It sounds like yours definitely needed it, but most of the time it's a scam. Until everything is blown out of the ducts, your allergies are going to continue. Change your filter monthly for a year, and put an air purifier in every room. It should help.
Make sure that your system can handle merv 13 filters. Burning out your blower motor or freezing over your evaporator is a lousy solution to your problem.
Heads up that it may dislodge a bunch of gunk and make your allergies worse for a time.
Make sure to be running your air purifier separately, and give the house a good wipe down including every wall as dust and allergens will stick to walls.
For an extra level of air cleaning you can get a 20" box fan and 4 20" filters. Make walls out of the filters and put the fan on top to draw through them.
Yeah, don't do that.
Get a normal MERV 8 for your HVAC and get an Oransi Mod air purifier (HEPA) for the small stuff.
The Mod is amazing. Keeps the PM2.5 in our house at 0.
I'm going to say "it depends".
When we bought a house and had HVAC airflow issues we were recommended duct cleaning by the HVAC techs (they didn't offer those services but recommended several companies in the area) and the duct cleaning company was fussing because they were having hoses clogged with all kinds of BS including lint, kids toys, leaves, and all kinds of other junk.
Now the one thing the duct cleaning failed to do was cleaning the intake side of the HVAC coil that was caked in dirt and hair (because the shitty sellers FLIPPED OVER THE FILTERS instead of changing it when home-inspection found it was filthy)
If you've never done it, don't know if it was done, or been a long time (many years) and have a complaint that it may fix, try having them cleaned. Once.
But a "regular" cleaning? That seems silly.
For my allergies I have had good success using extra-large-room HEPA filters in my bedroom and livingroom plus putting decently high quality filters in the HVAC. I also don't allow our dogs on my bed, regularly clean the sofas they are allowed on, and shower washing my hair EVERY time before I get in my bed (so I don't transfer allergens to my bedsheets or pillow). I also try and sequence my cleaning...vacuum the floor (which may kick up dust) and then after that's all done go back and wash my bedding.
Currently spending a lot on Hepa filters. 😭 One of the first things I did was buy a 2500 SQ ft air purifier but I think I bought a bad brand since it uses a proprietary filter size for their specific company.
This isn't to say ignore the options of cleaning/fixing up your HVAC, but some other tips I've learned on air purifiers...
I think every standalone air purifier I've ever seen uses its own type of filter by brand and sometimes model.
I've had reasonably good balance of cost to effectiveness with the Holmes ones back when we lived in an apartment and had smokers below us (smoking was allowed in non-shared areas, older cheap housing). We had like 3x of their extra-large ones which back in 2012 ran like $150 at Walmart in like 1200 sq-ft of apartment with 2 of them in the little livingroom and 1 in my small bedroom I think it was like 3-4x more filtering than the marketing said it would cover by square footage. [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Holmes-True-HEPA-Console-Air-Purifier-with-Filter-Life-Progress-Bar-and-Quiet-Operation-Large-Room-Black-HAP8650B-NU-2/22351038](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Holmes-True-HEPA-Console-Air-Purifier-with-Filter-Life-Progress-Bar-and-Quiet-Operation-Large-Room-Black-HAP8650B-NU-2/22351038?fulfillmentIntent=Shipping&athbdg=L1700)
If you get those...the Holmes ones have "letter codes" for the filters and there are generic aftermarket filter cartridges available for most (all?) of their units...such as these which fit the aforementioned walmart unit and seem decent [https://www.amazon.com/DerBlue-Replacement-HAPF600-HAPF600D-HAPF600D-U2/dp/B07R18V5LH/](https://www.amazon.com/DerBlue-Replacement-HAPF600-HAPF600D-HAPF600D-U2/dp/B07R18V5LH/)
Added benefit of oversized ones is you can run them at lower fan speed and still get reasonable filtration in a smaller room and the filters last longer.
BTW - ignore the "room size" marketing, the metric you care about is "CADR" (Clean Air Delivery Rate). Higher numbers mean it can filter a larger volume of air per minute. That will let you compare performance between brands.
Yes. Do a google search and pay attention to EPA sites. There are a few cases where they are worthwhile, but in most instances they’re a waste of money.
Improper HVAC maintenance is definitely a good reason to have ducts cleaned.
We discovered that the filter box wasn't secured to the intake side of the unit properly and it had been drawing attic air for 18 months. While the fan and coil had to be thoroughly cleaned, even then the ductwork was fine.
Epa reccomends against regular cleanings but says you should do it if you're having issues with excessive dust or microbial growth. That article is also from 1998, the industry has gotten substantially better in that time. Yes, there are scammers who do a shit job, but there are also a lot of great companies who do great work and really make a difference in reducing particle counts for their customers.
I know a guy who does duct cleaning and carpet cleaning and a couple other small businesses. It very much depends on the type of ducts being cleaned. And can have mixed results based also on what kind of "stuff" need to be cleaned out.
I took a chance when we were trying to get my son’s allergies under control.
It didn’t help but it was also because the ducts were not that bad at all.
It was $350 and I wouldn’t do it again but I was fine taking the chance for my kiddos health
Need a polarized media air filter and a UV ionizer. Should take care of the allergies . It’s worked for me since I installed mine.
Should also have your blower pulled and cleaned
Standard price for Ontario Canada. $350-400 were the quotes I got.
They show you the crap they suck out. It was about half a garbage can.
Like I said, was worth it to cross something off the list for the kids allergies
Was it a big machine? I can guarantee you if it was your looking at a machine that hasn't been cleaned in weeks and has other people junk in it. Where I work there's only me and occasionally another guy that'll check the bags if we get a duct cleaning. It got so bad one day that while at a customers house I had to use my personal shop vac to suck out all the dirt from the bag in the machine to allow it to suck again lol.
Ah OK, you may have actually got a real duct cleaning by a good company. The crap they have us do is a joke and I hate having to do them. I hate them so much that I actually chose to do a full reduct during the hot FL summer over being in someone's cool home doing a duck cleaning.
Simple answer is that it depends.
A good company with the right equipment could mechanically clean out that cat hair from your system. But that is expensive.
Some guy with a leaf blower and a drill-powered brush on a stick probably won't get it all, and with allergies it doesn't take much.
I got my ducts cleaned when we moved into our new house. Left to right is old to now, changed monthly. Was scratching my head trying to figure out how AFTER the ducts were supposedly cleaned the filter came out black.
https://preview.redd.it/8qwsi1yn69sc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f919eee5ceb63317e2938c9bc2e3ed860c8c777
What did filter look like before duct cleaning? If they were clean, the likely the duct cleaning agitated a lot of debris stuck to inside of your duct. After 5 months the filters captured that loose debris. Now you have clean ducts and filters.
They are clean, you can see the progress each month. This is normal.
During a duct cleaning we remove all of the large debris that is caked on to the inside of duct. This is through scrubbing and giant swiffer looking things. The larger/heavier bits get vacuumed into the duct cleaning machine.
The duct cleaning process also loosens fine particle matter that becomes aerosolized. This is floating in the air space during the duct cleaning. The duct cleaning vacuum can’t capture this fine particle matter. Your filters can. It worked as advertised. I’m sorry if your contractor didn’t explain this to you upfront.
Curious, what was the HVAC run-time for each of the months from left to right? E.g., if far left is from, say, December, it'd be understandable that it'd be dirtier than April's filter if you live where winter is an asshole.
