Duct Cleaning: Myth Or Necessity? (Image credit: Flickr user Tim7423 under CC BY 2.0) I was hoping to sink my teeth into a juicy duct cleaning debate (possibly including scandals!), but it seems that the experts are unanimous: unless you see insect or rodent droppings in your ducts, or if someone in your household is having mysterious illnesses and/or respiratory difficulties, duct cleaning is unnecessary...and in fact can do more harm than good. Let's start with the big guns: The Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA has an incredibly thorough examination of duct cleaning, including the four reasons why you might need your ducts cleaned: infestation, mold, mysterious illnesses, and clogged ducts. While there's no harm in having your ducts cleaned even if you don't have any of those four factors (other than the $400-$1000 expense), "provided that it is done properly" [emphasis theirs]. The EPA further cautions, "if a service provider fails to follow proper duct cleaning procedures, duct cleaning can cause indoor air problems."

The National Institute Of Health list five conditions that could necessitate cleaning: water, slime [slime!], debris, dust discharge, and offensive odors— as well as 7 questions to answer before hiring duct cleaners. The NIH also cites a 2010 study that showed "even when duct cleaning was extremely efficient at removing contaminants within ducts, the effectiveness of reducing indoor air pollutants was highly variable, and in many cases, post‐cleaning levels of contaminants were higher than pre-cleaning levels. $1000 to make your house dirtier! The Family Handyman lists regular duct cleaning among its Home Care Myths Busted! In fact, according to the magazine, "most homes never need duct cleaning." Consumer Reports, a trusted source in our household, advises consumers to "think twice about paying for duct cleaning, since it's rarely worth the cost, and in fact the industry is rife with scams." Well, that all seems pretty clearcut, yes? A report in the Chicago Tribune came to the same conclusion, then goes on to pass on a recommendation from the director of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association to change your air filters every two months.

Using quality filters is apparently key: "Some filters aren't too good. You can buy them for less than a dollar at the hardware store. Those are referred to as bowling ball cleaners in the industry. They'll catch things the size of a bowling ball, but not much else." I am so happy I wrote this post, not only because I now know about bowling ball cleaners, but because I will never waste $1000 a year cleaning my ducts. wii lens cleaning kit at best buyUnless there's slime, of course.air purifier reviews smokeWhen choosing an apartment, diligent renters pepper landlords and real-estate agents with questions about square footage, amenities and security deposits. car ac cleaner foamHowever, few renters consider the air quality in potential apartments.

Most of us don’t think about the quality of the air we breathe at all — until we begin to suspect that the air in our apartments might be making us sick. As we learn more about how air quality affects common diseases like asthma and with new concerns about “sick building syndrome” in office complexes, more and more people are starting to take air quality seriously. Poor air quality can be caused by a number of different pollutants. In buildings with poor air filtration, common pollutants from outside industrial sites and automobile congestion can stagnate indoors and contribute to respiratory trouble. Carbon monoxide, which is deadly at high enough concentrations, can be produced when fuel-burning appliances malfunction. Radon, a radioactive gas that sometimes enters homes and apartments from the soil underneath the building, is one of the leading causes of lung cancer. Mold and mildew can contaminate air filtration systems and release spores into the air. Along with pollen and dust mites, molds and mildew are key causes of allergies and asthma.

The list goes on and on and can make you feel sick just thinking it. If you suspect a problem with the air quality in your apartment, there’s no shortage of products available in stores and online to help you determine which, if any, pollutants are present in your apartment. Several companies sell at-home testing kits that test for mold, some species of bacteria and fungal spores. Some companies will send inspectors to your apartment to test for mold, fungi and bacteria. If the general air quality in your apartment is poor, you can also buy self-contained air filtration units that span a wide range as far as price and quality. Of course, these filters, tests and kits can be quite expensive. Unfortunately, you may not be able to rely on your landlord to cover the most of these costs. You’ll have more luck if you can argue that your landlord’s negligence or problems with building maintenance have led to the poor air quality in the apartment. A patch of mold and mildew in your ceiling might have been caused by a leaky pipe, one your landlord should have repaired.

The terms of your lease may spell out the landlord’s responsibility for air quality obligations your landlord has to protect for the health of tenants in the building. Your landlord may also be open to installing carbon monoxide monitors, which are quickly becoming almost as common as smoke detectors. Whether your landlord agrees to cover the cost or not, you should get one of these. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is can kill you before you’re even aware of its presence. You can find them for less than $20, which is definitely worth the peace of mind. If your building is equipped with central air, your air conditioning system may require its own set of filters that need to be regularly changed, usually at least four times a year. Responsibilities regarding maintaining the HVAC system and its filters are often spelled out in the lease. Many tenants assume that changing the air filter is the responsibility of the landlord, but often the landlord is only responsible for maintaining the air conditioning system itself.

Tenants may be expected to change the filters, a fact that landlords don’t always make clear when tenants sign the lease. A dirty air filter not only makes the apartment air dirty, it also makes the HVAC system work harder to cool the apartment, resulting in increased energy bills. If you don’t have central air but want to improve air quality and circulation, you can purchase a self-contained air filtration unit or air purifier. These are often sold at home supply stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond, or specialty stores such as The Sharper Image. A wide range of apartment air-filtering systems is available, so it makes sense to do your research before you purchase anything. Look for the CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rating) of the unit. The CADR is a standard rating of how well the unit functions, with a higher number indicating a stronger purification power. You can also look for HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters, which remove over 99 percent of airborne particles over .3 micrometers in size.