HVAC Duct Cleaning: Scam or Worth It? Duct cleaning has become popular in recent years, with commercial cleaning services popping up everywhere. But is the service worth it, or is it a scam? Here’s some information to help you decide whether or not your home might benefit from having the HVAC ducts in your house cleaned. Professional duct cleaning services use specialized blowers, vacuums, and brushes to clean out the supply, intake, and return ducts throughout your home. Duct cleaning should also involve a thorough cleaning of the air handler, registers, grilles, fans, motors, housings, and coils of the HVAC system. There’s no research at present proving that routine duct cleaning improves the air quality or reduces dust in your home. There is, however, evidence that dirty heating and cooling coils, motors, and air handling units can make your HVAC unit less efficient. While duct cleaning alone doesn’t seem that necessary, there are cases where cleaning the HVAC unit and ductwork could be useful.

Should I Have Ducts Cleaned? Due to growing concerns about indoor air quality, it’s easy to convince homeowners that their ducts need cleaning. But unless ducts are really dirty, there’s no reason to clean them. The EPA takes a similar stance on the issue, recommending cleaning only if the ducts and HVAC unit are contaminated.diy ozone air purifier If done properly, duct cleaning doesn’t hurt; nordyne electronic air cleanerbut it’s not something that needs to be on your regular home maintenance list. costco best air purifierYou probably don’t need to have your ducts and HVAC system cleaned unless: Renovation: If your home has been remodeled – especially if there was asbestos abatement, lead paint removal, or significant dust – your ductwork may need to be cleaned.

Ducts should be sealed off during home renovations; but if they weren’t, dangerous dust and debris may become lodged inside the ductwork. Animals: If there’s evidence of animal infestation or nesting in your ducts or HVAC system, have the animals removed then clean the ductwork and HVAC unit. Mold: If there is visible mold growth inside the ductwork, the ducts and HVAC system should be cleaned. Contaminants: If noticeable debris, pet hair, odors, or other contaminants are being released into the room through the ducts after the registers have been cleaned and vacuumed; then the ducts may need to be cleaned. Illness: If someone in your family is suffering from an unexplained allergy-related illness, and you’ve taken every other possible step to decontaminate your home, you may want to consider having your ducts cleaned to see if the HVAC system was the culprit. How To Avoid Duct Cleaning Scams While there are reputable, professional HVAC cleaning services out there, there are scams as well.

Anytime scare tactics can be used to make the claim that your home might be “unhealthy,” homeowners run the risk of being frightened into emptying their checkbooks. Here are some tips for avoiding scams if you decide to look into having the ducts and HVAC system in your home cleaned: Full Service: Don’t settle for just duct cleaning, make sure the cleaning service is also going to do a full cleaning of the heating/cooling unit. References: Get and check references in your area to find out what was provided for the money, and whether customers were satisfied. Estimates: Ask for written estimates from at least three HVAC cleaning services. A reputable company should provide a free inspection and estimate. Avoid Gimmicks: Ads for “$79 whole-house specials” are scams. At most a few ducts will get a very cursory vacuum; and at worst, you’ll end up talked into a much more expensive package. High-quality duct and HVAC cleaning should cost upwards of $500, take several hours with sophisticated equipment, and involve multiple workers.

Certifications: The cleaning company should be certified by the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA), which sets standards for HVAC system cleaning. The EPA does not certify duct cleaners, so avoid anyone making that claim. Check for relevant licenses and insurance – some states require a license for duct cleaning while others don’t. Check Standards: The NADCA provides guidelines for professionals and customers on safe duct cleaning. If your ducts are insulated, the professional should also follow the guidelines of the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA). Verify Results: You should be offered a complete visual inspection of the HVAC system and ductwork, either in person or by remote camera. Make sure every single duct is clean, and insist on an inspection of the inside of the HVAC unit, before paying for the service. Don’t Get Fooled: Keep in mind that intake ducts (room ducts that return air to the heating/cooling unit) are likely to be dirtier than supply ducts (which deliver conditioned air from the HVAC unit), since they often don’t have filters.