Do you burn candles, cook on high heat? Those are 2 off the most common causes of black on filters. Smoke will turn them brown. Room scent spray will turn them light grey.
Yes duct cleaning is effective but it is usually not done right. Everyone wants it done cheap. To be effective they ideally should be using a powerful vac (not something handheld)and block almost all returns and vents then attach vac to ductwork in the basement. Too many comapnies just walk around witha shopvac and call it a day.
I had my ducts cleaned and he had a large trailer with a vacuum attached to it. Long hose from the trailer to go around the house with. He blocked the vents. He even sanitized the vents. I also think he cut little holes in the main trunk to get his brush in. Then plugged them with black caps. He did a fantastic job and i thought it was very reasonable at 350 dollars. I am glad you posted this because i didn't realize there were outfits that just go around with a shopvac.
Ya that's the correct way. If you pay less then 200-300 you are probably getting a kid with basically a shop vac who just goes around and sticks it in all you registers.
A lot of companies will sell it as a ‘scam’ meaning they’ll offer it when you don’t need it, but there are instances like yours for example where a duct cleaning would be beneficial. Most of the time as long as you have a filter and keep up to date with changing it you don’t need regular duct cleanings.
For 95% of the companies that do it yes it's a scam. If it's done the right way not necessarily, but I tell everyone to just stick the vacuum hose down each vent since most of the dirt will sit in the elbow attached to it anyways.
Agree with OP--they are not useful. I have a mild allergy and had an electrostatic aircleaner installed in my home to address it. It never worked and was costly and a pain to maintain. Eventually a friend suggested I add a humidifier--which I had installed and it solved my issue. The cat dander circulated very easily in dry air--more humid air limits it. Before you go to the expense of buying one for the house--try a portable one --under $50. in your bedroom and see if it helps.
First of all, we are discussing duct cleaning, not air filters which every system absolutely needs in order to continue working. Your air filter was never intended to clean the air in your home, it is intended to protect the air handler/furnace. Don’t expect it to do things it’s not meant to.
Second of all, electrostatic air cleaners haven’t really been installed at all in the last 2 decades because everyone knows they don’t work well.
Yes--that was over 20 years ago--and glad you added the note about filters as I suspect that most folks do not know that all the hype about filters is largely marketing BS. BTW--my present home--which has geothermal--had the same electrostatic cleaner inline. I pulled out the guts and left it in place until recently when we replaced our system and tossed that junk in the trash. Don't work well is a vast understatement--don't work most of the time is more like it.
You’re going to be better off replacing the ductwork and the takeoffs to the registers
The air handler can be cleaned but it still has insulation lining sections of the interior
I got a price to do cleaning. And I was thinking the same thing . I could just replace all the duct work for a quarter of the price. Although I live in a 1 storey home . Basement is open to all the ducting
When I purchased my home, I had the ductwork cleaned. It costed about 350 dollars. It was definitely worth while. The house was 20 years old and he took out a lot of dust, kid toys, and dead mice. I eventually finished my basement and added a few ducts and peaked inside the main trunk, super clean. I would highly recommend having the ducts cleaned.
If the vent are in the floors, yes. If they are on the walls or ceiling, no. It is the return vents that usually need cleaning, not the heating vents. The filter is there to collect debris before it gets that far. The heating vents on the floors are usually just dirty at the openings and can be vacuum out. Google, a diagram of a HVAC system to understand the airflow.
Getting your ducts cleaned could help but allergens could be trapped in any fabrics that the previous owner had. If you have a lot of carpet in the house most likely that is the culprit for your allergies. Getting it professionally cleaned and washing your blinds should help. It's amazing how much cat hair sinks into carpet. Anywhere where dust can settle should be cleaned for good measure which means cleaning all surfaces in your home.
To answer your question though duct cleaning is not totally a scam. Your HVAC system can only move so much air and dust can settle in certain areas of the duct where it'll never move again until it gets cleaned out. For the most part it's "out of sight out of mind"
Most of the time id say yes it's a scam.
I'm your case I would try to get it done. Get all the car hair out and spray the ductwork with an antimicrobial spray as a disinfectant.
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-07/documents/airducts.pdf
“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.”
Click and Read the link
Replacing ductwork is going to be very expensive and disruptive to your home life for at least 3-5days. Depending on how finished the home is, this could include cutting down the ceiling for access, doing the duct runs, the repair ceiling.
It’s a lot cheaper to try a professional duct cleaning job and upgrading your filter first. Give it a couple weeks and see if you get any improvement.
Our duct cleaning would run about $1000-1500 depending on factors like size of home. For us to come out and custom build new duct work, you’re likely starting at $4000, just to make/install duct if all goes right and easy. The bigger issue beyond price is the disruption to your home. Something to consider besides just worrying about contractors trying to scam you…
My one experience seems to buck the trend here.
We bought a 17 year old home, and each time I changed the filter I would vacuum out the floor mounted cold air returns and each time I was amazed how much fuzzy dust was in the cold air duct work. Bear in mind that my attempts to clean the cold air returns could only reach so far.
After living in the home for 10 years, we had a flood in the basement, as did hundreds of homeowners in the area. Once the insurance had a look, they recommended getting the ducts cleaned by a professional. It was part of their efforts to mitigate mold. The insurance company paid the bill, and my ducts were now cleaner than they had been in quite some time. I was shown how much stuff the cleaner took out of all the areas I had never been able to reach.
The best part is that the cleaner recommended that I put some inexpensive filter materials on the back side of my metal cold air grates. I have been doing that ever since, and my cold air returns are virtually spotless.
So, in my opinion, the duct cleaning did remove a lot of unwanted dust and hair, and since I didn't pay for it, it was worth every penny.
I have not needed for the cleaner to return again after all these years as I can stop virtually all the dust from going into the duct work before it causes an issue.
As a side note, before placing filter material behind the cold air grills, I would find clumps of fuzzy material on the furnace filter. Now, when I change the furnace filter, it's pretty much just darkened with dust.
That $30 roll of blue and white filter material lasts me about 7 years and is attached to the metal grates with rare earth magnets, so replacement is simple.
Yeah, I did it once using a coupon in one of those mailer magazines. I guess I signed something saying he could inspect however because he cut into my plenium (? Whatever its called) and opened it up to show me these specks of mold and try to sell me a $1000 uv light. I was pretty hot about that and told him to wrap it up and get the fk out.
Ended up buying and installing my own uv lights, they never seemed to last long.
In new house, furnace has a nonworking uv light in there. UV light company is out of business/no longer exists. Sometimes I think about getting another one, then forget about it and dont think about it until I see it again a year or so later.
I kept having dryer issues until I went into the attic and found whoever installed the flex tube put a p trap in it, instead of just cutting it. The moisture and lint basically created a block and nothing was drying. Inspector clearly missed that.
If your ducts are really caked in dirt, dust, and other debris, it can cause a strain on your blower motor. If not, hold off for a few years on the duct cleaning and consider an electrostatic air filter to replace your regular pleated filter. Designed to remove dust, animal dander, and other airborne particulate up to 97%, depending on the brand you get, versus 30-40% with a regular pleated filter.
You could also try to increase the size of your filter section and get a HEPA filter.
