Bayside Cooling, a residential air conditioning contractor, recommends that homeowners stay current with a number of maintenance tasks each year. These include changing contactors and surge protectors, topping off Freon levels, and installing UV light, which helps cut down on colds. Bayside Cooling also recommends that air ducts in homes be cleaned on a regular basis. Many customers understand the dangers associated with outdoor air pollution. However, Bayside Cooling cautions homeowners against ignoring the state of their indoor air quality, since people spend most of their time indoors. Ventilation systems collect debris, dirt, and dust, which end up circulating throughout the home or office every time the system runs. Excessive buildup can damage the efficiency of the system and result in costly energy bills or repairs. Bayside Cooling tells its customers to watch for indications that the air duct system needs to be cleaned. These signs include dirty supply and return vent covers; dark filtration lines on the ceiling, walls, or carpet surrounding the vents; and excessive dust in the home. Additionally, differences in air flow or temperature from room to room may be a sign of a dirty air-duct system. Even newly constructed homes should be checked, because debris from construction sawdust and drywall dust tend to build up and settle in the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system. Bayside Cooling generally requires about four hours to clean a ventilation system comprised of one furnace and from 15 to 20 vents. Cleaning a system can result in as much as a 40 percent savings in overall energy costs. For more information, please visit