The sunny days with bright sun and soaring temperatures need to use the AC more often. Summer days also see all sorts of critters coming into your home. They search for suitable places to inhabit, which are readily present all over a house.
They come in search of food and shelter and escape the summer heat. If you use an AC, it is the best place for them than the outdoor environment. It has the right balance of humidity, warmth, and coziness. The critters hide behind the grill lines and get food from dirty filters, and the condensation pan provides them water.
As a result, it is the best summer home for them. However, you cannot let them cherish this home as the bugs prove harmful to your HVAC system. It is crucial to prevent them from infesting your equipment rather than treating the issue later. Here are a few tips to avoid bugs in air ducts that are easy to follow.
Simple Ways To Prevent Bugs In Air Ducts
⇒ Seal All The Noticeable Cracks
Bugs lurking in the cellar or loft can wriggle through or enter the ducts along a pre-existing hole. Examine the links between each segment of exposed ductwork, particularly the joints. Pay special attention to any sections that appear to be kinked or distorted.
Turn on your air conditioner, then place your palm over the ducting; if you sense air against your touch, you have a faulty connector or a leak. Duct tape is handy to cover gaps less than an inch across.
It is a great idea to get professional help if you have wide splits or leaks in hard-to-reach areas. The aeroseal duct sealant helps identify and seal any leaks in the ductwork. Technicians usually have access to such products and are experts in such work.
⇒ Install Air Vent Screens
Air vents are the most common entry point for bugs. If you notice little beetles or bugs in your home, they likely entered through a duct opening. Installing bug filters on your inside and outside vents is one answer to this issue.
You can hire someone to do it for you, but you can also do it yourself. Lift the vent cover and use it as a template for how large a sheet of insect screen you need to cut. Use caulk and reinstall the duct cover if you ever need to adhere the bug screen to an outer wall face as masonry.
⇒ Don’t Ignore Your Landscaping.
Bugs prefer thick, uneven grass to create their home. It is a great option to maintain your lawn and other vegetation groomed for this reason and a few others.
There are also some fundamental guidelines to follow when planting around your condenser.
The first requirement is that all plants be at least 2-3 yards away from the condenser. It reduces the amount of junk that enters your condenser. Rodents, ants, and other critters love to live in leaf waste mounds. It also allows optimal airflow to your condenser.
The second principle is to keep everything that can entice insects far from your condenser. Garbage cans, wood stacks, and lawn clippings are all examples.
⇒ Caulk The Gaps
These tiny bugs can find their way into your home through small holes and gaps, so you should check for all such gaps near your duct and immediately caulk them. Caulk is a sealant used for sealing joints. Caulking is quite helpful in preventing the bug from entering.
Several caulks are available in the market. You can choose the one suitable for your wall material, which you can easily remove in the future.
⇒ Keep The Outdoor Unit Clean
Unclean places form homes for the bugs. You are inviting bugs if your outdoor unit is not clean. It is not only about your outdoor unit; you should also keep the nearby places clean. Keep the plants away from the outdoor unit, and do not let water collect in your yard or surrounding. Regularly take out leaves, tree barks, and other waste.
Maintain the gutters and drain channels and keep them clean and debris-free too. Bugs lay in the damp area with high moisture, that is why you should fix water leaks in AC and clear the damp.
Bottom Line
Bugs are quite a common problem related to air ducts. Because of their tiny size, they are not visible easily. But their growth can be harmful to your HVAC. You can prevent these bugs from entering your air vents using the above-mentioned steps.