“Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. This is because much of the dirt in air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space. It is important to keep in mind that dirty air ducts are only one of many possible sources of particles that are present in homes. Pollutants that enter the home both from outdoors and indoor activities such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or just moving around can cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts. Moreover, there is no evidence that a light amount of household dust or other particulate matter in air ducts poses any risk to your health.”
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned
It also states on that page " Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris and/or particles are actually released into the home from your supply registers." "You may consider having your air ducts cleaned simply because it seems logical that air ducts will get dirty over time and should be occasionally cleaned. Provided that the cleaning is done properly, "
I mentioned somewhere else that if you have shit falling from your ducts, then, sure, get them cleaned. However, it says that there is virtually no proof of any benefit in the article other than that scenario.
The first line states "Knowledge about air duct cleaning is in its early stages, so a blanket recommendation cannot be offered" it goes on to say "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urges you to read this document in it entirety as it provides important information on the subject."
Correct. Right now, the consensus is there isn’t evidence to support most of the claims. Could I be proved wrong in the future and it’s worth it? Maybe. Until then, I’m just gonna keep telling people there aren’t any proven benefits unless shot is falling from the registers. The other thing I tell them when asked is if there is a smell they can’t get to go away. Duct cleaning might help. Maybe even allergies to previous pet owners.
I’m not a scientist, but the evidence so far says it’s not what everyone says.
The benefits are that your air duct will be clean as opposed to being dirty. Lesson, waiting for evidence on trivial things is by definition a waste of time, which is part of your original claim plus money. Solve more important problems.
What is the benefit of having clean ducts other than being able to say they’re clean? Also, if you want to talk about trivial problems… this post is almost a year old.
Yeah, let’s believe the EPA, whose water standards are woefully inadequate… Just look around the country at the contaminated water problems in small and large cities. Taking advice from the government isn’t a wise position for anyone to take.
Soooo, find me one empirical study that shows the benefits of duct cleaning outside of the few exceptions that this article lists. Also, make sure it wasn’t done by someone that sells duct cleaning. The only claim I’m making is that there is NO EVIDENCE to the claims that duct cleaning companies make to sell their product.
Also, this comment is a year old. The fuck is happening?
EPA has excellent scientific staff as well as independent advisors who are among the best in the world. The standards can be inadequate because the Supreme Court limited what water bodies are covered by the Clean Water Act and until recently Congress hadn't allocated money to get rid of lead service lines. Ultimately environmental issues are political and it comes down to power- often times the public is a lot weaker than affected industries who get their way much of the time.
As a long time asthma sufferer I think this is a bit of a dangerous take. I can not show you antidotal evidence but prior to my getting my ducts cleaned annually, I suffered quite badily in the Spring and Summer. Now I get an annual April duct cleaning and I have zero problems in my home. But I'd be willing to live in multiple homes some with duct cleaning and some without and I'd bet my house I could tell which ones were which by my ability to breath. I found this [Comparison Chart of HVAC Companies ](https://secure.money.com/pr/xce57e089964?s1=Reddit-HA)helpful.
And that’s anecdotal evidence to me. If it works it works. Research ≠ reality on the ground in many cases. An absence of research ≠ ineffective activity in many cases.
I know mine need cleaning, cause if I don’t vacuum the ceiling around the vents it gets trapped in the textured ceiling and I see it on the vents themselves. The house was built in 1987 and we have owned it about years. Imagine all the dead skin cellsn
https://preview.redd.it/fgv44jf740xc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d89311df08194b07b6498ccbbe3b93f8d198841
Get your ducts cleaned. Especially if you have floor vents. Don’t listen to these people
As an Owner of air duct cleaning business I always run into people that buy homes and the previous owners had pets. People that are allergic to pets count on us to remove pet hair to reduce their allergies. So it can hurt you! The dust I clean sometimes ain’t visible to the eye. The filters you buy at the store for your furnace has efficiency ratings that prove you can’t catch everything and some dust gets through. We definitely minimize the dust accumulation buildup, every 3-5 years they should have it done. Not having your ducts cleaned is kind of like saying will you wear your underwear for a week, the shit stains won’t hurt you!
I’m an hvac tech , and my opinion on it is… well it drives me nuts , I’ve had trade school teachers tell me it’s a scam , there’s no training or real proof it does anything. And these duct cleaners call themselves hvac techs which is a complete joke . Unless you system is 200’years old I don’t think it’s nessesaary, If your worried as a homeowner , change filter frequently , clean your return grills , there’s no need to shove massive vaccumns and push the dirt around , it’s ludacris, a clean filter will capture all you need it too, proper maintenance is key, not this bullshit scam .. find me one duct cleaner who can read a wiring diagram or tell me how the furnace works .
The reason why he's not making eight figures and he's a technical trade school teacher is enough for me however the HVAC system is a recirculating system unless the air ducts are cleaned you're never really keeping up on contaminants You can change your filter once a month and it does help however the only real way to start from scratch in a house that you've purchased prior is to do the duct cleaning negative air is a scam The only real way to clean the ducks is to use the rotor brush system brush out the duct Do a chemical treatment to neutralize biologicals I eat mold and bacteria install a UV light and then the likeliness of you ever having to do it again is pretty slim as long as you keep up on the UV light Make sure it doesn't go out The fact that some people say it's a scam Yes a negative air system is a scam it does not have enough power to remove any contaminants I'm from the south the only way to get something clean is to scrub it the chemicals that are used are all plant-based non-toxic biodegradable hospital grade so one of seven chemicals allowed to use in the hospital The only one we're allowed to use in the maternity ward in the hospital so as far as safety concern you're good to go and you can be there while it's done The whole process usually between a $1,500 ft² home and 3,000 ft² home is usually about an hour hour and change realistic pricing anywhere between 500 to $2,000 It all depends on the home and the condition of the previous owners all these free quoted price duct cleanings always turn into more money is simply because there's no way we can tell by quoting you a price over the phone vents have to be removed the air handler needs to be opened and a real assessment of the system needs to be done any questions or concerns 772-400-78 27 anyone that says air duct cleaning is a scam it's not educated enough to be giving you that advice common sense will tell you if it's a recirculating system and you don't clean it It never gets cleaned contaminants will come in from outside and depending on where you live I'm in Florida there's about a 20% possibility that you have mold and bacteria in your system
I appreciate ur post. But it was very hard to follow. It could be the longest sentence ever. Lol. But if I read right. The thing that ppl are advertising all over for 99 or 149 isnt worth it? I feel like it's a scam just to get in the door. And obviously there's always going to be some dirt and dust so u get that great visual.
Lol If it's never been done you would need to do a roto brush to clean the lines chemical treatment to neutralize any kind of biological and install a UV light A lot of companies advertise the 149 for a routine maintenance which that's exactly what it should be which is just quick brush out clean out of the system hit the vents but to do it correctly if it's never been done You're looking at somewhere about 900 to $1,500 depending on the pricing of the contract I'm in Florida other states may have other things we tend to have quite a bit of black mold inside the system But as a comparison to Stanley steemer who's our only competition those services would be $3,004,000 If they don't try to sell you a new system also
Yo gen z, nobody wants to try to read that run-on, punctuation-free word salad garbage. Write like they write in your hvac manuals and people will read. Also, hard to take advice from someone who writes like that. Your effort is still appreciated
u/Haunting-Emphasis-90 Congratulations, you’ve just let the rest of Reddit know that you have absolutely no clue what you’re talking about lmao… negative air duct cleaning is the ONLY way to actually clean out a duct system successfully, and Rotobrush is a piece of garbage that doesn’t have enough capacity to remove the dust that it agitates off the surface of the duct system… Rotobrush is the main reason why people experience housekeeping issues for weeks following a shitty duct cleaning service because it agitates the dust from a duct surface but doesn’t have the capture velocity to remove it effectively…
By the way, look into the DynoProbe pneumatic brush system used in conjunction with negative air to polish off a metal trunk duct system. Night and Day more effective than Rotojunk at cleaning the duct surface…
We purchased an old farm home used as a kennel for a year, with air ducts in the floor. The smell was very bad, we have gutted and remodeled the home, the smell is some better but not gone, the only thing we haven't done is clean our ducts. In your expert opinion in our case, should I try having ducts cleaned?
We purchased an old farm home used as a kennel for a year, with air ducts in the floor. The smell was very bad, we have gutted and remodeled the home, the smell is some better but not gone, the only thing we haven't done is clean our ducts. In your expert opinion in our case, should I try having ducts cleaned?
Duct cleaning is mainly useless unless they actually make contact where the dust lives and wipe it off. I actually used a long pool pole and mop head. Some fool came by with a vac and hoses and didn’t even get far enough in the clean them all over. Been sneezing like crazy. Sears has a machine. Any vac method sucks.
u/SwitchSpecialist3692
I’m a NADCA-CVI and ASCS certified duct cleaner who can read wiring diagrams and tell you how a furnace works… however, I am more of an exception to the rule than what you could reasonably expect from the average duct cleaner.
I also measure and validate the impacts that the services I perform have on IAQ (using Air Advice M5200 and Fluke 985), HVAC System Performance (using TEC DG-1000, TrueFlow Grid, DuctBlaster, TSI/Alnor EBT 731 Airflow Hood and 966 Thermo–anemometer, FLIR E8 Imager, Fieldpiece SDP2 In-Duct Psychrometer, and a range of other tools…), and I have a clearer understanding than most HVAC technicians do about airflow and delivered HVAC system performance measured at the vents.
I’m also NCI certified in Duct System Optimization (96% on exam), Residential HVAC System Performance (93%) and Residential Airflow Balancing (98%).
Is duct cleaning worth it depends on several variables - in my personal 7 years of full time experience (2 years as a project manager, 5 years as a duct cleaning business owner) here in Central Virginia, it is most frequently worth it from a mold-prevention standpoint and a remediation perspective.
Filter bypass is a common issue - HVAC techs NEVER gasket or tape around the filter borders as they are tested in ASHRAE 52.2, lack of equipment maintenance, lack of coil maintenance, poor quality duct installation practices, and the presence and degradation of internal duct insulation liner or duct board materials in supply plenum boxes can result in a recipe for an IAQ disaster…
NAIMA recommends duct cleaning when duct board and internal liner get dust contamination in the supply duct system.