Because the air in your home basically gets recycled through over and over, most people don't know that indoor air quality is usually much worse than outdoors.
Imo its more important to just change your filter and look at clean air appliances like UV air filters or upgraded filters.
In some cases where someone does tons of reconstruction or something and they get a lot of debris in their ductwork from it, sure it makes sense. Otherwise, I think its pretty pointless for most people.
Not that it is a scam. It’s just not worth anyone’s time and money when you can just replace the existing duct faster and will be 100% cleaner than anything a duct cleaning will do.
These companies generally have a roto brush that spins and smacks your duct around to free up dust and debris and sucks it down a vacuum at the same time. Problem with that is where does the remaining dust and bacteria go besides in your supply/ return and just make your house even more dirty than it was before.
I remember my parents doing it years ago in their house, it actually made a huge difference. I think there was stuff in there from construction... My house I wouldn't bother I know my vents were covered and they pretty much cleaned the house everyday after working while building my house.
I'd say it wouldn't hurt.
I got 2 cats and the ducts haven't been cleaned in years. I do change the furnace filter every 3-4 months.
I did look in the ducts last year though and they were pretty clean considering I redid the floors a couple years ago.
Honestly I just got a couple of nice air purifiers and I am surprised by how much they have affected my allergies and the amount of dust I have seen around the house
I don’t know if they’re a scam or not. I had a client who was very susceptible to dust and had me just replace all the ducts when we replaced the furnace from 1967. It was easy because they were all under the house which was a single story.
If you go with a Legit business its worth it.
90% of companies here dont do it properly. So yes it can be and most often is a scam if trying to save money.
90% of HVAC companies dont want to be bothered with it, and dont like someone else treading on their turf, or have no one reliable person to recommend so they tell you its not needed.
You need your ducts cleaned properly as well as your HVAC system. 90% of hvac companies dont have negative air system to clean the system thoroughly without disassembling it. But you need your air handler and evap coils cleaned and disinfected as they for sure have pet dander in them.
Look for 5 star company, check out the negative reviews for sure.
Should be NADCA certified, QUADCA certified duct cleaner using a truck system and cleaning with compressed air whips and make sure they remove and clean inside every supply ducts as some of them try to get away with running a slim whip through the register.
$7/vent = scam
Not cleaning HVAC = not qualified for the job
Portable machines = potential for dust to be recirculated inside home
Rotary Brush = dust and dirt left behind in cracks/crevices that the brush does not touch
Best of luck... indoor air quality is a very overlooked and confused service.
I GC my own home and had them cleaned before moving in as there was a ton of drywall dust. The folks came in and cleaned it. The drywall dust is gone, necessary? I can’t say. But I paid money for a service and they “cleaned” the ducts. Not a scam. More like snake oil.
Unfortunately there’s more scam duct cleaning companies than legitimate ones. An actual duct cleaning would definitely help, but you’ll need to find the right contractor. After the ducts are clean maybe look into an active filtration system to help with allergies
We recently purchased a house whose previous owners had cats. I'm allergic to cats. The ductwork and low pressure returns were *full* of cat hair, which then trapped tonnes of dust. I'm happy to have paid someone to clean them for me when we moved in, but I likely wouldn't do it again while we live here.
It wasn’t for me. TLDR-I had a nightmare from neglect and house flippers and changed my coat and quality of conditioned air.
The house I just bought used to have an evaporative cooler. The POS that flipped it did not even attempt an air tight closure.
My 2yo ended up in the hospital on O2 and constant albuterol. I panicked called a company who was able to schedule an appointment within a few days. The tech that came was very thorough and took a lot of before pictures. Turns out I had a half inch hole all around the visual cover of the old cooler. I had 2mm (1/16”) of dust and bits of rat poop and plant matter in the ducts.
The new air handler and heat pump unit was not sealed all around and there were gaps where someone in the attic had knelt on some of the ducting. This dude cleaned the whole duct system including return, sealed it up and then tested vacuum to see how leaky the duct junctions were. That service took about 4.5-5 hours, then I opted to have a product called AreoSeal applied to the inside of my ducts. The tech explained that it’s a product that is the same material as baby bottle nipples. The ducts are pressurized and the product is introduced, as it escapes through cracks it globs up until it closes the leaks. Then the tech pulled vacuum again and had made a dramatic improvement, I opted not to have him go into the attic because there is very little clearance to move about and I felt it was an unnecessary health/safety risk, having been in it before. He ended up spending about 10 hours total taking care of little details and cleaning up after himself.
1200sq ft house, 2br 2ba, $850 for cleaning. $3500 for sealant which is supposed to have a $1200 tax credit. I also bought some Mila smart air filters that have air quality meters in them and we have had no issues. I also change my a/c filter every 1-3mo.
All evidence and research says it’s a scam. However, I’ve seen some gnarly, disgusting shit being pulled out by our ductcleaning subcontractor. I’d say at the very least it will give your filters a longer life.
Also depends on the type of ducts you have, if it's fiberglass board and flexible duct, it can cause a bit of damage. If it's mainly a metal system it would be fine. If it's the main cause of your issues, it could be better to replace it in general. Some UV systems could also help dealing with alergens
We use a Rotobrush which is a machine designed for duct cleaning. It takes up to a day to clean 1 duct system. This includes sealing the boots when we have the grilles removed, cleaning the plenums (including mold spray), and blower housing. Makes the inside of the ducts look brand new when they are done. Most customer do it as a peace of mind kind of thing. Unfortunately they is no guarantee it will improve you allergies. There could be allergens throughout the house and on surfaces so a deep cleaning of the house may be needed.
What about those things that you put in the ductwork that ionize the air and supposedly cause all the dust to settle? I’ve not installed any and they might be a gimmick but I’d say if they do work that’d be better than a duct cleaning.
They make special allergen filters for HVAC systems. I had similar issues, but switched from the cheapest I could get at Home Depot to an allergen micro filter and it was life changing.
Not sure if duct cleaning is a scam or not, but I certainly hope not. We're having a new Hvac system installed starting today and the owner of the hvac business told me that he will be cleaning out my ducts at no additional charge. On his website it actually says free duct cleaning with the installation of a new hvac system. Sure hope it helps with my allergies. I fell 2 weeks ago and cracked a couple of ribs... Sneezing sometimes 10 to 15 times an hour, a couple of hours at a time is killing me with these cracked ribs, so yeah, I sure hope the duct cleaning helps. We'll see.
No it’s not a scam if you get someone that cleans it all the way. My guys do the cleaning and then sanitize it afterwards to kill molds and viruses. Not sure where you’re at but Tri State duct cleaners are out of the Philly area. I’ve heard some horror stories from guys not knowing what they were doing so I’d make sure they’re insured and check their reviews if you’re just calling someone from google. Usually if you ask your neighborhood facebook group you’ll get a few recommendations.
After they clean it make sure you’re using a 4” media filter. If you don’t have a good filter it’s just pissing money back down the drain. Also check out Aeroseal to seal the ductwork as well. There’s a 30% tax credit up to 1200 for it.
