How to keep your ducted air conditioning vents clean

They are referred to as the lungs of your home, so it should come as little surprise that keeping your ducted air conditioner vents clean and pollution-free is important to your family’s health. 

Grubby and clogged vents can circulate nasties into your rooms, while also affecting your indoor ventilation, temperature and humidity. 

READ MORE: The smart-home future of air conditioning is here, with MyAir 

Learning to keep your ducted air conditioning vents clean will ensure you enjoy better air quality, few allergy triggers, better efficiency of your system, and lower energy costs. 

You should probably clean your vents every six months as part of your deep-cleaning routine, taking time to inspect your air filter as well. 

How to keep your ducted Air Conditioning vents clean

You’ll need to gather a few things to get the job done properly. This includes gloves, a screwdriver, a bucket with soap and warm water, a scrubbing brush, and a vacuum cleaner with a hose. 

Here’s how to keep your ducted air conditioning vents clean: 

Shut down your air con: It’s best to clean your vents with the air conditioner off. It’s only a 10-minute job, so chances are nobody will notice. 

Unscrew the vent cover: Using your screwdriver, unscrew the vent cover and your screws in a safe spot.  

Clean the vent: Grab your brush or even an old toothbrush, and start lightly loosening any dust or grime. Vacuum up any debris as you go and once all the dirt is removed, into the bucket of warm, soapy water your vents will go. 

You can now give them a good wash and dry.  

Reassemble the vent: You can now put everything back the way you found it, ensuring that the vent cover is screwed on properly to prevent dust getting inside.  

When to replace your ducted vents 

If you look after them, your ducted vents should last the life of your air conditioning system – about 15 to 20 years.  

However, there will always be exceptions to this rule and if you are concerned, here’s a guide to when they may need replacing: 

• If you see mould growth: You’ll know there’s mould if you find spots on your vent cover. It’s never a good sign. Another sign of mould growth will be the  nasty odour, a signal that you have a problem in your ducting; 

• Constant dust: You are struggling to get on top of the dust, even though you just cleaned your vents. If dust is reappearing immediately after cleaning – and you are changing your air filter regularly – then your ducts may actually be dirty with bacteria, tobacco smoke, and other airborne contaminants. 
• Rising power bills: Has your power usage surged, despite you using electricity for the same time periods each month? It could mean that dirty ducting and vents are causing your system to run inefficiently.  

Call us at Plum Trade Services today  

We get it, despite the best intentions, some household domestic duties tend to fall by the wayside. 

But since poor indoor air quality can trigger health issues in your family, you can’t afford to skip your essential air conditioner maintenance. 

A thorough cleaning of you ducted air con vents will be part of your yearly service – as well as an inspection of your ducts. 

As well as cleaning your air conditioner and vents, we’ll be on the look out for potential problems and issues – so you can get ahead of them before they become an expensive issue. 

And the best part is, when you call Plum Trade Services, you have the peace of mind in knowing that you are benefitting from skills, advice and values that you can trust. 

Now that’s a good deal! 

Please call Plum’s friendly, experienced team today on (03) 8360 9622 in Melbourne, or (03) 5292 2219 in Geelong. Or you can contact us via this link https://www.plumheatcool.com.au/contact-us/