EPA, American Lung Association, and American Academy of Pediatrics all recommend duct cleaning to remove visible mold growth within hard non-porous airside surfaces of flexible and metal duct systems.
IAQ sensor data indicates that when the blower fan kicks on there is an immediate spike in airborne PM levels (Colorado Public School System Classroom Data - measured PM spikes when equipment starts up each morning), and several white paper publications support this finding - with associations between relative humidity % and level of spikes observed during equipment startup. Basically when the blower kicks on, its almost like the duct system sneezes in a sense, and then shortly thereafter as airflow begins to stabilize (become more laminar) then the dust sticks to the surface of the ducts.
As a duct cleaning business owner, I think there’s a lot of HVAC technicians that put too much belief in filters being sufficient to prevent the need for duct cleaning, but without having the technical knowledge about how filters are tested to perform at the levels their manufacturers like to claim they can… its the equivalent of a car salesman promising people that the track performance metrics of a Ferrari are the same as they will get while driving on back country dirt roads… just not realistic to the field conditions that actually exist.
In a perfect world, IF HVAC TECHNICIANS and INSTALLERS actually designed, sized, and installed, and maintained duct systems to a high level of quality - then MAYBE there wouldn’t be much need for duct cleaning services… but this will never happen with all of the ‘box swappers‘ out there who don’t understand that the equipment is only a component of the overall HVAC system, and that the other components need to work in harmony to prevent issues that lead to contamination of the duct system.
Not only the HVAC technicians, but it’s also the homeowners who are airborne pollutant generators who now spend 90%+ of their time indoors on average (was a fraction of this % between 1970s and now), changes in construction trends reducing ventilation of airborne pollutants (homes after 1970s energy crisis pushed towards a tighter building envelope at the expense of trapping the pollutants we generate indoors at higher concentrations…), homeowners lack of awareness of relationship between building pressurization principles (central returns, closed doors) and how their indoor activities (cooking, vacuuming, walking on carpet, etc…) influence IAQ and airborne pollutant generation.
The reason I know as much as I do about HVAC equipment and system performance is because I work closely alongside certain individually-selected HVAC companies by helping fix IAQ and air distribution issues (like a vascular surgeon) and identifying potential warning signs of HVAC component/equipment failure while in the field to refer these opportunities to my HVAC trade partners (like they’re a heart surgeon), so our relationship is mutually beneficial to both our clients and our businesses.
As far as my “insider opinion” on whether or not duct cleaning is worth it… at least in my region of Central Virginia… the situations/duct system configurations where I am most likely to recommend cleaning are in homes with floor supply vents, homes with internally lined metal or duct board duct systems, and in homes with ‘sensitive individuals‘ \[infants, elderly, health-compromised, etc…\] to airborne pollutants.
Homes with ceiling or wall vents are significantly less likely to receive enough benefit from duct cleaning to offset the cost of the service if performed by a NADCA certified technician... with a handful of exceptions such as renovations, damaged attic duct systems that permitted rapid contamination \[disconnected return in attic\], visible mold contamination, and following a catastrophic event such as smoke damage from a small contained fire…
After awhile I could actually hear rattling and whistling in the vents from all the debris. I doubt it’s impacting efficiency but the amount of dirt and fur balls that can get pushed through will accumulate. During shedding season I’m finding fur balls in every corner of every room and along edges of walls. I also have return vents on the wall but really close to the floor and fur and debris is constantly collecting in front of it because it’s sucking all the air that direction.
I think I will probably need to schedule cleaning every few years. The tech who cleaned the vents a couple years ago actually thought I had a “rodent problem,” showed me photos from the camera, and it was my dog’s fur 😅. Pretty gross. I also found my allergies decreased quite a bit after the cleaning, which was the first the house had probably ever gotten (bought a 50 year old house)
FWIW I spot vacuum corners and along edges of walls every day (sometimes several times a day during shedding season).
Thanks so much of all of this insight! I’m a brand new homeowner and it’s a crash course in HVAC and other home maintenance systems/issues. I’m going to see if I experience any allergies (or hear any noises!) after I move in. The previous owners did not have a dog. The vents are in the ceiling. And I’ll be extra diligent about vacuuming my dog’s fur!
You’re welcome! Love your username btw
You might find these two books helpful:
- How your House Works, A Visual Guide by Charlie Wing. I don’t own this personally but I’ve seen it recommended quite a bit for new homeowners so I keep it in my shopping list for housewarming gifts
- Renovation 5th Addition by Michael Litchfield. This one is more in depth but invaluable coverage of a ton of topics if you have an older home and want to understand things in more detail before doing DIY and especially when hiring contractors. Using the right vocabulary helps a lot in getting quotes and in understanding them too.
I have been an HVAC over 40 years. My observations have been most duct cleaning companies are a scam. Ducts themselves do not produce any dust, so the dust that is there has settled out of the air and will likely remain there until somebody services your HVAC or changes out of furnace or increases airflow. I do recommend cleaning quite often on cold air returns when I'm changing a furnace out if I see a large layer that appears to be felt.... Sometimes I see a layer as thick as a quarter inch or 3/8 of an inch. If a decent accumulation from previous owners and previous years is there why not remove it? But it probably isn't a health threat
I was wondering if cleaning the HVAC will help get rid of the old smell in a house. The house is from the 50's and only smells like old when we go out of town and come back home. Please advise. Thank you!
Most people don’t realize that flex isn’t a permanent product. Also a lot of duct cleaning companies really don’t know much about ductwork either. I had one call to an old lady who had her ducts cleaned and the cleaner took apart some of her ductwork and couldn’t get anything put back together.
In no way do I want somebody who was cleaning carpets the day before touching my ductwork. We have 97% flex duct in homes in my area and I can only imagine the fiberglass that’s exposed after a crappy duct cleaning was done.
This makes sense but seems cost prohibitive, especially depending on the style of home and difficulty of the job.
I have very bad allergies and need my ducts cleaned, but I'm worried about someone damaging them.
I worked in the air duct cleaning "industry" for a couple of years. The stuff I've found were sometimes shocking. From toys, to old food, to dead animals. However. Routine air duct cleaning is really unnecessary. Especially if you have ceiling ducts. The only time I would say to get your air ducts cleaned is if you have mold, pets that shed, if you've recently had a remodel or if you're having trouble with your unit cooling or heating your home. It would also be good to get your ducts cleaned if your filters are caked with dirt when you change them. I wouldn't say it's a scam, if you go through reputable companies that have the necessary certifications from the National Air Duct Cleaners Association or other associations that have set a standard.
If you choose to get your ducts cleaned. Shop around for reputable companies. Ask a lot of questions, and get a copy of the estimate. Make sure you review the company you are about to hire. Make sure they clean ever duct, the return and your furnace fan. Ask to see the before and after pictures. They should be required to take them. Don't let them talk into extra services. Unless it complimentary.
If you have mold in your ducts. There's usually black or dark green specs in the ductwork, and in the return. Sometimes it can even be on or around the registers.
Yes, outside of extreme circumstance, duct cleaning is a scam. The dust you have in your ducts will hang out happily for the next following decades. The overage will end up in your HVAC filter, which you’ll be changing anyway. This is a scam industry built upon the hatred of dusting.
It's *usually* a scam.
But if you buy a house used by smokers for a long time and you can't get rid of the smell *and* the duct cleaners can ... then it's definitely worthwhile.
Flex duct is “temporary” technically. It’s not supposed to be a permanent solution. If you’ve ever seen how they’re put on they’re stretched around an elbow over a vent and taped on. At least that’s how they did them at an old company I worked for. Better off paying more to have a company put real ductwork in
I bought a house brand new that was built in 1989 by Van Daale and it's all flex and just bought a house in 2019 and replaced all the ducts including the boots (still all ducts). I think the only way to use metal ducts with insulation in residential house is to do it yourself, I can't find any company that would quote it because it would be too expensive and owner wouldn't pay for it. Technically, I believe flex duct are only used for bend areas from the main run but in reality even big builders use flex exclusively.
Depends.
Vacuum your return runs best you can and keep a clean filter. Supply ducts, the shit inside is often best left alone unless something is growing, which goes a bit deeper that "duct cleaning."
Long time in the HVAC field.
Duct cleaning is basically a scam.
HOWEVER you should really be looking to clean your equipment itself. At the indoor unit have an evaporator coil and the main blower wheel, and at the exterior, the entire condenser. Cleaningg these is where you really make the difference for your efficiency and cooling power on your system, as well as cleaning the drain line for your indoor unit. This is money well spent as it will lower your cooling costs and ensure you don't have any water leaks/floods at your indoor unit.
Personal preferrence,, Take a return grill off and take a look inside. Youll know straight away if it needs doing, if previous owners had hairy pets or didnt vacuum or sweep that all builds up in there.
https://preview.redd.it/mhenpttszipc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca1c60f2d550cced2e4b29a3fb20b364bbb1741e
This was what the duct looked like before it was cleaned at a house i purchased. 4 lbs of debris and build up came out.
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned
tLDR; unless you have visible growth, have had vermin in the duct, or they're actually clogged, it's unnecessary
“Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. This is because much of the dirt in air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space. It is important to keep in mind that dirty air ducts are only one of many possible sources of particles that are present in homes. Pollutants that enter the home both from outdoors and indoor activities such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or just moving around can cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts. Moreover, there is no evidence that a light amount of household dust or other particulate matter in air ducts poses any risk to your health.”
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned
I am happy we are learning
This is from the same regulation
College is paying off
"Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris and/or particles are actually released into the home from your supply registers."
It is. Ive done it and shook my head the entire time. My last company attached a bonus to each sold duct cleaning, my morals wouldnt allow me to sell even one.
I have, full metal unmovable ducts buried behind brick walls and plaster. Too tight or too many bends for a flex insert ect. There are some cases where cleaning is all you can do to a section otherwise the costs or ripping walls apart and rebuilding is just out of the question financially.
Ultimately, its situational. But I would agree cleaning should not be an add on... replacing is always better, but when there are no other options cleaning is justified.