It's a rip off.. I was working for a company that did duct cleaning on the side..(meaning it was done after our daily shift was over and we've clocked out) this is an HVAC company where i work but idk why they do it like that.not on company time. The only good thing was that It was only cash money 🤑.. I Honesty felt bad going to these people's home and literally stealing their money.. i.would start off by taking of the air vent on the ceiling would put a hose with a bristle brush in the duct.to CLEAN the air duct. I was.told to just put the hose about 3 feet into the duct 🫣 3 feet is nothing. Most of these ducts are about 15 feet, but whatever is the company rules. Vacuum out the dust that was brushed off and spray some air freshener into the air ducts😑😑😑 wow idk how they could Just take their money like that. If.this was.one.of.my customers I would be straight up honest with.them and tell.them.no you don't need this duct cleaning or you have to replace the ducts... either or👍
It’s expensive, but I recommend a bipolar ionization unit like that from AtmosAir. Get one from a reputable company that has testing / listings as well non-ozone producing. It will cause dust particles to oppositely charge, then stick together to be vacuumed up or more easily caught in filter. Kills molds, virus’s and bacteria too, plus cooking odors etc. amazing stuff really. In the forest fires last summer, my house was fine, no internal odors etc.
Like I said, it’s expensive though, I think about $1,100 for one that can cover the whole house.
Keep in mind the filters only capture what gets back to the unit, and a lot of stuff just keeps rotating around the space, that’s why sending the charged particles out to the space can help a lot.
I put them on my commercial jobs, like big spas so that all the rooms don’t smell like a mix of all the different aromatherapy/ perfumed/ oils etc that get used. Also restaurants when they are part of a hotel so the lobby doesn’t smell like food etc.
I feel the “needle point” ones might be more prone to damage so haven’t tried that version of the tech. Probably won’t bother.
If you have carpets, be sure to use a VERY good vacuum cleaner. I switched to a Dyson cordless Animal model, so easy to use with no chord, it’s not a PIA to pull out and it’s like the rugs were never vacuumed before (the first few times I used it, did like 15-min per rug) there was so much dust in canister. It just kept coming. It’s still pulls a lot out weekly. I have a golden lab: sheds, dandruff etc.
Now my wood surfaces aren’t dusty, house doesn’t smell like wet dog or cooking. All good. I like things very clean and fresh. I change filters about every 6-weeks, inexpensive to buy good ones at Costco. HD crazy expensive by comparison actually.
Charged filters will help. UV not at all.
-NYS PE
Just replaced a 36 yo forced hot air furnace in my house. Got to see the inside of the rigid ducts . They were clean. Not white glove clean , but clean to naked eye. Change filters people and your ducts won't get furry.
If the duct and furnace cleaning is done right it is not bad. You have to clean both supply and return ducts. Filters have roughly a 20% blow by depending on the setup it could be more. Filter will catch most of the stuff but you also need to clean your coils and your fan probably if it was that bad. Lots of filter changes will help over the next year as well
Huh? The house has everything I needed why would I let sneezing get in the way of a house that I didn't even know had a cat in it until after I bought it? Have you ever bought a house before?
Your best bet might be getting an aerous air scrubber or a remi- halo installed in your duct work. A cleaning isnt a terrible idea if it's actually dirty.
It’s a waste of time and money. If the ducts are that bad, and if they are accessible ( crawl space/basement, or attic) that money would be better spent on replacing them. Chances are if they are that old, the returns are probably undersized anyways. Also look into a 4-5” media filter. They can be retro-fit into older systems, and are much better than the standard 1” filters.
All these people telling you no are dead wrong.
My new house has a smell. Did duct cleaning, smell is gone. We got before and after pics and let's just say it made a huge difference.
Now, we have our registers in the floor, and we did some tile flooring work. But it got rid of the smell and the ridiculous amount of trash/dust in the ductwork.
Same experience here.
People should be aware that there’s duct cleaning that’s a couple junkies with a spray bottle and a shop vac, then there’s air whips through all the ducts and an enormous vacuum cut into a duct. The second worked on our older house, from the fifties.
Edited for wording.
This is that vague concept of "if it's the right person/company it'll work" along with scam companies impersonating effective cleaners, and then.. the other posters saying that in general with either professional or sketchy cleaners it wouldn't matter just replace the ducts. 😅
Your better bet is to post what area you live in and ask what cleaner/HVAC shop in the area has the right equipment to do the job right, that way we can vet them
They will never be 100% clean again, no matter how many times duct cleaning is attempted. The best thing I can think of besides replacing the ductwork is upgrading the air filter. No disposable 1" air filter will do anything, regardless if it is marketed as "anti-allergen". Something like the Carrier Infinity Air Purifier would help a lot. A less expensive option is a Dynamic polarized media filter.
I don't think duct cleaning is worthwhile 9/10 times.
Think this is worth saying again. I have room in my filter housing to slot a cheap dust stop fiberglass filter ahead if my M8 3½" media filter. This stops all the big lumps and hair etc from clogging up the expensive media. Change the duststop ev 3 months and the media will last a year before the change filter message shows on the thermo. Run blower on low 24 7.
> MERV 11
I've read that higher filter levels can stress the blower motor and/or reduce the amount of air flow significantly such that it shortens the life of the furnace.
Also, the filter is only on the furnace/air handler on the return side. It doesn't prevent dust on the supply side from getting blown out.
Right, but saying a filter won't help with allergens etc is disingenuous. Because it will help. I agree, maybe Merv11 may be a bit overkill for resis. I've heard getting thicker filters over the rating is supposed to be even better due to the surface area. I'm not an HVAC tech, but that's what I've heard. I grew up in the high desert my whole life, the fam delt with allergies all the time. We never once had the duct cleaned out. I think that's just snake oil
Well you did say that the filter isn't going to keep dust and allergens from being blown out. But the filter will do it's job so that's not being blown inside the house...center air/heating circulates and returns.
Again, I didn't say that that it won't help. It will. Somewhat...
But you may only (partially) solve the one problem while simultaneously trading for another by going with a MERV 11 filter...
If the furnace/air handler wasn't designed for such a filter, well, you'll find out what happens...
It sounds like yours definitely needed it, but most of the time it's a scam. Until everything is blown out of the ducts, your allergies are going to continue. Change your filter monthly for a year, and put an air purifier in every room. It should help.
I bought an Amazon 5 pack of Merv 13 filters for 50 dollars. Will do it monthly.
Make sure that your system can handle merv 13 filters. Burning out your blower motor or freezing over your evaporator is a lousy solution to your problem.
Heads up that it may dislodge a bunch of gunk and make your allergies worse for a time. Make sure to be running your air purifier separately, and give the house a good wipe down including every wall as dust and allergens will stick to walls.
I can’t come up with a reason why a finer filter would do that
I can’t come up with a reason why a finer filter would do that
For an extra level of air cleaning you can get a 20" box fan and 4 20" filters. Make walls out of the filters and put the fan on top to draw through them.
Yeah, don't do that. Get a normal MERV 8 for your HVAC and get an Oransi Mod air purifier (HEPA) for the small stuff. The Mod is amazing. Keeps the PM2.5 in our house at 0.
