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Your home’s HVAC system consists of a series of ducts that distributes heated or cooled air throughout a home. However, before the air is treated and blown into the ducts, it’s stored in a boxlike container behind the air filter—the plenum. Keeping this often-overlooked part of an  HVAC system clean should be a priority. Although you may need duct cleaning every few years, the plenum should be cleaned more often.

How an Air Plenum Works

The typical residential HVAC system has two types of air plenums: supply and return. The supply air plenum is attached directly to the unit that heats and cools the air as well as the duct that distributes treated air. Hot or cold air is forced into the supply plenum and from the plenum into the ducts. 

The return plenum does the opposite: After air circulates through your home, it’s sucked back into the return plenum and forced through the HVAC unit again. The return plenum, in essence, stores air until it’s filtered and reheated or recooled.

Why You Must Clean the Air Plenum 

duct cleaningMost homeowners arrange for duct cleaning only every few years. The filters in better-maintained HVAC systems are changed regularly—in some cases, as often as the seasons change—and the system is professionally serviced annually.

Like air filters, air plenums can become dirty. They can fill with dust, debris, pet dander, desiccated insects, and other contaminants, all of which affect air quality in the home. Air plenums may get dirty because air filters aren’t frequently changed or because the plenum itself isn’t correctly sealed. 

A plenum located behind an air filter may need vacuuming about once a year. A duct cleaning service can vacuum the plenum to ensure efficient system operation and superior air quality.

 

To have your HVAC ducts cleaned, call the team at Air Pro Duct Cleaning for comprehensive duct cleaning. Based in Columbia Falls, MT, they serve both residential and commercial clients, ensuring HVAC systems run safely and efficiently. They also clean dryer vents. Call (406) 752-0652 to schedule a cleaning, or visit their website to learn more about their services.

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