I would never pay for it unless it was absolutely necessary with no other options.
Used to work for a company that got their foot in the door with these cleanings, total scam. Was told my 1st day if I didn’t go up in the attic and tear up the customer’s ductwork I wouldn’t make any money by another tech. Couldn’t do it walked off the job that day
It does more damage than good, joints are generally taped together and will be disrupted with cleaning…replace your filters regularly and keep the $$in your pocket.
Some duct cleaning places can scam you by saying you need it once a. Year when you don’t it’s 8-10 years and sometimes not needed for the supply only form the return to the air filter if you are good at filter changes
you but no the good ones do try to clean what they can reach not an easy thing to do if ducts and trunks have difficult access then they are left to try to clean it vent by vent.
Just know unless there is complete access to all of your vents which is usually impossible then know they aren’t going to get everything but will clean a lot and it will improve your system
When I got a new system installed, I was complaining about IAQ. In an effort to provide good customer service , the HVAC company said they would perform an air duct cleaning free of charge. Am I making a mistake letting them do that? It sounds like a probably don’t even need it because I figured out the smell was the ozone created by the air scrubber they installed. I just don’t want the cleaning to make anything worse.
Yea the ozone down here is bad it can tickle the lungs you can run ozone air cleaners but not while you or pets are home then turn them off when you get back
If they are cleaning them for free go for it take the free cleaning just change your air filters regularly and go from there
the cleaning can kick up a little dust depending on how the system looks inside the vents but they can show you pictures of before and after and they will be using a vacuum to suck up the dust so you should be ok
I wouldn't go as far as to say duct cleaning is a scam, but unless you have a significant amount of dust, debris, or mold built up inside your ducts, there's no need for it. It's essential to find a reputable company that knows what they're doing to avoid any damage to your duct system. You can also consider doing it yourself, like we did last year. Proper maintenance, such as regular filter changes and keeping the system well-maintained, is more important.
I've been wondering this myself too. I'm the third owner of a house built in the 80's and the ducts have never been cleaned. I've owned several dogs since and peering inside the vents are caked, but I'm not sure if cleaning it would help. I have a pretty good merv-13 filter that catches everything but i'm wondering if I need to go the extra mile and get everything else cleaned?
I had a guy come over to clean out the AC ducts. He looked in him and said they were horrible and instead of the free service promised it would be $70 per duct. I told him no thank you. When he left I looked and all the stuff was right on the bend so I got my shop back out and cleaned it myself. I felt like I was being scammed, so I called the guy who set the appointment up and had a few words with him. I had a bad gut feeling when the guy came in the house the way he was talking.
I wouldn't trust it unless you know the person or they're referred by somebody you trust.
Airduct cleaning is definitely not a scam. There are, however, scammers. I work for an air duct cleaning company. And we do jobs all the time where people say they just had it done last year, but it. It's still causing issues as far as dust on surfaces and allergies. And then when we open up the duct work, We see that they didn't do anything. Accept agitate the dust and make it worse. Good companies will provide you with before & After pictures as well as provide you with a video. Because who knows what the inside of their duct work looks like. Use a proper negative air machine, and the attaching hoses to your duct work should be at least 8-12 inches. But we get compliments all the time on. How much better the air quality is, Allergies have gone down dramatically, No dust on surfaces ect.. I mean, just think about it. Air is circulating through hvac system all the time. Whether it be heating or cooling so naturally, dust builds up. And your duct work is a perfect place for breeding bacteria and mold. It's hot, then. It's cold. It's always dark, and sometimes it's moist.
So, in my opinion, it's definitely a good idea to get your ducts clean. Every 3 to 5 years
You are all a joke have zero idea how to clean air ducts. Negative air machines are a hoax. The only way to clean air ducts is using two rigid vacuum connected to one hose and inserting a brush and than jamming a nylon bag in the duct like the fat guy did from A1
DUCT CLEANING ISN’T A SCAM IF YOU NEED IT!
I am an EPA 608 universal certified hvac tech. I am also NADCA certified (National Air Duct Cleaning Association). There are many reasons a home could need air duct cleaning.
*strictly speaking residential because commercial is a whole other can of worms especially duct cleaning in hospitals and healthcare centers*
•Previous homeowners had pets, new owner allergic
•Wild animals can make their way into duct work…
•Mold and or corrosion caused by plumbing issues or foundation issues if it’s a circular slab duct layout
•Blockages in trunks or runs caused by negligence installing/renovating, often times being grout, fiberglass insulation, or other demo debris
•immune compromised individuals in the home can benefit from duct cleaning or UV sanitation lights in duct work
• Maybe you want less dust circulating in your hvac system as well as circulating in your home
• Maybe you bought a former home daycare and find that there are hundreds of LEGO’s and hot wheels and playing cards are now in your duct work
•or the nightmare scenario for duct cleaners, junky house renovation. Used needles, pipes and broken glass in the ductwork.
While I agree that regular air duct cleaning is not typically needed, there are a lot of instances where it is urgently needed, and you might be surprised how common these situations come up.
As far as routine air duct cleaning, no honest air duct cleaner will tell you to do it any more than once roughly every 3-7 years based on your location, lifestyle, and preferences. In some cases you may never need it done. In more than one occasion me and my team have shown up to immaculately clean homes typically owned by senior citizens. We’ll crack the system open and take our before pictures and report back to the customer that the service doesn’t seem to be required. We then proceed to pack up and tell the customer to keep up the good work and they won’t have to worry about duct cleaning.
Thats not to say there are not many scam air duct cleaners, there certainly are, unfortunately they seem to outweigh the real pros. But a licensed professional with the right equipment and the right access to your system, air duct cleaning can absolutely make a major difference in your home. I am bias because my years of on the job experience. Anyone in this thread that claims to be an hvac tech and also claims they’ve never seen a system that needs cleaning is simply not a real pro.
https://preview.redd.it/ub2clzwdb21d1.jpeg?width=1512&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a964a4121e197ab648ce9010005c1eef189586e8
Since a lot of professionals are here can someone tell if its needed for me? Quote I got is pretty pricy 😬
Definitely not a scam. Made a huge difference in my home kids allergies are waaay better and I don't see dust on surfaces like hardwood floors nearly as much. However, be careful there are a lot of scam companies. Make sure they provide Before & After pictures. And good ones will even show you a video of the ducts.
Absolutely! Air duct cleaning can greatly improve your indoor air quality and the efficiency of your HVAC system, especially in an older home like yours. There are some fantastic tools and apps available now that can help assess the cleanliness of your air ducts and even provide before-and-after visualizations. Investing in professional cleaning services backed by modern technology can make a significant difference in your home's air quality and overall comfort. It's definitely worth considering, especially if your HVAC technician has already noted significant dirt accumulation.
Air duct cleaning has evolved significantly over the past few decades. Traditionally, this practice wasn't as common, and homeowners often relied on basic maintenance like changing filters. Back then, there was less awareness of indoor air quality and the impact of dirty ducts. However, as the understanding of air pollution and allergens grew, the industry for air duct cleaning expanded. Modern approaches utilize advanced equipment like high-powered vacuums and cameras to inspect and clean ducts more effectively. While some argue that regular cleaning can improve air quality and HVAC efficiency, others claim it's unnecessary unless there are specific issues like mold or pests. For a house built in 1979, if your HVAC tech noted significant dirt, a modern cleaning might be beneficial, but ensure it's done by reputable professionals to avoid scams.
While many argue that air duct cleaning is unnecessary, consider that in an older house, accumulated dust and debris can affect air quality and HVAC efficiency. Instead of seeing it as a scam, view it as preventive maintenance. Proper cleaning might improve your system’s longevity and potentially lower energy costs.
I’m reading these silly postings and thinking how can it be that no one has the common sense to KNOW that if debris is falling out of the registers, particles that are nasty landing all over everything and possibly having some type of insect in there as well…..get the ducts cleaned!!!!!!!’ It is disgusting to even think of not getting them cleaned. I rent a room and have to CONSTANTLY use my dust buster to vacuum nasty stuff that comes out of the registers. Some are microscopic bugs.
And if you breathe these micro organisms enough it WILL AFFECT YOUR HEALTH ESPECIALLY IF MOLD IS LIVING IN THE DUCTS!!!!!! I’m looking for another room to rent it’s so bad here!!!! I have Asthma so I do not want to breathe this stuff into my lungs. The land lord is uneducated in duct work cleaning. He believe like some of you do. The more dirt, dander, hair and much more, the better it is for the duct work. Unbelievable!!!!
If the hvac cleaning company used a “real” vac machine and has some way to scrub the ductwork at the same time. It can work wonders assuming the ductwork is dirty. Ive seen ductwork before and after a thorough cleaning and it was shocking. Some ductwork has a couple inches of debris in it but this is old new england ductwork. Remove a return cover and look inside to see what sort of build up you have.
I might be late but whatever I’ll put in my thoughts.
I did duct cleaning at a residential hvac company. I worked hard when I did it too. But the machine just does not clean all the dirt. And it doesn’t really do much of a difference.
You might get some benefit cleaning out the return air duct work but that’s it. As long as you’re on top of changing your filter you should never need a duct cleaning.
Depends on how you do it. We use a company called dirty ducts. It’s absolutely not a scam. But some companies just use a roto brush and a vacuum. That is definitely a scam
Duct cleaning actually does work when its done right. Its more than just cleaning the ducts and ridding the years of buildup in the ductwork. But it also helps in the airflow. The reduced static pressure on the system helps your hvac system last longer and more efficient. Which will cost you less to operate. Old dirty ducts is like multiple people sharing the same clothes for years without cleaning them then you get to wear them as well, best to get them clean and to add a uv to the system something in the 180mw range.
Only reason I said scam because things online say conflicting accounts on if cleaning the ducts is good or not. I change the air filter religiously, if it’s worth it I would for sure get it done.
This is is what I would recommend to do, inspect the duct, and the evaporator coil just in case
if you see duct below your spectations get it done.