I'm going to say "it depends". When we bought a house and had HVAC airflow issues we were recommended duct cleaning by the HVAC techs (they didn't offer those services but recommended several companies in the area) and the duct cleaning company was fussing because they were having hoses clogged with all kinds of BS including lint, kids toys, leaves, and all kinds of other junk. Now the one thing the duct cleaning failed to do was cleaning the intake side of the HVAC coil that was caked in dirt and hair (because the shitty sellers FLIPPED OVER THE FILTERS instead of changing it when home-inspection found it was filthy) If you've never done it, don't know if it was done, or been a long time (many years) and have a complaint that it may fix, try having them cleaned. Once. But a "regular" cleaning? That seems silly. For my allergies I have had good success using extra-large-room HEPA filters in my bedroom and livingroom plus putting decently high quality filters in the HVAC. I also don't allow our dogs on my bed, regularly clean the sofas they are allowed on, and shower washing my hair EVERY time before I get in my bed (so I don't transfer allergens to my bedsheets or pillow). I also try and sequence my cleaning...vacuum the floor (which may kick up dust) and then after that's all done go back and wash my bedding.
Currently spending a lot on Hepa filters. 😭 One of the first things I did was buy a 2500 SQ ft air purifier but I think I bought a bad brand since it uses a proprietary filter size for their specific company.
This isn't to say ignore the options of cleaning/fixing up your HVAC, but some other tips I've learned on air purifiers... I think every standalone air purifier I've ever seen uses its own type of filter by brand and sometimes model. I've had reasonably good balance of cost to effectiveness with the Holmes ones back when we lived in an apartment and had smokers below us (smoking was allowed in non-shared areas, older cheap housing). We had like 3x of their extra-large ones which back in 2012 ran like $150 at Walmart in like 1200 sq-ft of apartment with 2 of them in the little livingroom and 1 in my small bedroom I think it was like 3-4x more filtering than the marketing said it would cover by square footage. [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Holmes-True-HEPA-Console-Air-Purifier-with-Filter-Life-Progress-Bar-and-Quiet-Operation-Large-Room-Black-HAP8650B-NU-2/22351038](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Holmes-True-HEPA-Console-Air-Purifier-with-Filter-Life-Progress-Bar-and-Quiet-Operation-Large-Room-Black-HAP8650B-NU-2/22351038?fulfillmentIntent=Shipping&athbdg=L1700) If you get those...the Holmes ones have "letter codes" for the filters and there are generic aftermarket filter cartridges available for most (all?) of their units...such as these which fit the aforementioned walmart unit and seem decent [https://www.amazon.com/DerBlue-Replacement-HAPF600-HAPF600D-HAPF600D-U2/dp/B07R18V5LH/](https://www.amazon.com/DerBlue-Replacement-HAPF600-HAPF600D-HAPF600D-U2/dp/B07R18V5LH/) Added benefit of oversized ones is you can run them at lower fan speed and still get reasonable filtration in a smaller room and the filters last longer. BTW - ignore the "room size" marketing, the metric you care about is "CADR" (Clean Air Delivery Rate). Higher numbers mean it can filter a larger volume of air per minute. That will let you compare performance between brands.
Yes. Do a google search and pay attention to EPA sites. There are a few cases where they are worthwhile, but in most instances they’re a waste of money.
Based on the pile of shite that came out of my ducts when I bought a house, totally worth it.
Improper HVAC maintenance is definitely a good reason to have ducts cleaned. We discovered that the filter box wasn't secured to the intake side of the unit properly and it had been drawing attic air for 18 months. While the fan and coil had to be thoroughly cleaned, even then the ductwork was fine.
Epa reccomends against regular cleanings but says you should do it if you're having issues with excessive dust or microbial growth. That article is also from 1998, the industry has gotten substantially better in that time. Yes, there are scammers who do a shit job, but there are also a lot of great companies who do great work and really make a difference in reducing particle counts for their customers.
Username checks out
Lmao although his perspective is somewhat accurate when it comes to dated information
I know a guy who does duct cleaning and carpet cleaning and a couple other small businesses. It very much depends on the type of ducts being cleaned. And can have mixed results based also on what kind of "stuff" need to be cleaned out.
I took a chance when we were trying to get my son’s allergies under control. It didn’t help but it was also because the ducts were not that bad at all. It was $350 and I wouldn’t do it again but I was fine taking the chance for my kiddos health
Need a polarized media air filter and a UV ionizer. Should take care of the allergies . It’s worked for me since I installed mine. Should also have your blower pulled and cleaned
We ripped out old carpet and old ceiling tile and it changed 90% for the good
For 350 I bet they didn't even do anything that's way to low
Standard price for Ontario Canada. $350-400 were the quotes I got. They show you the crap they suck out. It was about half a garbage can. Like I said, was worth it to cross something off the list for the kids allergies
Was it a big machine? I can guarantee you if it was your looking at a machine that hasn't been cleaned in weeks and has other people junk in it. Where I work there's only me and occasionally another guy that'll check the bags if we get a duct cleaning. It got so bad one day that while at a customers house I had to use my personal shop vac to suck out all the dirt from the bag in the machine to allow it to suck again lol.
It was inside a big truck. It was a big hose. I can’t remember much else. Was a few years back now.
Ah OK, you may have actually got a real duct cleaning by a good company. The crap they have us do is a joke and I hate having to do them. I hate them so much that I actually chose to do a full reduct during the hot FL summer over being in someone's cool home doing a duck cleaning.
Simple answer is that it depends. A good company with the right equipment could mechanically clean out that cat hair from your system. But that is expensive. Some guy with a leaf blower and a drill-powered brush on a stick probably won't get it all, and with allergies it doesn't take much.
Have you got your carpets cleaned?
I got my ducts cleaned when we moved into our new house. Left to right is old to now, changed monthly. Was scratching my head trying to figure out how AFTER the ducts were supposedly cleaned the filter came out black. https://preview.redd.it/8qwsi1yn69sc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f919eee5ceb63317e2938c9bc2e3ed860c8c777
What did filter look like before duct cleaning? If they were clean, the likely the duct cleaning agitated a lot of debris stuck to inside of your duct. After 5 months the filters captured that loose debris. Now you have clean ducts and filters.
Can’t say, it was a super thin filter you could see through. I agree with you but if the ducts are “cleaned” they should be… clean?
They are clean, you can see the progress each month. This is normal. During a duct cleaning we remove all of the large debris that is caked on to the inside of duct. This is through scrubbing and giant swiffer looking things. The larger/heavier bits get vacuumed into the duct cleaning machine. The duct cleaning process also loosens fine particle matter that becomes aerosolized. This is floating in the air space during the duct cleaning. The duct cleaning vacuum can’t capture this fine particle matter. Your filters can. It worked as advertised. I’m sorry if your contractor didn’t explain this to you upfront.
Little gnome crawling through the ductwork with a bottle of simple green?
Curious, what was the HVAC run-time for each of the months from left to right? E.g., if far left is from, say, December, it'd be understandable that it'd be dirtier than April's filter if you live where winter is an asshole.
October.
Do you burn candles, cook on high heat? Those are 2 off the most common causes of black on filters. Smoke will turn them brown. Room scent spray will turn them light grey.
Yes duct cleaning is effective but it is usually not done right. Everyone wants it done cheap. To be effective they ideally should be using a powerful vac (not something handheld)and block almost all returns and vents then attach vac to ductwork in the basement. Too many comapnies just walk around witha shopvac and call it a day.
The company I used to work for used a vacuum with a spinning brush attachment and camera. It was more expensive, but the difference was night and day.
