When homeowners sell a home, they may give the interior a new coat of paint, put down new flooring or install new fixtures in the bathroom. However, cleaning the air ducts is something that sellers rarely do—they're safely hidden from the view of potential buyers.

Air ducts can contain dust, mold, rodent droppings and other forms of debris that reduce indoor air quality. They can even exacerbate allergy and asthma symptoms. Do you know what's inside your new home's air ducts? Read on for three good reasons to have them professionally cleaned after you've moved in. 

1. Removing the Previous Owners' Dust and Debris Boosts Indoor Air Quality

Unless you're moving into newly constructed home, you have little idea what's inside your new home's air ducts. Home inspectors rarely check them. You may be able to get an idea of their cleanliness by looking at the registers, but you won't be able to see very far inside the ducts themselves.

If the previous owners were smokers, there may be tobacco residue left inside the ducts that can reduce indoor air quality. Similarly, the previous owners may not have changed the air filters in their central air unit as often as they needed to, which would have allowed dust to build up inside the ducts.

When you hire an air duct cleaning service, you'll rest easy knowing that the air ducts in your new home are fully clean and are not negatively affecting your indoor air quality.

2. Allows You to Fully Utilize High-Efficiency Air Filters

Using high-efficiency filters in your air conditioner is a good idea, especially if you or someone in your family suffers from allergies or asthma. These filters are capable of trapping extremely tiny particles in the air, which prevents them from circulating around your home.

However, even a high-efficiency air filter will only do so much. It's located right in front of the blower fan, so it is only capable of trapping particulates at that single point. Any residual dust, mold or residue inside your air ducts won't be trapped in the air filter—instead, your forced air system will blow them into your home. In order to make the most of your high-efficiency air filter, you'll need to have them fully cleaned by an air duct cleaning service first.

Once you do have the ducts in your new home cleaned, it's a good idea to use solely high-efficiency air filters and to replace them regularly. These prevent dust and debris from building up in the ducts again, which allows you to maintain your indoor air quality as long as possible between cleanings.

3. Removing Blockages Can Increase the Efficiency of Your Air Conditioner

While the main purpose of an air duct cleaning is to remove mold, rodent droppings, dust and other residue from your air ducts, it can also make your air conditioner operate more efficiently.

As part of the duct cleaning process, the technician will need to fully inspect all of the air ducts in your home. This allows the technician to find any blockages within the ducts. They're often caused by flexible ductwork that has partially collapsed.

Blockages in your air ducts will restrict airflow and cause your air conditioner to work harder in order to maintain your home at a comfortable temperature. Clearing these blockages as part of an air duct cleaning improves air circulation inside the home along with the efficiency of your central air system.

If you've just moved in to a new home, make sure your air ducts are like-new too. Contact an air duct cleaning service near you and ask about pricing—it's an inexpensive way to boost your indoor air quality and potentially increase the efficiency of your air conditioning system.