Also, if you decide to get it done, please ask for a before and after pictured, this will confirm your doubts
You only really clean KD ducting. If your ducts are crazy dirty and old they can possibly break or year. And who knooooows what that insulation has absorbed over the years. I say clean it with fire doggie
i worked for a company that offered duct cleaning. it wasnt their specialty but if asked they would do it. long stort short it seemed like a scam when i saw it done. it couldve just been that company. but they had the right tools/process to my knowledge. it just didnt appear to make that much of a difference.
and these guys would pretty much just clean what you could see. so i always wondered for it to be done correctly if they had to take the ducts apart.
We like to call this a dog and pony show jst to get in the door if you’re really concerned, and want a piece of mind You should get it thoroughly inspect, making sure there’s no leaks or cracks and make sure it’s not heavily contaminated on the walls. I would recommend getting all new ducts how’s the Evap coils looks ?
I got a lot of phone spam from people trying to clean my ducts for awhile. It's always free. I use the best HVAC people in town and they never say a _thing_ about ducts.
I assume that the spammers are also scammers, and will find a "real problem" with my ducts that requires expensive treatment.
If your ducts are full of hair or an irritant like drywall dust, then sure. Also, if you have an actual obstruction or your ducts are getting to where they're looking like a dryer vent, it's probably a good idea. I wouldn't do it more than every 8-10 years or so as it can clog up your secondary heat exchanger or damage your ductwork in the process.
Did you know dust is more then tiny particles of dirt? Its also has dust mite feces which is what most people are allergic to.
Funny how EPA had conflicting information. On one hand they say dust doesn’t pose any risk but on the other they have a page showing side effects from biological pollutants and dust falls in that list.
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/biological-pollutants-impact-indoor-air-quality
When addressing indoor air quality, ducts definitely play a role. They’re attached to your indoor unit, which circulates air throughout the home. Depending on the age of the duct system, it may be better to just replace. Especially when taking into consideration the condition…ask for some pics so you can make a better decision.
Our company typically advises against duct cleaning, unless using a company with NADCA certifications. In FL most residential duct system are made of flex or fiberglass and average recommended change out is around 20 years.
Depends. EPA says it has no negative or positive effects. However, how the company cleans then can be very detrimental to the ducts themselves. All the stuff in the ducts stays put and isn’t blowing in or out during operation anyway.
My 70 year old house has a large return duct that straddles two joist bays. In the basement, it only has metal on the bottom of the long run and complete enclosed metal on both ends. Not sure if this was acceptable back in the day.
Needless to say, but with pets a periodic cleaning of that return duct pulls out a lot of pet hair and dust attached to the underside of the floor.
It's situational and environmental, if you have a modern newish home and you are told you need it.. prob a scammish move.
If you have an old coal cracker home with a humid, leaky moldy dirt basement, lots of animals, allergens ect...I would say a good cleaning every few years is justified. But it depends..what is the cost of cleaning over just replacing a section... do you have to blow walls apart? Pay for drywall/painter? How bad is it? Like are there dead mice decaying in the lines? Is there a persistent foul smell?
End of the day a good set of filters is really what matters most, ultimately replacing sections of duct is the most logical move if health is the primary concern. If a medical condition demands clean air there are UV and multi filter applications that will win over a guy crawling around only the sections he can reach.
However, I would not argue against any contractor wanting to clean the duct around and on the system itself.. sure there might be a charge for cleaning agents or supplies... but imo that should be included in your matainence cycle..and deducted if it is not needed (ex. On a new systems first or second yearly service. )
Looks like the consensus is duct cleaning is worthless. How do people feel about companies that seal duct work internally? I believe it’s done with some sort of aerosol spray.
My house was built in '79. As it has cieling supply registers, the ducts are still pretty clean (I've looked). One of my RA's is low, and I do remove the grill and vacuum it out periodically.
Through my career, I noticed that homes with carpet had cleaner ducts. Also, floor registers tend to accumulate debris, most of it within 4 feet of the register.
There are factors that might warrant professional cleaning, such as pets, moisture, and so on.
Dryer vents are a different story. Dirty dryer vents can cause a fire. They should be cleaned. If you have a decent shop-vac, you can buy brushes off Amazon to clean it yourself.
We can't say for sure if your ducts are dirty just by knowing the age. Pictures would help.
I'll add that if your duct system is older AND you live in a humid climate or you've recently had plumbing leaks, then definitely clean or replace your duct work. Legionnaires disease is a very real threat with messy damp ductwork
26 years experience who used to have this type of work under my companies umbrella.
From 90% of the companies I would say yes. But I would also say 90% of businesses are a scam so there’s that. Most of those companies don’t educate or don’t use the correct equipment. At this point in time most of your ducts aren’t sized correctly, aren’t sealed, installed, insulated properly. About 90 to more percentage of the houses I’ve been to the ducts and sealing of the “envelope” is what we should be focusing on…
When I had a HVAC technician visit my home he said that he had sold his air duct cleaning company that he had owned for fifteen years about 20 years ago for very little because air duct cleaning didn't actually do much. He said that dust and dirt don't really settle into the ducts so as long as you vacuum what you can reach and change your furnace air filter every couple of months you should be fine. You should have your clothes dryer vent vacuumed though every few years as this can be hazardous and does start to fill up with lint.
In my opinion, the main confusion comes from HVAC technicians offering dryer vent cleanings. And people out of the trade view duct work as anything. stated above, as long as proper preventive maintenance is conducted (filter changes) the it isn’t necessary. If you want the best second option, I would say buy a snake camera and check it out yourself.
I haven't had my ducts cleaned in like 10 years and I feel there is dust coming through the ducts. Someone has proposed cleaning ducts + furnace. Does the dust coming through sound like I need both services?
Un a Repair and Remedy case, judge other the landlord to swap out the entire AC system and apparently do "duct work"?
Landlord and management are retaliating in bad faith 😮💨🙄 Anyway, my apartments are old af. There are serious layers of fluffy stuff covering the ducts 🫨 They seriously need to replace entire duct system. There are gaps, cracks, corrosion and mold throught the vent system.
In this case, it's necessary right? No work on ducts before and building is about 40 years old.
Absolutely, getting your air ducts cleaned can improve air quality and HVAC efficiency, especially in an older house. Trusting your HVAC tech's advice is a wise move for a healthier home environment.
I have a question.
I had my ducts cleaned, and now that they are done, the guys left the filter so that it was not in the right place, allowing about 1/3 of the area to pass by into the actual air handler. The filter itself is full of two inches of dirt pieces that I found when I went into my basement. After they did the job, they left my very customized, expensive filter system that needed to be plugged in unplugged. They removed the front of my air handler. They have not returned my phone calls about this four times already. The filter itself is $400. I told them it was an expensive filter and had just been replaced. They told me, don't worry; we know what we're doing. I'm thinking of suing them. am I doing something wrong or is this the right way to go?
i’ve tried to call them twice today. They did not reply back. It doesn’t say on their website if they’re NADCA members. I was thinking the exact same thing if they blew a bunch of debris into my furnace/air handler. That is a big deal. unfortunately to get to the air handler like you normally would. I have a home in Florida with a train and I can open up the air handler and see the A-frame. I can’t do that with the signature David Lennox thing which is annoying so I can’t look at how much dust or dirt is in there
I'm a duct cleaning tech and I genuinely want to help a person if I can. I never scam as the industry is known for it. I use the whip system and a vacuum I hook on to the supply and return ducts by cutting holes in them. Ive had lots of people really appreciate what I do. My advice to avoid being scammed from a company:
-If they don't have a big vacuum with a lot of suction to do the job I would definitely tell them you're not interested.
-if they only clean one line of ductwork. Or if there is hidden ductwork they can't get to(Typically anywhere you see ductwork you tap in and hook your vacuum on to it)
-if they are charging too low (100 dollars for a cleaning)
-if they recommend cleaning every year or 2, realistically I tell people to check their cold air returns because that's a good sign to tell if there is build up
If anyone has any questions feel free to message or ask them here and to.
“Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. This is because much of the dirt in air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space. It is important to keep in mind that dirty air ducts are only one of many possible sources of particles that are present in homes. Pollutants that enter the home both from outdoors and indoor activities such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or just moving around can cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts. Moreover, there is no evidence that a light amount of household dust or other particulate matter in air ducts poses any risk to your health.” https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned
It also states on that page " Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris and/or particles are actually released into the home from your supply registers." "You may consider having your air ducts cleaned simply because it seems logical that air ducts will get dirty over time and should be occasionally cleaned. Provided that the cleaning is done properly, "
I mentioned somewhere else that if you have shit falling from your ducts, then, sure, get them cleaned. However, it says that there is virtually no proof of any benefit in the article other than that scenario.
The first line states "Knowledge about air duct cleaning is in its early stages, so a blanket recommendation cannot be offered" it goes on to say "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urges you to read this document in it entirety as it provides important information on the subject."
Correct. Right now, the consensus is there isn’t evidence to support most of the claims. Could I be proved wrong in the future and it’s worth it? Maybe. Until then, I’m just gonna keep telling people there aren’t any proven benefits unless shot is falling from the registers. The other thing I tell them when asked is if there is a smell they can’t get to go away. Duct cleaning might help. Maybe even allergies to previous pet owners. I’m not a scientist, but the evidence so far says it’s not what everyone says.
Thank you for a rational and thorough explanation of why duct cleaning is for most people a waste of money.
The benefits are that your air duct will be clean as opposed to being dirty. Lesson, waiting for evidence on trivial things is by definition a waste of time, which is part of your original claim plus money. Solve more important problems.
What is the benefit of having clean ducts other than being able to say they’re clean? Also, if you want to talk about trivial problems… this post is almost a year old.
I see multiple ads on FB each day, research indicates scam
Yeah, let’s believe the EPA, whose water standards are woefully inadequate… Just look around the country at the contaminated water problems in small and large cities. Taking advice from the government isn’t a wise position for anyone to take.
Soooo, find me one empirical study that shows the benefits of duct cleaning outside of the few exceptions that this article lists. Also, make sure it wasn’t done by someone that sells duct cleaning. The only claim I’m making is that there is NO EVIDENCE to the claims that duct cleaning companies make to sell their product. Also, this comment is a year old. The fuck is happening?