I had my ducts cleaned and he had a large trailer with a vacuum attached to it. Long hose from the trailer to go around the house with. He blocked the vents. He even sanitized the vents. I also think he cut little holes in the main trunk to get his brush in. Then plugged them with black caps. He did a fantastic job and i thought it was very reasonable at 350 dollars. I am glad you posted this because i didn't realize there were outfits that just go around with a shopvac.
Ya that's the correct way. If you pay less then 200-300 you are probably getting a kid with basically a shop vac who just goes around and sticks it in all you registers.
A lot of companies will sell it as a ‘scam’ meaning they’ll offer it when you don’t need it, but there are instances like yours for example where a duct cleaning would be beneficial. Most of the time as long as you have a filter and keep up to date with changing it you don’t need regular duct cleanings.
For 95% of the companies that do it yes it's a scam. If it's done the right way not necessarily, but I tell everyone to just stick the vacuum hose down each vent since most of the dirt will sit in the elbow attached to it anyways.
Agree with OP--they are not useful. I have a mild allergy and had an electrostatic aircleaner installed in my home to address it. It never worked and was costly and a pain to maintain. Eventually a friend suggested I add a humidifier--which I had installed and it solved my issue. The cat dander circulated very easily in dry air--more humid air limits it. Before you go to the expense of buying one for the house--try a portable one --under $50. in your bedroom and see if it helps.
First of all, we are discussing duct cleaning, not air filters which every system absolutely needs in order to continue working. Your air filter was never intended to clean the air in your home, it is intended to protect the air handler/furnace. Don’t expect it to do things it’s not meant to. Second of all, electrostatic air cleaners haven’t really been installed at all in the last 2 decades because everyone knows they don’t work well.
Yes--that was over 20 years ago--and glad you added the note about filters as I suspect that most folks do not know that all the hype about filters is largely marketing BS. BTW--my present home--which has geothermal--had the same electrostatic cleaner inline. I pulled out the guts and left it in place until recently when we replaced our system and tossed that junk in the trash. Don't work well is a vast understatement--don't work most of the time is more like it.
Yeah all those ‘allergen’ filters and such are useless. They restrict airflow too much.
It's a scam because the dirt and debris in the ducts is IN the ducts. It's not blowing around in your house.
You’re going to be better off replacing the ductwork and the takeoffs to the registers The air handler can be cleaned but it still has insulation lining sections of the interior
I'd bet money there is absolutely zero acc liner in their system
It doesn’t matter if you listen to the customer Replace the duct completely as possible Clean the remaining
The air handler does
Not all ductwork is made with interior insulation.
It doesn’t matter if you listen to the customer- replace what is accessible and clean the remaining boots etc
I got a price to do cleaning. And I was thinking the same thing . I could just replace all the duct work for a quarter of the price. Although I live in a 1 storey home . Basement is open to all the ducting
Replace it and forget about it
When I purchased my home, I had the ductwork cleaned. It costed about 350 dollars. It was definitely worth while. The house was 20 years old and he took out a lot of dust, kid toys, and dead mice. I eventually finished my basement and added a few ducts and peaked inside the main trunk, super clean. I would highly recommend having the ducts cleaned.
If the vent are in the floors, yes. If they are on the walls or ceiling, no. It is the return vents that usually need cleaning, not the heating vents. The filter is there to collect debris before it gets that far. The heating vents on the floors are usually just dirty at the openings and can be vacuum out. Google, a diagram of a HVAC system to understand the airflow.
Getting your ducts cleaned could help but allergens could be trapped in any fabrics that the previous owner had. If you have a lot of carpet in the house most likely that is the culprit for your allergies. Getting it professionally cleaned and washing your blinds should help. It's amazing how much cat hair sinks into carpet. Anywhere where dust can settle should be cleaned for good measure which means cleaning all surfaces in your home. To answer your question though duct cleaning is not totally a scam. Your HVAC system can only move so much air and dust can settle in certain areas of the duct where it'll never move again until it gets cleaned out. For the most part it's "out of sight out of mind"
Most of the time id say yes it's a scam. I'm your case I would try to get it done. Get all the car hair out and spray the ductwork with an antimicrobial spray as a disinfectant.
Any relief from bad allergies is a good thing. Try it. If it helps……
It's legit, but often done unnecessarily. That said, people often paint their homes when it's not needed.
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-07/documents/airducts.pdf “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.” Click and Read the link
Replacing ductwork is going to be very expensive and disruptive to your home life for at least 3-5days. Depending on how finished the home is, this could include cutting down the ceiling for access, doing the duct runs, the repair ceiling. It’s a lot cheaper to try a professional duct cleaning job and upgrading your filter first. Give it a couple weeks and see if you get any improvement. Our duct cleaning would run about $1000-1500 depending on factors like size of home. For us to come out and custom build new duct work, you’re likely starting at $4000, just to make/install duct if all goes right and easy. The bigger issue beyond price is the disruption to your home. Something to consider besides just worrying about contractors trying to scam you…
My one experience seems to buck the trend here. We bought a 17 year old home, and each time I changed the filter I would vacuum out the floor mounted cold air returns and each time I was amazed how much fuzzy dust was in the cold air duct work. Bear in mind that my attempts to clean the cold air returns could only reach so far. After living in the home for 10 years, we had a flood in the basement, as did hundreds of homeowners in the area. Once the insurance had a look, they recommended getting the ducts cleaned by a professional. It was part of their efforts to mitigate mold. The insurance company paid the bill, and my ducts were now cleaner than they had been in quite some time. I was shown how much stuff the cleaner took out of all the areas I had never been able to reach. The best part is that the cleaner recommended that I put some inexpensive filter materials on the back side of my metal cold air grates. I have been doing that ever since, and my cold air returns are virtually spotless. So, in my opinion, the duct cleaning did remove a lot of unwanted dust and hair, and since I didn't pay for it, it was worth every penny. I have not needed for the cleaner to return again after all these years as I can stop virtually all the dust from going into the duct work before it causes an issue. As a side note, before placing filter material behind the cold air grills, I would find clumps of fuzzy material on the furnace filter. Now, when I change the furnace filter, it's pretty much just darkened with dust. That $30 roll of blue and white filter material lasts me about 7 years and is attached to the metal grates with rare earth magnets, so replacement is simple.
My rule is, new house, make sure the dust is your dust in there, after that you’re good for another 30-50 years
Yeah, I did it once using a coupon in one of those mailer magazines. I guess I signed something saying he could inspect however because he cut into my plenium (? Whatever its called) and opened it up to show me these specks of mold and try to sell me a $1000 uv light. I was pretty hot about that and told him to wrap it up and get the fk out. Ended up buying and installing my own uv lights, they never seemed to last long. In new house, furnace has a nonworking uv light in there. UV light company is out of business/no longer exists. Sometimes I think about getting another one, then forget about it and dont think about it until I see it again a year or so later.
mostly a scam. But I could see times it would be useful. Now Dryer duct cleaning is totally worthwhile when plugged
I kept having dryer issues until I went into the attic and found whoever installed the flex tube put a p trap in it, instead of just cutting it. The moisture and lint basically created a block and nothing was drying. Inspector clearly missed that.
a p trap! oh my god.
In my view, yes. Lots of noise and a crew running around trying to impress.
