleaning companies can help.

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