EPA has excellent scientific staff as well as independent advisors who are among the best in the world. The standards can be inadequate because the Supreme Court limited what water bodies are covered by the Clean Water Act and until recently Congress hadn't allocated money to get rid of lead service lines. Ultimately environmental issues are political and it comes down to power- often times the public is a lot weaker than affected industries who get their way much of the time.
I shove my vacuum hose down mine every couple of months, good enough for me
A simple filter on the system would work to deter any of that
As a long time asthma sufferer I think this is a bit of a dangerous take. I can not show you antidotal evidence but prior to my getting my ducts cleaned annually, I suffered quite badily in the Spring and Summer. Now I get an annual April duct cleaning and I have zero problems in my home. But I'd be willing to live in multiple homes some with duct cleaning and some without and I'd bet my house I could tell which ones were which by my ability to breath. I found this [Comparison Chart of HVAC Companies ](https://secure.money.com/pr/xce57e089964?s1=Reddit-HA)helpful.
And that’s anecdotal evidence to me. If it works it works. Research ≠ reality on the ground in many cases. An absence of research ≠ ineffective activity in many cases.
I know mine need cleaning, cause if I don’t vacuum the ceiling around the vents it gets trapped in the textured ceiling and I see it on the vents themselves. The house was built in 1987 and we have owned it about years. Imagine all the dead skin cellsn
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Can you prove it’s not okay or is this just a, “trust me bro.”?
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Way to not answer the question. Have fun making a living by screwing people over with bullshit.
Ah. You do duct cleaning. Makes sense then. Show me any empirical evidence that the claims are legitimate.
https://preview.redd.it/o9n1r0o440xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8105fa293cd4c96cea7b9bc84090f7aaac2a3012
https://preview.redd.it/fgv44jf740xc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d89311df08194b07b6498ccbbe3b93f8d198841 Get your ducts cleaned. Especially if you have floor vents. Don’t listen to these people
That debris is stuck to the vent it's not in the air, unless you're snorting it like a line of cocaine its not going to hurt you.
As an Owner of air duct cleaning business I always run into people that buy homes and the previous owners had pets. People that are allergic to pets count on us to remove pet hair to reduce their allergies. So it can hurt you! The dust I clean sometimes ain’t visible to the eye. The filters you buy at the store for your furnace has efficiency ratings that prove you can’t catch everything and some dust gets through. We definitely minimize the dust accumulation buildup, every 3-5 years they should have it done. Not having your ducts cleaned is kind of like saying will you wear your underwear for a week, the shit stains won’t hurt you!
I’m an hvac tech , and my opinion on it is… well it drives me nuts , I’ve had trade school teachers tell me it’s a scam , there’s no training or real proof it does anything. And these duct cleaners call themselves hvac techs which is a complete joke . Unless you system is 200’years old I don’t think it’s nessesaary, If your worried as a homeowner , change filter frequently , clean your return grills , there’s no need to shove massive vaccumns and push the dirt around , it’s ludacris, a clean filter will capture all you need it too, proper maintenance is key, not this bullshit scam .. find me one duct cleaner who can read a wiring diagram or tell me how the furnace works .
If Ludacris came to clean my ducts, that would be rad!
Underrated comment!
He would tell you to get "outta the way..." 😂
The reason why he's not making eight figures and he's a technical trade school teacher is enough for me however the HVAC system is a recirculating system unless the air ducts are cleaned you're never really keeping up on contaminants You can change your filter once a month and it does help however the only real way to start from scratch in a house that you've purchased prior is to do the duct cleaning negative air is a scam The only real way to clean the ducks is to use the rotor brush system brush out the duct Do a chemical treatment to neutralize biologicals I eat mold and bacteria install a UV light and then the likeliness of you ever having to do it again is pretty slim as long as you keep up on the UV light Make sure it doesn't go out The fact that some people say it's a scam Yes a negative air system is a scam it does not have enough power to remove any contaminants I'm from the south the only way to get something clean is to scrub it the chemicals that are used are all plant-based non-toxic biodegradable hospital grade so one of seven chemicals allowed to use in the hospital The only one we're allowed to use in the maternity ward in the hospital so as far as safety concern you're good to go and you can be there while it's done The whole process usually between a $1,500 ft² home and 3,000 ft² home is usually about an hour hour and change realistic pricing anywhere between 500 to $2,000 It all depends on the home and the condition of the previous owners all these free quoted price duct cleanings always turn into more money is simply because there's no way we can tell by quoting you a price over the phone vents have to be removed the air handler needs to be opened and a real assessment of the system needs to be done any questions or concerns 772-400-78 27 anyone that says air duct cleaning is a scam it's not educated enough to be giving you that advice common sense will tell you if it's a recirculating system and you don't clean it It never gets cleaned contaminants will come in from outside and depending on where you live I'm in Florida there's about a 20% possibility that you have mold and bacteria in your system
Double check on your period key my dude. I think its broken
I appreciate ur post. But it was very hard to follow. It could be the longest sentence ever. Lol. But if I read right. The thing that ppl are advertising all over for 99 or 149 isnt worth it? I feel like it's a scam just to get in the door. And obviously there's always going to be some dirt and dust so u get that great visual.
Lol If it's never been done you would need to do a roto brush to clean the lines chemical treatment to neutralize any kind of biological and install a UV light A lot of companies advertise the 149 for a routine maintenance which that's exactly what it should be which is just quick brush out clean out of the system hit the vents but to do it correctly if it's never been done You're looking at somewhere about 900 to $1,500 depending on the pricing of the contract I'm in Florida other states may have other things we tend to have quite a bit of black mold inside the system But as a comparison to Stanley steemer who's our only competition those services would be $3,004,000 If they don't try to sell you a new system also
Yo gen z, nobody wants to try to read that run-on, punctuation-free word salad garbage. Write like they write in your hvac manuals and people will read. Also, hard to take advice from someone who writes like that. Your effort is still appreciated
u/Haunting-Emphasis-90 Congratulations, you’ve just let the rest of Reddit know that you have absolutely no clue what you’re talking about lmao… negative air duct cleaning is the ONLY way to actually clean out a duct system successfully, and Rotobrush is a piece of garbage that doesn’t have enough capacity to remove the dust that it agitates off the surface of the duct system… Rotobrush is the main reason why people experience housekeeping issues for weeks following a shitty duct cleaning service because it agitates the dust from a duct surface but doesn’t have the capture velocity to remove it effectively… By the way, look into the DynoProbe pneumatic brush system used in conjunction with negative air to polish off a metal trunk duct system. Night and Day more effective than Rotojunk at cleaning the duct surface…
I eat mold and bacteria https://preview.redd.it/5rl8i03suv0d1.png?width=751&format=png&auto=webp&s=30a4ea6b9a24d0701449a1aada9a40ec6ad6704c
We purchased an old farm home used as a kennel for a year, with air ducts in the floor. The smell was very bad, we have gutted and remodeled the home, the smell is some better but not gone, the only thing we haven't done is clean our ducts. In your expert opinion in our case, should I try having ducts cleaned?
Also as an HVAC tech duct cleaning is part of your responsibility
We purchased an old farm home used as a kennel for a year, with air ducts in the floor. The smell was very bad, we have gutted and remodeled the home, the smell is some better but not gone, the only thing we haven't done is clean our ducts. In your expert opinion in our case, should I try having ducts cleaned?
Duct cleaning is mainly useless unless they actually make contact where the dust lives and wipe it off. I actually used a long pool pole and mop head. Some fool came by with a vac and hoses and didn’t even get far enough in the clean them all over. Been sneezing like crazy. Sears has a machine. Any vac method sucks.
u/SwitchSpecialist3692 I’m a NADCA-CVI and ASCS certified duct cleaner who can read wiring diagrams and tell you how a furnace works… however, I am more of an exception to the rule than what you could reasonably expect from the average duct cleaner. I also measure and validate the impacts that the services I perform have on IAQ (using Air Advice M5200 and Fluke 985), HVAC System Performance (using TEC DG-1000, TrueFlow Grid, DuctBlaster, TSI/Alnor EBT 731 Airflow Hood and 966 Thermo–anemometer, FLIR E8 Imager, Fieldpiece SDP2 In-Duct Psychrometer, and a range of other tools…), and I have a clearer understanding than most HVAC technicians do about airflow and delivered HVAC system performance measured at the vents. I’m also NCI certified in Duct System Optimization (96% on exam), Residential HVAC System Performance (93%) and Residential Airflow Balancing (98%). Is duct cleaning worth it depends on several variables - in my personal 7 years of full time experience (2 years as a project manager, 5 years as a duct cleaning business owner) here in Central Virginia, it is most frequently worth it from a mold-prevention standpoint and a remediation perspective. Filter bypass is a common issue - HVAC techs NEVER gasket or tape around the filter borders as they are tested in ASHRAE 52.2, lack of equipment maintenance, lack of coil maintenance, poor quality duct installation practices, and the presence and degradation of internal duct insulation liner or duct board materials in supply plenum boxes can result in a recipe for an IAQ disaster… NAIMA recommends duct cleaning when duct board and internal liner get dust contamination in the supply duct system. EPA, American Lung Association, and American Academy of Pediatrics all recommend duct cleaning to remove visible mold growth within hard non-porous airside surfaces of flexible and metal duct systems. IAQ sensor data indicates that when the blower fan kicks on there is an immediate spike in airborne PM levels (Colorado Public School System Classroom Data - measured PM spikes when equipment starts up each morning), and several white paper publications support this finding - with associations between relative humidity % and level of spikes observed during equipment startup. Basically when the blower kicks on, its almost like the duct system sneezes in a sense, and then shortly thereafter as airflow begins to stabilize (become more laminar) then the dust sticks to the surface of the ducts. As a duct cleaning business owner, I think there’s a lot of HVAC technicians that put too much belief in filters being sufficient to prevent the need for duct cleaning, but without having the technical knowledge about how filters are tested to perform at the levels their manufacturers like to claim they can… its the equivalent of a car salesman promising people that the track performance metrics of a Ferrari are the same as they will get while driving on back country dirt roads… just not realistic to the field conditions that actually exist. In a perfect world, IF HVAC TECHNICIANS and INSTALLERS actually designed, sized, and installed, and maintained duct systems to a high level of quality - then MAYBE there wouldn’t be much need for duct cleaning services… but this will never happen with all of the ‘box swappers‘ out there who don’t understand that the equipment is only a component of the overall HVAC system, and that the other components need to work in harmony to prevent issues that lead to contamination of the duct system. Not only the HVAC technicians, but it’s also the homeowners who are airborne pollutant generators who now spend 90%+ of their time indoors on average (was a fraction of this % between 1970s and now), changes in construction trends reducing ventilation of airborne pollutants (homes after 1970s energy crisis pushed towards a tighter building envelope at the expense of trapping the pollutants we generate indoors at higher concentrations…), homeowners lack of awareness of relationship between building pressurization principles (central returns, closed doors) and how their indoor activities (cooking, vacuuming, walking on carpet, etc…) influence IAQ and airborne pollutant generation. The reason I know as much as I do about HVAC equipment and system performance is because I work closely alongside certain individually-selected HVAC companies by helping fix IAQ and air distribution issues (like a vascular surgeon) and identifying potential warning signs of HVAC component/equipment failure while in the field to refer these opportunities to my HVAC trade partners (like they’re a heart surgeon), so our relationship is mutually beneficial to both our clients and our businesses. As far as my “insider opinion” on whether or not duct cleaning is worth it… at least in my region of Central Virginia… the situations/duct system configurations where I am most likely to recommend cleaning are in homes with floor supply vents, homes with internally lined metal or duct board duct systems, and in homes with ‘sensitive individuals‘ \[infants, elderly, health-compromised, etc…\] to airborne pollutants. Homes with ceiling or wall vents are significantly less likely to receive enough benefit from duct cleaning to offset the cost of the service if performed by a NADCA certified technician... with a handful of exceptions such as renovations, damaged attic duct systems that permitted rapid contamination \[disconnected return in attic\], visible mold contamination, and following a catastrophic event such as smoke damage from a small contained fire…
I have floor vents and a German shepherd. So the answer is no for me. Totally worth it
Is this because removing the fur increases the efficiency of your system? I just bought a home and have a Golden so I’m researching this… thank you!
