When is duct cleaning worth it

During the service call, NADCA certified experts will use highly sensitive equipment when loosening the dirt and debris from the air ducts. When cleaning the steel vents they will use a vinyl whip and when cleaning flex ducts they will use an ultra sensitive rubber head so as not to cause any harm to the flex ducts.

The head looks like a deflated balloon which has just enough force to loosen the dust from the ducts without harming the flex duct. The point to be taken here is that certified air duct cleaners must use ultra sensitive equipment when cleaning both residential and commercial HVAC systems. In addition, to the primary benefit of having clean duct work, NADCA has done a white paper showing how cleaning your HVAC system can provide home owners with substantial savings on their energy bills.

In most homes, it would be safe to say that you will see these savings on your next energy bill. NADCA has a process which is called source removal. This is done with both negative and positive air flow. The positive air will loosen the dust from the ducts which will then get sucked up by the compressed negative air. All of the dust and debris which is loosened from the duct will be collected outside of the house.

As a customer, always make sure that the dust is being collected outside the home and not inside the home. The last thing you want is for the dust and dirt to be pushed back directly into the living area.

One of the things to look out for is the type of equipment which is brought into the home. At best, they will clean the ceiling and floor registers and at worst they can damage the duct work with the hard plastic vacuum head. He said it would be over dollars to replace the ductwork if that is the case.

Now, I spoke to a friend who did 2 ductwork lines on his own in his attic and he said it was like 15 dollars for the plastic wirewound tubing to create new ducts. Should I cancel that appointment and just do the work on my own?

Well, I had the cleaning done. The handler is definitely much quieter. It was explained to me that with the coils clean, the condensation will be able to sweat off instead of sticking to the dust and dirt, therefore the humidity lots of humidity in florida will be removed better. I feel as if it was worth it, but, I will definitely change that filter every 3 weeks or so from now on. I immoderately sense that I made mistake to call him to my house. Have a two floor condo, technicians said the system was never cleaned, it took them about three hours.

Since I am just moving in, I can not tell the difference. They collected about pounds of dust, is that normal amount or should be more? My roommate wanted the ducts cleaned so he called some company. My scam senses is already tingling. They came in with a big negative pressure fan. Did some blowing and sucking in different vents. Then they tried to upsell a full system cleaning. I have a big house so we have two units.

At that point I pulled the BS get the hell out bell. Our house had an electrical fire. The room that it happened in had no air ducts in it.

Landlord already tore down the room that it happened in. Smoke did get into my daughters room which has air ducts. Does a whole house need to have all the air ducts cleaned. I noticed a lot of negative feedback, though unfortunately there are many dishonest companies out there. I currently work with a company that cleans duct work and we DO NOT use any scare tactics or up sell services or equipment.

Once every 10years of course there are exceptions. We clean supply, returns, air handler, housing, motor, and fan.

Though be discerning when qualifying anyone to work in your home. The air quality of your home or office will only be as clean as the system that produces it. A build up of dust will cause failures to your system over time, equipment that works harder to do its job will run hotter with more strain and this will lead to brake downs and until then the system will run less efficient then it should.

The system was engineered to move a certain volume of air through a specific duct size, when that duct size starts to become narowed down with dust build up your system has to work harder to move that air this is why you will end up with a loss of efficiency and eventually breakdowns or failures. Good luck.. As I type this, I am having my ducts cleaned.

About 30 including returns and the furnace. I am watching the team do it and can see the clear vacuuming tubing and how dirty it has become. I get it. However, like I said before, I am actively seeing the tubing that is clear before they start and how dirty it is once they begin and continue cleaning. Just from my 15 years of duct cleaning experience. Quality and price should come hand in hand, a too-good-to-be-true price for an efficient air duct cleaning will not give you the quality that you wanted.

Make sure to shop around and get written estimates first. I have been told by an excellent company that duct cleaning is never recommended. They said it only damages the duct work and is not really necessary. It was not recommended at all ever. Your comments about this would be appreciated. Had our ducts cleaned late April, Sodium Chlorite was sprayed into ducts after cleaning.

Have had various other recommendations about what we need to have done to remedy our problem. We will be unable to stay in our home if a resolution cannot be found. This home was built in …no idea when the present ductwork was installed. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Before having my home air ducts cleaned I was dusting once a week. Post-cleaning, I barely have to dust once a month.

That tells me all I need to know about if it was worth having done. Duct cleaning is a SCAM. I had an in duct UV light installed and my house feels and smells clean now all of the time. The concept from what little I know is it kills or traps We are all getting migraines several times a month.

I have asthma but not ever as bad as it has been and my 2 year olds dr just informed me she potentially has asthma too. We all get sinus infections regularly and eczema and contact dermatitis. None of us have been this way until recently in our apartment. A roof leak with mold was repaired recently mold was sealed off not removed. We also had lead paint removed from a few window trims this year.