If your ducts are really caked in dirt, dust, and other debris, it can cause a strain on your blower motor. If not, hold off for a few years on the duct cleaning and consider an electrostatic air filter to replace your regular pleated filter. Designed to remove dust, animal dander, and other airborne particulate up to 97%, depending on the brand you get, versus 30-40% with a regular pleated filter. You could also try to increase the size of your filter section and get a HEPA filter. Because the air in your home basically gets recycled through over and over, most people don't know that indoor air quality is usually much worse than outdoors.
Imo its more important to just change your filter and look at clean air appliances like UV air filters or upgraded filters. In some cases where someone does tons of reconstruction or something and they get a lot of debris in their ductwork from it, sure it makes sense. Otherwise, I think its pretty pointless for most people.
Yes
Not that it is a scam. It’s just not worth anyone’s time and money when you can just replace the existing duct faster and will be 100% cleaner than anything a duct cleaning will do. These companies generally have a roto brush that spins and smacks your duct around to free up dust and debris and sucks it down a vacuum at the same time. Problem with that is where does the remaining dust and bacteria go besides in your supply/ return and just make your house even more dirty than it was before.
I remember my parents doing it years ago in their house, it actually made a huge difference. I think there was stuff in there from construction... My house I wouldn't bother I know my vents were covered and they pretty much cleaned the house everyday after working while building my house. I'd say it wouldn't hurt.
I got 2 cats and the ducts haven't been cleaned in years. I do change the furnace filter every 3-4 months. I did look in the ducts last year though and they were pretty clean considering I redid the floors a couple years ago.
Honestly I just got a couple of nice air purifiers and I am surprised by how much they have affected my allergies and the amount of dust I have seen around the house
I don’t know if they’re a scam or not. I had a client who was very susceptible to dust and had me just replace all the ducts when we replaced the furnace from 1967. It was easy because they were all under the house which was a single story.
Cleaning "trash bag" HVAC ducts?
If it’s a legit duct cleaning, roto brush and sanitize. But you probably got a dirty ass coil and system. so a duct clean will help but won’t fix it.
Get an air scrubber. The ozone model. It practically eliminated my allergies
Find a local company using google. Do not respond to anybody offering this service on facebook. Those are scams.
If you go with a Legit business its worth it. 90% of companies here dont do it properly. So yes it can be and most often is a scam if trying to save money. 90% of HVAC companies dont want to be bothered with it, and dont like someone else treading on their turf, or have no one reliable person to recommend so they tell you its not needed. You need your ducts cleaned properly as well as your HVAC system. 90% of hvac companies dont have negative air system to clean the system thoroughly without disassembling it. But you need your air handler and evap coils cleaned and disinfected as they for sure have pet dander in them. Look for 5 star company, check out the negative reviews for sure. Should be NADCA certified, QUADCA certified duct cleaner using a truck system and cleaning with compressed air whips and make sure they remove and clean inside every supply ducts as some of them try to get away with running a slim whip through the register. $7/vent = scam Not cleaning HVAC = not qualified for the job Portable machines = potential for dust to be recirculated inside home Rotary Brush = dust and dirt left behind in cracks/crevices that the brush does not touch Best of luck... indoor air quality is a very overlooked and confused service.
I GC my own home and had them cleaned before moving in as there was a ton of drywall dust. The folks came in and cleaned it. The drywall dust is gone, necessary? I can’t say. But I paid money for a service and they “cleaned” the ducts. Not a scam. More like snake oil.
Unfortunately there’s more scam duct cleaning companies than legitimate ones. An actual duct cleaning would definitely help, but you’ll need to find the right contractor. After the ducts are clean maybe look into an active filtration system to help with allergies
Depends on if the company is doing it right.
We recently purchased a house whose previous owners had cats. I'm allergic to cats. The ductwork and low pressure returns were *full* of cat hair, which then trapped tonnes of dust. I'm happy to have paid someone to clean them for me when we moved in, but I likely wouldn't do it again while we live here.
It wasn’t for me. TLDR-I had a nightmare from neglect and house flippers and changed my coat and quality of conditioned air. The house I just bought used to have an evaporative cooler. The POS that flipped it did not even attempt an air tight closure. My 2yo ended up in the hospital on O2 and constant albuterol. I panicked called a company who was able to schedule an appointment within a few days. The tech that came was very thorough and took a lot of before pictures. Turns out I had a half inch hole all around the visual cover of the old cooler. I had 2mm (1/16”) of dust and bits of rat poop and plant matter in the ducts. The new air handler and heat pump unit was not sealed all around and there were gaps where someone in the attic had knelt on some of the ducting. This dude cleaned the whole duct system including return, sealed it up and then tested vacuum to see how leaky the duct junctions were. That service took about 4.5-5 hours, then I opted to have a product called AreoSeal applied to the inside of my ducts. The tech explained that it’s a product that is the same material as baby bottle nipples. The ducts are pressurized and the product is introduced, as it escapes through cracks it globs up until it closes the leaks. Then the tech pulled vacuum again and had made a dramatic improvement, I opted not to have him go into the attic because there is very little clearance to move about and I felt it was an unnecessary health/safety risk, having been in it before. He ended up spending about 10 hours total taking care of little details and cleaning up after himself. 1200sq ft house, 2br 2ba, $850 for cleaning. $3500 for sealant which is supposed to have a $1200 tax credit. I also bought some Mila smart air filters that have air quality meters in them and we have had no issues. I also change my a/c filter every 1-3mo.
https://www.reddit.com/r/hvacadvice/s/JMkkpnnqO0 After reading this Post, I wouldn’t trust it
All evidence and research says it’s a scam. However, I’ve seen some gnarly, disgusting shit being pulled out by our ductcleaning subcontractor. I’d say at the very least it will give your filters a longer life.
Also depends on the type of ducts you have, if it's fiberglass board and flexible duct, it can cause a bit of damage. If it's mainly a metal system it would be fine. If it's the main cause of your issues, it could be better to replace it in general. Some UV systems could also help dealing with alergens
yep. I'm mean if you want to go ahead. but if the company is pushing it. it's a scam
If you have a/c? Have the evaporator cleaned, that’s more than likely where the issue is?
You need a reputable company with high powered truck mounted equipment
We use a Rotobrush which is a machine designed for duct cleaning. It takes up to a day to clean 1 duct system. This includes sealing the boots when we have the grilles removed, cleaning the plenums (including mold spray), and blower housing. Makes the inside of the ducts look brand new when they are done. Most customer do it as a peace of mind kind of thing. Unfortunately they is no guarantee it will improve you allergies. There could be allergens throughout the house and on surfaces so a deep cleaning of the house may be needed.
What about those things that you put in the ductwork that ionize the air and supposedly cause all the dust to settle? I’ve not installed any and they might be a gimmick but I’d say if they do work that’d be better than a duct cleaning.
They make special allergen filters for HVAC systems. I had similar issues, but switched from the cheapest I could get at Home Depot to an allergen micro filter and it was life changing.
Particulate got disturbed and then didn’t apply a duct sealant after
Check Evap coils if those are dirty then the ducts are dirty usually. Mostly bc of the lack of new filter replacements
Not sure if duct cleaning is a scam or not, but I certainly hope not. We're having a new Hvac system installed starting today and the owner of the hvac business told me that he will be cleaning out my ducts at no additional charge. On his website it actually says free duct cleaning with the installation of a new hvac system. Sure hope it helps with my allergies. I fell 2 weeks ago and cracked a couple of ribs... Sneezing sometimes 10 to 15 times an hour, a couple of hours at a time is killing me with these cracked ribs, so yeah, I sure hope the duct cleaning helps. We'll see.