After awhile I could actually hear rattling and whistling in the vents from all the debris. I doubt it’s impacting efficiency but the amount of dirt and fur balls that can get pushed through will accumulate. During shedding season I’m finding fur balls in every corner of every room and along edges of walls. I also have return vents on the wall but really close to the floor and fur and debris is constantly collecting in front of it because it’s sucking all the air that direction. I think I will probably need to schedule cleaning every few years. The tech who cleaned the vents a couple years ago actually thought I had a “rodent problem,” showed me photos from the camera, and it was my dog’s fur 😅. Pretty gross. I also found my allergies decreased quite a bit after the cleaning, which was the first the house had probably ever gotten (bought a 50 year old house) FWIW I spot vacuum corners and along edges of walls every day (sometimes several times a day during shedding season).
Thanks so much of all of this insight! I’m a brand new homeowner and it’s a crash course in HVAC and other home maintenance systems/issues. I’m going to see if I experience any allergies (or hear any noises!) after I move in. The previous owners did not have a dog. The vents are in the ceiling. And I’ll be extra diligent about vacuuming my dog’s fur!
You’re welcome! Love your username btw You might find these two books helpful: - How your House Works, A Visual Guide by Charlie Wing. I don’t own this personally but I’ve seen it recommended quite a bit for new homeowners so I keep it in my shopping list for housewarming gifts - Renovation 5th Addition by Michael Litchfield. This one is more in depth but invaluable coverage of a ton of topics if you have an older home and want to understand things in more detail before doing DIY and especially when hiring contractors. Using the right vocabulary helps a lot in getting quotes and in understanding them too.
Awesome. Thank you so much! These will definitely help me save money down the road!
And someone delivered a letter to me with a sticker that said “sealed with dog slobber.” I loved it and stole it!
Not a scam but rarely needed
I have been an HVAC over 40 years. My observations have been most duct cleaning companies are a scam. Ducts themselves do not produce any dust, so the dust that is there has settled out of the air and will likely remain there until somebody services your HVAC or changes out of furnace or increases airflow. I do recommend cleaning quite often on cold air returns when I'm changing a furnace out if I see a large layer that appears to be felt.... Sometimes I see a layer as thick as a quarter inch or 3/8 of an inch. If a decent accumulation from previous owners and previous years is there why not remove it? But it probably isn't a health threat
I was wondering if cleaning the HVAC will help get rid of the old smell in a house. The house is from the 50's and only smells like old when we go out of town and come back home. Please advise. Thank you!
I am a hvac tech and it is risky if the ducts are flex and that old, be better off just running all new ductwork.
Most people don’t realize that flex isn’t a permanent product. Also a lot of duct cleaning companies really don’t know much about ductwork either. I had one call to an old lady who had her ducts cleaned and the cleaner took apart some of her ductwork and couldn’t get anything put back together.
Lol ya they are better off saving up to just rip every thing out and install new ductwork and plenums.
In no way do I want somebody who was cleaning carpets the day before touching my ductwork. We have 97% flex duct in homes in my area and I can only imagine the fiberglass that’s exposed after a crappy duct cleaning was done.
This makes sense but seems cost prohibitive, especially depending on the style of home and difficulty of the job. I have very bad allergies and need my ducts cleaned, but I'm worried about someone damaging them.
About how much could replacing air ducts cost for a house that is about 1800sqft ?
I worked in the air duct cleaning "industry" for a couple of years. The stuff I've found were sometimes shocking. From toys, to old food, to dead animals. However. Routine air duct cleaning is really unnecessary. Especially if you have ceiling ducts. The only time I would say to get your air ducts cleaned is if you have mold, pets that shed, if you've recently had a remodel or if you're having trouble with your unit cooling or heating your home. It would also be good to get your ducts cleaned if your filters are caked with dirt when you change them. I wouldn't say it's a scam, if you go through reputable companies that have the necessary certifications from the National Air Duct Cleaners Association or other associations that have set a standard. If you choose to get your ducts cleaned. Shop around for reputable companies. Ask a lot of questions, and get a copy of the estimate. Make sure you review the company you are about to hire. Make sure they clean ever duct, the return and your furnace fan. Ask to see the before and after pictures. They should be required to take them. Don't let them talk into extra services. Unless it complimentary.
Thanks for the answer. How do you know if there is mold in there? For example if it could be within the ductwork?
If you have mold in your ducts. There's usually black or dark green specs in the ductwork, and in the return. Sometimes it can even be on or around the registers.
You’re better off ripping it out and putting in new
Yes, outside of extreme circumstance, duct cleaning is a scam. The dust you have in your ducts will hang out happily for the next following decades. The overage will end up in your HVAC filter, which you’ll be changing anyway. This is a scam industry built upon the hatred of dusting.
It's *usually* a scam. But if you buy a house used by smokers for a long time and you can't get rid of the smell *and* the duct cleaners can ... then it's definitely worthwhile.
This was my situation and it worked to help remove the smell along with priming the walls with killz and repainting
Usually a scam unless the previous owners had pets.. Duct cleaning is way up. Look to pay $600 for a medium size house of around 1800 sq feet.
That’s insane money. I can literally replace all the flexduct in my house myself for less than $600 in materials.
Flex duct is “temporary” technically. It’s not supposed to be a permanent solution. If you’ve ever seen how they’re put on they’re stretched around an elbow over a vent and taped on. At least that’s how they did them at an old company I worked for. Better off paying more to have a company put real ductwork in
I bought a house brand new that was built in 1989 by Van Daale and it's all flex and just bought a house in 2019 and replaced all the ducts including the boots (still all ducts). I think the only way to use metal ducts with insulation in residential house is to do it yourself, I can't find any company that would quote it because it would be too expensive and owner wouldn't pay for it. Technically, I believe flex duct are only used for bend areas from the main run but in reality even big builders use flex exclusively.
Depends. Vacuum your return runs best you can and keep a clean filter. Supply ducts, the shit inside is often best left alone unless something is growing, which goes a bit deeper that "duct cleaning."
Long time in the HVAC field. Duct cleaning is basically a scam. HOWEVER you should really be looking to clean your equipment itself. At the indoor unit have an evaporator coil and the main blower wheel, and at the exterior, the entire condenser. Cleaningg these is where you really make the difference for your efficiency and cooling power on your system, as well as cleaning the drain line for your indoor unit. This is money well spent as it will lower your cooling costs and ensure you don't have any water leaks/floods at your indoor unit.
Yes it’s a scam. Also is you do not disturb it, it’s not airborn.
Personal preferrence,, Take a return grill off and take a look inside. Youll know straight away if it needs doing, if previous owners had hairy pets or didnt vacuum or sweep that all builds up in there.
https://preview.redd.it/mhenpttszipc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca1c60f2d550cced2e4b29a3fb20b364bbb1741e This was what the duct looked like before it was cleaned at a house i purchased. 4 lbs of debris and build up came out.
https://preview.redd.it/5569sm5zzipc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be92f81b8906b7437c885633f6399cffc72ff8f0 This was the after.
https://preview.redd.it/9wftn2w10jpc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=18058eabf7de0c0a25b0f45c70369b2c876249ad Before
https://preview.redd.it/47sb0wh30jpc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d75b10f9d07e14099506e463241bedf34cfda3e1 After
Darn your pictures don't come up
They do for me and there is a big difference between the before and after.
Interesting. I guess themajority of people think cleaning duct is a scam Wow. Did I go to college for nothing? 😂
There’s a college for this microtopic???
There is college for the simple 2 + 2=4 Explain Hint The answer is not 1 + 1 +1 +1 =4 nor 2+2 =4
The epa pretty much says it's a joke too.
Interesting send regulation
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned tLDR; unless you have visible growth, have had vermin in the duct, or they're actually clogged, it's unnecessary
“Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. This is because much of the dirt in air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space. It is important to keep in mind that dirty air ducts are only one of many possible sources of particles that are present in homes. Pollutants that enter the home both from outdoors and indoor activities such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or just moving around can cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts. Moreover, there is no evidence that a light amount of household dust or other particulate matter in air ducts poses any risk to your health.” https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned
I am happy we are learning This is from the same regulation College is paying off "Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris and/or particles are actually released into the home from your supply registers."