We had mice too. Dust on everything daily. White dust. They are filthy from what I can see when I change the filters. The filters are black after a few months. I am going to try the shop vac to remove what I can. Any experienced hvac people please give your opinion. Should I just get it done and pay for it myself? We have lived here for 13 years. Is it something I can do with a shop vac? Can i use a wet rag to get the powder dust on the inside of the vents off.

One vent has what looks like chunks of dry wall or thick paint sitting in the vent and none of the vents screw into the wall, the screws just fall out. No one ever reinforced the area so the wall just basically crumbles. Kind of useless to spend the money on filters since the air and dust just blows out around the sides of the vents and one of the vents just falls right out of the wall when the heat is turned on.

Air duct cleaning is a total scam. Unless you have mold or some sudden illness you think might be related to the ducts, better leave well enough alone. The only substantial thing I noticed is them replacing the furnace filter with one of MY filters next to the furnace, and I had replace it less than a month prior.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hope that this is one of the most enlightening posts on this topic. Is duct cleaning worth it? There is not a yes or no answer that suits everyone. On an Air Force base, the system was not air tight and there was leakage around the filters.

The system got dirty. A professional company was called out. The Duct was big enough that a technician could go inside the metal duct and clean it. There was a new Air Handler installed and things were sealed up better. In some older homes, there was a grey Mylar flexible duct. After years of use, it started to decompose. This is a savings on your part. You could also be sucking in Hot, dirty attic air.

However, sometimes when a duct cleaning company comes out to clean it, the old duct can be destroyed and have to be replaced.

All of you have dentists, you have doctors, you have preachers, you have mechanics. Call your friends and family and ask for referrals. There are no black and white scam or not a scam answers here.

As the article states, unless you have undergone some type of extensive reno, or ducts have become contaminated, paying for cleaning is pointless. Its one thing if you have a 30 year old home that has never had a duct cleaning and you can actually see mounds of dust built up , especially in the return side, then go for it. Keep in mind that most of the dust in your home is lint from clothes and linens, and skin cells from you and your pets and is constantly being generated.

Dust that builds up in ductwork , generally stays in the ductwork. The power of suggestion, scare tactics, up sell!!! Very interesting article. I searched articles about services for cleaning ventilation systems. But I have some questions.

For cleaning ventilation system used special products for cleaning. Can I know in company manager about, which type of cleaning products they use?

Your family members may be allergic in some components. But I find a lot of company. Can I understand the company is professional or not, only looking through the website?

What must I check on the website? Who has helpful information? I will very grateful for your help. Links I add for understanding my problem. They are random and not for advertising. My house was built about The ducts had never been cleaned. That also means that the system breathed air in from the basement and most of this type did not have a cold air return system.

A year and a half ago fall of we replaced the furnace and air conditioner. From what we could determine this was the third forced air furnace and second air conditioner unit for the house. The idea was to get more cold air to the second floor in the summer. It worked and for the first time the second floor and first floor temperatures were the same when the air conditioner was running. Of course, to make the system work I close down upstairs duct damper doors in the winter and open them up in the summer.

WELL, this summer when I opened them up we had black dust spewing from one of the upstairs vents. It resembled the fuzz that comes off new towels.

Once fiberglass duct liner is contaminated with mold, cleaning is not sufficient to prevent re-growth and there are no EPA-registered biocides for the treatment of porous duct materials. Experts do agree that moisture should not be present in ducts and if moisture and dirt are present, the potential exists for biological contaminants to grow and be distributed throughout the home. Controlling moisture is the most effective way to prevent biological growth in all types of air ducts.

No products are currently registered by EPA as biocides for use on fiberglass duct board or fiberglass lined ducts so it is important to determine if sections of your system contain these materials before permitting the application of any biocide. Air duct cleaning service providers may tell you that they need to apply a chemical biocide to the inside of your ducts to kill bacteria germs and fungi mold , and prevent future biological growth.

Some duct cleaning service providers may propose to introduce ozone to kill biological contaminants. Ozone is a highly reactive gas that is regulated in the outside air as a lung irritant.

However, there remains considerable controversy over the necessity and wisdom of introducing chemical biocides or ozone into the duct work. Chemical biocides are regulated by EPA under Federal pesticide law.

A product must be registered by EPA for a specific use before it can be legally used for that purpose. The specific use s must appear on the pesticide e. It is a violation of federal law to use a pesticide product in any manner inconsistent with the label directions.

