Is air duct cleaning really worth it?

Ask ten companies and ten will say yes, which is exactly why the question keeps getting asked. Is air duct cleaning worth it? For some houses it clearly is, for others it plainly is not, and the difference comes down to what is in the runs rather than what is on a schedule.

Is duct cleaning really worth it?

There’s a ton of misleading information about air duct cleaning on the internet. Not only on the different methods of duct cleaning, but the prices vary drastically. The first part that may have you scratching your head, is if duct cleaning is a waste of money? What you find online can be great, as well as bad. The bottom line is. air duct cleaning can be a waste of money, if you choose the wrong company.

How to avoid $99 duct cleanings and upsells

Have you ever received a flyer in the mail advertising a residential duct cleaning special for $99? The companies that send out these flyers make the entire ac duct cleaning industry look bad, and at the same time make duct cleaning a waste of money. These companies do not use the proper techniques to clean the ductwork. This is normally just a simple vacuum of the registers and vents and they will sanitize the system. There is also the possibility of the company showing up and only cleaning 10 vents and charging an unreasonable amount more to clean the rest of the system.

The best method to clean ductwork is to put the system under negative air with a HEPA filtered negative air machine. Once the system is under negative pressure then the ductwork can be cleaned with either brushes or special agitation devices to remove the dust and debris from the walls of the ductwork. These companies will normally charge per vent to clean the duct system and inspect for any additional items in the HVAC system that may need further cleaning.

What type of duct cleaning company you choose?

When choosing a duct cleaning company it is recommended to choose a company that follows the (NADCA) National Air Duct Cleaner’s Association’s process of air duct cleaning. NADCA has the highest standards for HVAC cleaning. NADCA ensures these companies have a representative that has achieved an Air Systems Cleaning Specialist Certification and are licensed and insured in their respective state. It is best to use a company that follows NADCA approved practices.

The NADCA’s preferred process will include using HEPA filtered negative pressure machines and agitation tools to clean all your ducts. This process is the most effective and produces the best results.

What is the purpose of ac duct cleaning?

NADCA and the companies certified by NADCA, inspect residential duct systems every 2 years to determine if and when they need to be cleaned. The inspection will include contact vacuuming the ductwork to compare the vacuumed surface vs the untouched surface. Proper duct cleaning can reduce the amount of dust being circulated by the HVAC system. If you find yourself dusting multiple times per week, duct cleaning may be the solution.

A very common reason ductwork requires cleaning is due to having the home renovated. It is extremely important to ensure the HVAC system is turned off while any construction work is being performed inside the home. If the AC system is turned on during constriction all the particulate and dust that is floating around will be pulled into the HVAC duct system. Whether you’ve just bought the home and are fixing it up, or you’ve been there for a while, duct cleaning should always be done after the remodeling has been completed.

Every time you come in from outside, you are bringing in allergens and particles. Once inside, these particles can make their way into the return ducts and be circulated through the HVAC system. Regularly changing the return filters and air duct cleaning can help reduce the chance of these allergens and particulate from affecting someone with allergies.

Is air duct cleaning worth it for your house?

It is worth it if you can point to a reason. Visible debris or matting when you pull a vent cover. A musty smell for the first minute after the system starts. Dust returning within a day of cleaning. Recent renovation work, a roof or pipe leak, rodent activity, or a house you have just bought and know nothing about. Allergy symptoms that ease as soon as you leave. Any one of those makes the case on its own.

It is not worth it if the runs look clean, the house is a few years old, nothing has changed and nobody is reacting to anything. Cleaning ducts that do not need cleaning buys you nothing, and we will tell you that on site rather than after you have paid.

The other half of the answer is cost. It is a job you do every three to five years, not annually, so the honest comparison is against what a duct system costs to run when it is restricted. Our prices are published, the estimate is free, and if you want to see the range of work first the services page covers it — or ask us to take a look.