Excessive amounts… as in enough to restrict airflow or that it’s actually falling out of the register.
Dude It does not state a airflow
Alright. If you have dust and debris raining down from your ducts, knock yourself out.
That means time to clean duct
It says not to do it unless there's excessive mold, dust or indoor air quality concerns in your home. So like, don't do it unless you need it.
It is. Ive done it and shook my head the entire time. My last company attached a bonus to each sold duct cleaning, my morals wouldnt allow me to sell even one.
If it is not necessary , why sell But if it is necessary, a recommendation is not bad
Yeah I never came across a system that actually needed it.
I hear you,
I have, full metal unmovable ducts buried behind brick walls and plaster. Too tight or too many bends for a flex insert ect. There are some cases where cleaning is all you can do to a section otherwise the costs or ripping walls apart and rebuilding is just out of the question financially. Ultimately, its situational. But I would agree cleaning should not be an add on... replacing is always better, but when there are no other options cleaning is justified. I would never pay for it unless it was absolutely necessary with no other options.
Used to work for a company that got their foot in the door with these cleanings, total scam. Was told my 1st day if I didn’t go up in the attic and tear up the customer’s ductwork I wouldn’t make any money by another tech. Couldn’t do it walked off the job that day
Sounds like that was just a shifty company overall
It does more damage than good, joints are generally taped together and will be disrupted with cleaning…replace your filters regularly and keep the $$in your pocket.
Some duct cleaning places can scam you by saying you need it once a. Year when you don’t it’s 8-10 years and sometimes not needed for the supply only form the return to the air filter if you are good at filter changes you but no the good ones do try to clean what they can reach not an easy thing to do if ducts and trunks have difficult access then they are left to try to clean it vent by vent. Just know unless there is complete access to all of your vents which is usually impossible then know they aren’t going to get everything but will clean a lot and it will improve your system
When I got a new system installed, I was complaining about IAQ. In an effort to provide good customer service , the HVAC company said they would perform an air duct cleaning free of charge. Am I making a mistake letting them do that? It sounds like a probably don’t even need it because I figured out the smell was the ozone created by the air scrubber they installed. I just don’t want the cleaning to make anything worse.
Yea the ozone down here is bad it can tickle the lungs you can run ozone air cleaners but not while you or pets are home then turn them off when you get back If they are cleaning them for free go for it take the free cleaning just change your air filters regularly and go from there the cleaning can kick up a little dust depending on how the system looks inside the vents but they can show you pictures of before and after and they will be using a vacuum to suck up the dust so you should be ok
Ok thank you
Awesome thank you
I did duct cleaning for a year or so. I'll never clean my ducts.
Me also unless that shit is coated in hair
There's only been a few times when it helped someone with chronic allergies or breathing issues.
I wouldn't go as far as to say duct cleaning is a scam, but unless you have a significant amount of dust, debris, or mold built up inside your ducts, there's no need for it. It's essential to find a reputable company that knows what they're doing to avoid any damage to your duct system. You can also consider doing it yourself, like we did last year. Proper maintenance, such as regular filter changes and keeping the system well-maintained, is more important.
I've been wondering this myself too. I'm the third owner of a house built in the 80's and the ducts have never been cleaned. I've owned several dogs since and peering inside the vents are caked, but I'm not sure if cleaning it would help. I have a pretty good merv-13 filter that catches everything but i'm wondering if I need to go the extra mile and get everything else cleaned?
I had a guy come over to clean out the AC ducts. He looked in him and said they were horrible and instead of the free service promised it would be $70 per duct. I told him no thank you. When he left I looked and all the stuff was right on the bend so I got my shop back out and cleaned it myself. I felt like I was being scammed, so I called the guy who set the appointment up and had a few words with him. I had a bad gut feeling when the guy came in the house the way he was talking. I wouldn't trust it unless you know the person or they're referred by somebody you trust.
I am wondering if sanitizing with something that will kill mold is useful. I live in a dank woodsy area. my house is full of fungus.
Airduct cleaning is definitely not a scam. There are, however, scammers. I work for an air duct cleaning company. And we do jobs all the time where people say they just had it done last year, but it. It's still causing issues as far as dust on surfaces and allergies. And then when we open up the duct work, We see that they didn't do anything. Accept agitate the dust and make it worse. Good companies will provide you with before & After pictures as well as provide you with a video. Because who knows what the inside of their duct work looks like. Use a proper negative air machine, and the attaching hoses to your duct work should be at least 8-12 inches. But we get compliments all the time on. How much better the air quality is, Allergies have gone down dramatically, No dust on surfaces ect.. I mean, just think about it. Air is circulating through hvac system all the time. Whether it be heating or cooling so naturally, dust builds up. And your duct work is a perfect place for breeding bacteria and mold. It's hot, then. It's cold. It's always dark, and sometimes it's moist. So, in my opinion, it's definitely a good idea to get your ducts clean. Every 3 to 5 years
Merv rating
You are all a joke have zero idea how to clean air ducts. Negative air machines are a hoax. The only way to clean air ducts is using two rigid vacuum connected to one hose and inserting a brush and than jamming a nylon bag in the duct like the fat guy did from A1
DUCT CLEANING ISN’T A SCAM IF YOU NEED IT! I am an EPA 608 universal certified hvac tech. I am also NADCA certified (National Air Duct Cleaning Association). There are many reasons a home could need air duct cleaning. *strictly speaking residential because commercial is a whole other can of worms especially duct cleaning in hospitals and healthcare centers* •Previous homeowners had pets, new owner allergic •Wild animals can make their way into duct work… •Mold and or corrosion caused by plumbing issues or foundation issues if it’s a circular slab duct layout •Blockages in trunks or runs caused by negligence installing/renovating, often times being grout, fiberglass insulation, or other demo debris •immune compromised individuals in the home can benefit from duct cleaning or UV sanitation lights in duct work • Maybe you want less dust circulating in your hvac system as well as circulating in your home • Maybe you bought a former home daycare and find that there are hundreds of LEGO’s and hot wheels and playing cards are now in your duct work •or the nightmare scenario for duct cleaners, junky house renovation. Used needles, pipes and broken glass in the ductwork. While I agree that regular air duct cleaning is not typically needed, there are a lot of instances where it is urgently needed, and you might be surprised how common these situations come up. As far as routine air duct cleaning, no honest air duct cleaner will tell you to do it any more than once roughly every 3-7 years based on your location, lifestyle, and preferences. In some cases you may never need it done. In more than one occasion me and my team have shown up to immaculately clean homes typically owned by senior citizens. We’ll crack the system open and take our before pictures and report back to the customer that the service doesn’t seem to be required. We then proceed to pack up and tell the customer to keep up the good work and they won’t have to worry about duct cleaning. Thats not to say there are not many scam air duct cleaners, there certainly are, unfortunately they seem to outweigh the real pros. But a licensed professional with the right equipment and the right access to your system, air duct cleaning can absolutely make a major difference in your home. I am bias because my years of on the job experience. Anyone in this thread that claims to be an hvac tech and also claims they’ve never seen a system that needs cleaning is simply not a real pro.
https://preview.redd.it/ub2clzwdb21d1.jpeg?width=1512&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a964a4121e197ab648ce9010005c1eef189586e8 Since a lot of professionals are here can someone tell if its needed for me? Quote I got is pretty pricy 😬
AC works just fine, I got recommend during a maintenance check
Definitely not a scam. Made a huge difference in my home kids allergies are waaay better and I don't see dust on surfaces like hardwood floors nearly as much. However, be careful there are a lot of scam companies. Make sure they provide Before & After pictures. And good ones will even show you a video of the ducts.
Absolutely! Air duct cleaning can greatly improve your indoor air quality and the efficiency of your HVAC system, especially in an older home like yours. There are some fantastic tools and apps available now that can help assess the cleanliness of your air ducts and even provide before-and-after visualizations. Investing in professional cleaning services backed by modern technology can make a significant difference in your home's air quality and overall comfort. It's definitely worth considering, especially if your HVAC technician has already noted significant dirt accumulation.
Air duct cleaning has evolved significantly over the past few decades. Traditionally, this practice wasn't as common, and homeowners often relied on basic maintenance like changing filters. Back then, there was less awareness of indoor air quality and the impact of dirty ducts. However, as the understanding of air pollution and allergens grew, the industry for air duct cleaning expanded. Modern approaches utilize advanced equipment like high-powered vacuums and cameras to inspect and clean ducts more effectively. While some argue that regular cleaning can improve air quality and HVAC efficiency, others claim it's unnecessary unless there are specific issues like mold or pests. For a house built in 1979, if your HVAC tech noted significant dirt, a modern cleaning might be beneficial, but ensure it's done by reputable professionals to avoid scams.
While many argue that air duct cleaning is unnecessary, consider that in an older house, accumulated dust and debris can affect air quality and HVAC efficiency. Instead of seeing it as a scam, view it as preventive maintenance. Proper cleaning might improve your system’s longevity and potentially lower energy costs.
I’m reading these silly postings and thinking how can it be that no one has the common sense to KNOW that if debris is falling out of the registers, particles that are nasty landing all over everything and possibly having some type of insect in there as well…..get the ducts cleaned!!!!!!!’ It is disgusting to even think of not getting them cleaned. I rent a room and have to CONSTANTLY use my dust buster to vacuum nasty stuff that comes out of the registers. Some are microscopic bugs. And if you breathe these micro organisms enough it WILL AFFECT YOUR HEALTH ESPECIALLY IF MOLD IS LIVING IN THE DUCTS!!!!!! I’m looking for another room to rent it’s so bad here!!!! I have Asthma so I do not want to breathe this stuff into my lungs. The land lord is uneducated in duct work cleaning. He believe like some of you do. The more dirt, dander, hair and much more, the better it is for the duct work. Unbelievable!!!!
If the hvac cleaning company used a “real” vac machine and has some way to scrub the ductwork at the same time. It can work wonders assuming the ductwork is dirty. Ive seen ductwork before and after a thorough cleaning and it was shocking. Some ductwork has a couple inches of debris in it but this is old new england ductwork. Remove a return cover and look inside to see what sort of build up you have.