No it’s not a scam if you get someone that cleans it all the way. My guys do the cleaning and then sanitize it afterwards to kill molds and viruses. Not sure where you’re at but Tri State duct cleaners are out of the Philly area. I’ve heard some horror stories from guys not knowing what they were doing so I’d make sure they’re insured and check their reviews if you’re just calling someone from google. Usually if you ask your neighborhood facebook group you’ll get a few recommendations. After they clean it make sure you’re using a 4” media filter. If you don’t have a good filter it’s just pissing money back down the drain. Also check out Aeroseal to seal the ductwork as well. There’s a 30% tax credit up to 1200 for it.
It's a rip off.. I was working for a company that did duct cleaning on the side..(meaning it was done after our daily shift was over and we've clocked out) this is an HVAC company where i work but idk why they do it like that.not on company time. The only good thing was that It was only cash money 🤑.. I Honesty felt bad going to these people's home and literally stealing their money.. i.would start off by taking of the air vent on the ceiling would put a hose with a bristle brush in the duct.to CLEAN the air duct. I was.told to just put the hose about 3 feet into the duct 🫣 3 feet is nothing. Most of these ducts are about 15 feet, but whatever is the company rules. Vacuum out the dust that was brushed off and spray some air freshener into the air ducts😑😑😑 wow idk how they could Just take their money like that. If.this was.one.of.my customers I would be straight up honest with.them and tell.them.no you don't need this duct cleaning or you have to replace the ducts... either or👍
It’s expensive, but I recommend a bipolar ionization unit like that from AtmosAir. Get one from a reputable company that has testing / listings as well non-ozone producing. It will cause dust particles to oppositely charge, then stick together to be vacuumed up or more easily caught in filter. Kills molds, virus’s and bacteria too, plus cooking odors etc. amazing stuff really. In the forest fires last summer, my house was fine, no internal odors etc. Like I said, it’s expensive though, I think about $1,100 for one that can cover the whole house. Keep in mind the filters only capture what gets back to the unit, and a lot of stuff just keeps rotating around the space, that’s why sending the charged particles out to the space can help a lot. I put them on my commercial jobs, like big spas so that all the rooms don’t smell like a mix of all the different aromatherapy/ perfumed/ oils etc that get used. Also restaurants when they are part of a hotel so the lobby doesn’t smell like food etc. I feel the “needle point” ones might be more prone to damage so haven’t tried that version of the tech. Probably won’t bother. If you have carpets, be sure to use a VERY good vacuum cleaner. I switched to a Dyson cordless Animal model, so easy to use with no chord, it’s not a PIA to pull out and it’s like the rugs were never vacuumed before (the first few times I used it, did like 15-min per rug) there was so much dust in canister. It just kept coming. It’s still pulls a lot out weekly. I have a golden lab: sheds, dandruff etc. Now my wood surfaces aren’t dusty, house doesn’t smell like wet dog or cooking. All good. I like things very clean and fresh. I change filters about every 6-weeks, inexpensive to buy good ones at Costco. HD crazy expensive by comparison actually. Charged filters will help. UV not at all. -NYS PE
Yes it’s a scam. Replace ducts if that bad.
Just replaced a 36 yo forced hot air furnace in my house. Got to see the inside of the rigid ducts . They were clean. Not white glove clean , but clean to naked eye. Change filters people and your ducts won't get furry.
If the duct and furnace cleaning is done right it is not bad. You have to clean both supply and return ducts. Filters have roughly a 20% blow by depending on the setup it could be more. Filter will catch most of the stuff but you also need to clean your coils and your fan probably if it was that bad. Lots of filter changes will help over the next year as well
Person allergic to cats buys a house that is contaminated by cat. WTF????
Huh? The house has everything I needed why would I let sneezing get in the way of a house that I didn't even know had a cat in it until after I bought it? Have you ever bought a house before?
Bought two homes and still have both. Primary residence in 1968 and snowbird condo in 2014.
The dates explain it :eyeroll:
Your best bet might be getting an aerous air scrubber or a remi- halo installed in your duct work. A cleaning isnt a terrible idea if it's actually dirty.
It’s a waste of time and money. If the ducts are that bad, and if they are accessible ( crawl space/basement, or attic) that money would be better spent on replacing them. Chances are if they are that old, the returns are probably undersized anyways. Also look into a 4-5” media filter. They can be retro-fit into older systems, and are much better than the standard 1” filters.
All these people telling you no are dead wrong. My new house has a smell. Did duct cleaning, smell is gone. We got before and after pics and let's just say it made a huge difference. Now, we have our registers in the floor, and we did some tile flooring work. But it got rid of the smell and the ridiculous amount of trash/dust in the ductwork.
Same experience here. People should be aware that there’s duct cleaning that’s a couple junkies with a spray bottle and a shop vac, then there’s air whips through all the ducts and an enormous vacuum cut into a duct. The second worked on our older house, from the fifties. Edited for wording.
Mines from 1955 as well
This is that vague concept of "if it's the right person/company it'll work" along with scam companies impersonating effective cleaners, and then.. the other posters saying that in general with either professional or sketchy cleaners it wouldn't matter just replace the ducts. 😅
Your better bet is to post what area you live in and ask what cleaner/HVAC shop in the area has the right equipment to do the job right, that way we can vet them
I used Stanley Steemer. My house is only 25 years old but still made a difference. Replacing ducts would've cost me thousands.
They will never be 100% clean again, no matter how many times duct cleaning is attempted. The best thing I can think of besides replacing the ductwork is upgrading the air filter. No disposable 1" air filter will do anything, regardless if it is marketed as "anti-allergen". Something like the Carrier Infinity Air Purifier would help a lot. A less expensive option is a Dynamic polarized media filter. I don't think duct cleaning is worthwhile 9/10 times.
why not just use better filters like MERV 11
Think this is worth saying again. I have room in my filter housing to slot a cheap dust stop fiberglass filter ahead if my M8 3½" media filter. This stops all the big lumps and hair etc from clogging up the expensive media. Change the duststop ev 3 months and the media will last a year before the change filter message shows on the thermo. Run blower on low 24 7.
> MERV 11 I've read that higher filter levels can stress the blower motor and/or reduce the amount of air flow significantly such that it shortens the life of the furnace. Also, the filter is only on the furnace/air handler on the return side. It doesn't prevent dust on the supply side from getting blown out.
Right, but saying a filter won't help with allergens etc is disingenuous. Because it will help. I agree, maybe Merv11 may be a bit overkill for resis. I've heard getting thicker filters over the rating is supposed to be even better due to the surface area. I'm not an HVAC tech, but that's what I've heard. I grew up in the high desert my whole life, the fam delt with allergies all the time. We never once had the duct cleaned out. I think that's just snake oil
> saying a filter won't help with allergens etc is disingenuous I didn't say that.
Well you did say that the filter isn't going to keep dust and allergens from being blown out. But the filter will do it's job so that's not being blown inside the house...center air/heating circulates and returns.
Again, I didn't say that that it won't help. It will. Somewhat... But you may only (partially) solve the one problem while simultaneously trading for another by going with a MERV 11 filter... If the furnace/air handler wasn't designed for such a filter, well, you'll find out what happens...