A small number of products are currently registered by EPA specifically for use on the inside of bare sheet metal air ducts. A number of products are also registered for use as sanitizers on hard surfaces, which could include the interior of bare sheet metal ducts. While many such products may be used legally inside of unlined ducts if all label directions are followed, some of the directions on the label may be inappropriate for use in ducts.

For example, if the directions indicate "rinse with water", the added moisture could stimulate mold growth.

All of the products discussed above are registered solely for the purpose of sanitizing the smooth surfaces of unlined bare sheet metal ducts.

No products are currently registered as biocides for use on fiber glass duct board or fiber glass lined ducts, so it is important to determine if sections of your system contain these materials before permitting the application of any biocide. Before allowing a service provider to use a chemical biocide in your duct work, the service provider should:. While some low toxicity products may be legally applied while occupants of the home are present, you may wish to consider leaving the premises while the biocide is being applied as an added precaution.

Manufacturers of products marketed to coat and encapsulate duct surfaces claim that these sealants prevent dust and dirt particles inside air ducts from being released into the air. As with biocides, a sealant is often applied by spraying it into the operating duct system. Laboratory tests indicate that materials introduced in this manner tend not to completely coat the duct surface. Application of sealants may also affect the acoustical noise and fire retarding characteristics of fiber glass lined or constructed ducts and may invalidate the manufacturer's warranty.

Questions about the safety, effectiveness and overall desirability of sealants remain. For example, little is known about the potential toxicity of these products under typical use conditions or in the event they catch fire. In addition, sealants have yet to be evaluated for their resistance to deterioration over time which could add particles to the duct air. Instances when the use of sealants to encapsulate the duct surfaces may be appropriate include the repair of damaged fiber glass insulation or when combating fire damage within ducts.

Sealants should never be used on wet duct liner, to cover actively growing mold, or to cover debris in the ducts, and should only be applied after cleaning according to NADCA or other appropriate guidelines or standards. Washington, DC The Antimicrobials Information Hotline provides answers to questions concerning current antimicrobial issues disinfectants, fungicides, others regulated by the pesticide law, rules and regulations.

These cover interpretation laws, rules and regulations, and registration and re-registration of antimicrobial chemicals and products. Skip to main content. Contact Us. There is substantial visible mold growth inside hard surface e. There are several important points to understand concerning mold detection in heating and cooling systems:.

Ducts are infested with vermin, e. Do not hire duct cleaners who make sweeping claims about the health benefits of duct cleaning — such claims are unsubstantiated. Do not hire duct cleaners who recommend duct cleaning as a routine part of your heating and cooling system maintenance.

You should also be wary of duct cleaners who claim to be certified by EPA. Note: EPA neither establishes duct cleaning standards nor certifies, endorses, or approves duct cleaning companies. Do not allow the use of chemical biocides or chemical treatments unless you fully understand the pros and the cons See "Unresolved Issues of Duct Cleaning.

Contact your county or city office of consumer affairs or local Better Business Bureau to determine if complaints have been lodged against any of the companies you are considering. Interview potential service providers to ensure:. Ask the service provider whether they hold any relevant state licenses. As of , the following states require air duct cleaners to hold special licenses: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Texas.

Other states may require them as well. If the service provider charges by the hour, request an estimate of the number of hours or days the job will take, and find out whether there will be interruptions in the work. Make sure the duct cleaner you choose will provide a written agreement outlining the total cost and scope of the job before work begins. Open access ports or doors to allow the entire system to be cleaned and inspected.

Inspect the system before cleaning to be sure that there are no asbestos-containing materials e. Asbestos-containing materials require specialized procedures and should not be disturbed or removed except by specially trained and equipped contractors. Use vacuum equipment that exhausts particles outside of the home or use only high-efficiency particle air HEPA vacuuming equipment if the vacuum exhausts inside the home.

Protect carpet and household furnishings during cleaning. Use well-controlled brushing of duct surfaces in conjunction with contact vacuum cleaning to dislodge dust and other particles. Use only soft-bristled brushes for fiberglass duct board and sheet metal ducts internally lined with fiberglass.

Although flex duct can also be cleaned using soft-bristled brushes, it can be more economical to simply replace accessible flex duct. Return Air Ducts Since the ductwork that funnels air back into the furnace to intake as part of the combustion process is not filtered, this should be the primary concern with cleaning. Ideally you should see before and after photos or inspect to ensure the system is relatively dust free after the job is completed.

Many of those chemicals, called biocides and anti-microbial treatments, may cause more harm to your health than good. There are currently no chemicals registered for use inside ductwork with the EPA. No Steam Cleaning No duct cleaning service should ever involve moisture or steam. That could eventually turn into mold in your ducts. How We Can Help Our team offers a wide array of routine maintenance and emergency services for your heating and cooling system, allowing your family to breathe fresh, safe, clean air and be comfortable year-round.

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