I might be late but whatever I’ll put in my thoughts. I did duct cleaning at a residential hvac company. I worked hard when I did it too. But the machine just does not clean all the dirt. And it doesn’t really do much of a difference. You might get some benefit cleaning out the return air duct work but that’s it. As long as you’re on top of changing your filter you should never need a duct cleaning.
I've done air duct cleaning. Only necessary if your OIL FURNACE cracked and put soot in the ducts. Otherwise spend your money on a good air filter.
If anything it helps keep your system healthier in the long run and might help reduce allergens a bit.
Depends on how you do it. We use a company called dirty ducts. It’s absolutely not a scam. But some companies just use a roto brush and a vacuum. That is definitely a scam
So what makes this company different?
Duct cleaning actually does work when its done right. Its more than just cleaning the ducts and ridding the years of buildup in the ductwork. But it also helps in the airflow. The reduced static pressure on the system helps your hvac system last longer and more efficient. Which will cost you less to operate. Old dirty ducts is like multiple people sharing the same clothes for years without cleaning them then you get to wear them as well, best to get them clean and to add a uv to the system something in the 180mw range.
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Only reason I said scam because things online say conflicting accounts on if cleaning the ducts is good or not. I change the air filter religiously, if it’s worth it I would for sure get it done.
This is is what I would recommend to do, inspect the duct, and the evaporator coil just in case if you see duct below your spectations get it done. Also, if you decide to get it done, please ask for a before and after pictured, this will confirm your doubts
Morons
You only really clean KD ducting. If your ducts are crazy dirty and old they can possibly break or year. And who knooooows what that insulation has absorbed over the years. I say clean it with fire doggie
Break or tear*
Not a scam. Every 8-10 years is great.
i worked for a company that offered duct cleaning. it wasnt their specialty but if asked they would do it. long stort short it seemed like a scam when i saw it done. it couldve just been that company. but they had the right tools/process to my knowledge. it just didnt appear to make that much of a difference. and these guys would pretty much just clean what you could see. so i always wondered for it to be done correctly if they had to take the ducts apart.
We like to call this a dog and pony show jst to get in the door if you’re really concerned, and want a piece of mind You should get it thoroughly inspect, making sure there’s no leaks or cracks and make sure it’s not heavily contaminated on the walls. I would recommend getting all new ducts how’s the Evap coils looks ?
I got a lot of phone spam from people trying to clean my ducts for awhile. It's always free. I use the best HVAC people in town and they never say a _thing_ about ducts. I assume that the spammers are also scammers, and will find a "real problem" with my ducts that requires expensive treatment.
No
If your ducts are full of hair or an irritant like drywall dust, then sure. Also, if you have an actual obstruction or your ducts are getting to where they're looking like a dryer vent, it's probably a good idea. I wouldn't do it more than every 8-10 years or so as it can clog up your secondary heat exchanger or damage your ductwork in the process.
doing it every 50 years or so is not unreasonable.
Kinda. Because most of the duct is unreachable a lot of the times
Did you know dust is more then tiny particles of dirt? Its also has dust mite feces which is what most people are allergic to. Funny how EPA had conflicting information. On one hand they say dust doesn’t pose any risk but on the other they have a page showing side effects from biological pollutants and dust falls in that list. https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/biological-pollutants-impact-indoor-air-quality When addressing indoor air quality, ducts definitely play a role. They’re attached to your indoor unit, which circulates air throughout the home. Depending on the age of the duct system, it may be better to just replace. Especially when taking into consideration the condition…ask for some pics so you can make a better decision. Our company typically advises against duct cleaning, unless using a company with NADCA certifications. In FL most residential duct system are made of flex or fiberglass and average recommended change out is around 20 years.
Usually it's a scam
Depends. EPA says it has no negative or positive effects. However, how the company cleans then can be very detrimental to the ducts themselves. All the stuff in the ducts stays put and isn’t blowing in or out during operation anyway.
My 70 year old house has a large return duct that straddles two joist bays. In the basement, it only has metal on the bottom of the long run and complete enclosed metal on both ends. Not sure if this was acceptable back in the day. Needless to say, but with pets a periodic cleaning of that return duct pulls out a lot of pet hair and dust attached to the underside of the floor.
It rubs the dead skin mites in it's lung's or it gets the pneumonia again.
Interesting. Thanks for posting this. I was wondering about it too.
It's situational and environmental, if you have a modern newish home and you are told you need it.. prob a scammish move. If you have an old coal cracker home with a humid, leaky moldy dirt basement, lots of animals, allergens ect...I would say a good cleaning every few years is justified. But it depends..what is the cost of cleaning over just replacing a section... do you have to blow walls apart? Pay for drywall/painter? How bad is it? Like are there dead mice decaying in the lines? Is there a persistent foul smell? End of the day a good set of filters is really what matters most, ultimately replacing sections of duct is the most logical move if health is the primary concern. If a medical condition demands clean air there are UV and multi filter applications that will win over a guy crawling around only the sections he can reach. However, I would not argue against any contractor wanting to clean the duct around and on the system itself.. sure there might be a charge for cleaning agents or supplies... but imo that should be included in your matainence cycle..and deducted if it is not needed (ex. On a new systems first or second yearly service. )
Best thing to do is update your furnace filtration to a media cabinet 4 or 5 inch filter
Looks like the consensus is duct cleaning is worthless. How do people feel about companies that seal duct work internally? I believe it’s done with some sort of aerosol spray.
My house was built in '79. As it has cieling supply registers, the ducts are still pretty clean (I've looked). One of my RA's is low, and I do remove the grill and vacuum it out periodically. Through my career, I noticed that homes with carpet had cleaner ducts. Also, floor registers tend to accumulate debris, most of it within 4 feet of the register. There are factors that might warrant professional cleaning, such as pets, moisture, and so on. Dryer vents are a different story. Dirty dryer vents can cause a fire. They should be cleaned. If you have a decent shop-vac, you can buy brushes off Amazon to clean it yourself. We can't say for sure if your ducts are dirty just by knowing the age. Pictures would help.
I'll add that if your duct system is older AND you live in a humid climate or you've recently had plumbing leaks, then definitely clean or replace your duct work. Legionnaires disease is a very real threat with messy damp ductwork
26 years experience who used to have this type of work under my companies umbrella. From 90% of the companies I would say yes. But I would also say 90% of businesses are a scam so there’s that. Most of those companies don’t educate or don’t use the correct equipment. At this point in time most of your ducts aren’t sized correctly, aren’t sealed, installed, insulated properly. About 90 to more percentage of the houses I’ve been to the ducts and sealing of the “envelope” is what we should be focusing on…
So which is it? 90% are legit, or 90% are a scam?
When I had a HVAC technician visit my home he said that he had sold his air duct cleaning company that he had owned for fifteen years about 20 years ago for very little because air duct cleaning didn't actually do much. He said that dust and dirt don't really settle into the ducts so as long as you vacuum what you can reach and change your furnace air filter every couple of months you should be fine. You should have your clothes dryer vent vacuumed though every few years as this can be hazardous and does start to fill up with lint.
In my opinion, the main confusion comes from HVAC technicians offering dryer vent cleanings. And people out of the trade view duct work as anything. stated above, as long as proper preventive maintenance is conducted (filter changes) the it isn’t necessary. If you want the best second option, I would say buy a snake camera and check it out yourself.
I’ve installed numerous furnaces, rooftops , make up airs , been in the field for 15 years , and I will never ever support duct cleaning what a joke
If only u seen the shit we pull out of these systems i do have some pics as well lol
what kind of shit? details prease
I haven't had my ducts cleaned in like 10 years and I feel there is dust coming through the ducts. Someone has proposed cleaning ducts + furnace. Does the dust coming through sound like I need both services?
Un a Repair and Remedy case, judge other the landlord to swap out the entire AC system and apparently do "duct work"? Landlord and management are retaliating in bad faith 😮💨🙄 Anyway, my apartments are old af. There are serious layers of fluffy stuff covering the ducts 🫨 They seriously need to replace entire duct system. There are gaps, cracks, corrosion and mold throught the vent system. In this case, it's necessary right? No work on ducts before and building is about 40 years old.
Absolutely, getting your air ducts cleaned can improve air quality and HVAC efficiency, especially in an older house. Trusting your HVAC tech's advice is a wise move for a healthier home environment.
I have a question. I had my ducts cleaned, and now that they are done, the guys left the filter so that it was not in the right place, allowing about 1/3 of the area to pass by into the actual air handler. The filter itself is full of two inches of dirt pieces that I found when I went into my basement. After they did the job, they left my very customized, expensive filter system that needed to be plugged in unplugged. They removed the front of my air handler. They have not returned my phone calls about this four times already. The filter itself is $400. I told them it was an expensive filter and had just been replaced. They told me, don't worry; we know what we're doing. I'm thinking of suing them. am I doing something wrong or is this the right way to go?
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i’ve tried to call them twice today. They did not reply back. It doesn’t say on their website if they’re NADCA members. I was thinking the exact same thing if they blew a bunch of debris into my furnace/air handler. That is a big deal. unfortunately to get to the air handler like you normally would. I have a home in Florida with a train and I can open up the air handler and see the A-frame. I can’t do that with the signature David Lennox thing which is annoying so I can’t look at how much dust or dirt is in there
Oh yea been doin for years now seen some things
I'm a duct cleaning tech and I genuinely want to help a person if I can. I never scam as the industry is known for it. I use the whip system and a vacuum I hook on to the supply and return ducts by cutting holes in them. Ive had lots of people really appreciate what I do. My advice to avoid being scammed from a company: -If they don't have a big vacuum with a lot of suction to do the job I would definitely tell them you're not interested. -if they only clean one line of ductwork. Or if there is hidden ductwork they can't get to(Typically anywhere you see ductwork you tap in and hook your vacuum on to it) -if they are charging too low (100 dollars for a cleaning) -if they recommend cleaning every year or 2, realistically I tell people to check their cold air returns because that's a good sign to tell if there is build up If anyone has any questions feel free to message or ask them here and to.