Does it feel like your heating and air conditioning systems are laboring? Have you noticed decreased air quality in your home when you are running your heat or AC? If you're having problems, the first thing you should do is make sure the air registers around your home are clean and fully functioning. This article explains the best way to remove the registers from the wall and properly service them.

Removing the Air Registers

Most registers are very easy to remove. With a flat head screw driver attached to a cordless power drill, you can remove the screws very quickly. However, removing the screws will probably chip the paint off of the screw head. So, you should also invest in new screws before you reattach the registers when the job is done. Some air registers will also be sealed to the wall with caulk around the edges. If you do have this, just use a utility knife to cut away the caulk before hand.

Cleaning the Air Registers

Once you remove the registers from the wall, you should clean both sides. Most importantly, clean in between the individual vents. You can quickly clean most registers by soaking them in the sink in water and dish soap. However, you obviously don't want to do this to metal or wooden registers. It is better to clean these with a damp rag. If you do have  wooden registers, you should check that they are not warped. Often, the air flowing through your ducts can be moist, which will warp the wooden registers. The air will then be pushed through the sides of the vent. This air will still be getting into your home, but it will not be going in the direction that you want. Similarly, aluminum or metal registers can get rusty on the inside if there's too much moisture within your ducts. When you remove them from the wall, if you do notice rusting, you should just replace them completely and not even bother trying to clean them.

Similarly, you should throw away any registers that have black mold on the inside. While the registers are off of the walls, you should peek inside your ducts and make sure they don't have any rust or mold on the sidewalls.

Before you reattach your registers to the walls, make sure they are fully functional, whether this just means cleaning them or replacing them altogether. New registers are very affordable, so sometimes it is just easier to replace them instead of trying to clean them.

If you've cleaned or replaced your air registers but still have questions about your indoor air quality, talk to a company like Tailor Made Maintenance Inc.