Make sure any “before-and-after” photos are of the supply ducts, where it’s most important that the air is clean. Avoid Sealants and Sprays: Both the EPA and the NADCA recommend against the use of sprayed sealants or other potentially harmful chemicals inside air ducts. Biocides and anti-microbial treatments are also iffy, since the chemicals may cause more harm than good to your health. No chemicals are currently registered with the EPA for use inside ductwork. Avoid Steam Cleaning: Any kind of duct cleaning involving steam or moisture should be avoided. Scam Alert: Avoid “Dirty” Duct Cleaners (Consumer Reports) Should You Have the Air Ducts In Your Home Cleaned? How to Live a Green Lifestyle on a Budget Rust-Oleum Cabinet Transformations Painting Kit How to Test a Toilet for Leaks Duct Cleaning Often Not Necessary Close More Deals - Qualify homebuyer leads fast and free Here's one less thing you have to regularly clean -- ducts.

There's growing evidence duct cleaning may be a solution in search of a problem rather than cure for what ails the air in your home. Consumer Checkbook (subscribers only) research released this year says the dust you see in your ventilation ducts pretty much stays where it is. It likely won't become airborne unless disturbed -- say by duct cleaning. Under most circumstances duct dust is inert and harmless. Federal and private health officials back up Checkbook -- an independent operation that rates services much like Consumer Reports rates goods -- and stop short of recommending against duct cleaning, but they also do not endorse the work as routine maintenance. "Should You Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned?" the latest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency information on the subject says succinctly, "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." Likewise, a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation report includes before and after duct cleaning test results from 33 homes in Montreal. It found no significant air quality or energy efficiency improvements. In some cases, particle levels increased immediately after a duct cleaning job. In other cases, particle levels went down after the cleaning but returned to previous levels within weeks. Research also has not scientifically demonstrated the effectiveness of chemical biocides, "sealants" and other duct applications cleaning service provides may offer. There are no chemical biocides registered by the EPA for use in internally-insulated air duct systems. The EPA does recommend servicing for fuel burning furnaces, stoves or fireplaces before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. And you should regularly have fireplace and wood burning appliance fire boxes and flues cleared of potentially flammable sooty deposits and creosote, the by-products of incomplete combustion.

The EPA only recommends duct cleaning if: Ducts are infested with vermin (including rodents or insects), in which case you may also need a licensed pest control operator. Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris and/or particles that are actually released into the home. There is substantial visible mold growth inside hard surface (sheet metal) ducts or on other components of your heating and cooling system. Beware of important considerations about mold detection in heating and cooling systems. Many sections of your heating and cooling system may not be accessible for a visible inspection, so ask the service provider to show you any mold he or she says exists. A positive determination of mold's existence can be made only by a certified microbiology expert and that may require laboratory analysis for final confirmation. If you have insulated air ducts and the insulation gets wet or moldy it cannot be effectively cleaned and should be removed and replaced. If moisture is allowed to remain for more than 48 hours or other conditions causing mold growth are not corrected, mold will return.

If you decide to go ahead and hire a duct cleaner, follow these EPA recommendations. Consider hiring National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) members who are locally regulated, licensed or certified. Talk to at least three different service providers, get written estimates and only then decide if you want your ducts cleaned. When the service providers arrive have them show you the contamination that would justify having your ducts cleaned. Whenever possible, check duct cleaners' references with other customers and with local or state consumer protection authorities or the Better Business Bureau for complaints. Don't hire duct cleaners who make sweeping claims about the health benefits of duct cleaning, who say you need routine duct cleaning or who say they are certified by the EPA or other government agency. The EPA does not establish standards for, certify, endorse or approve duct cleaning companies. Do not allow anyone to use chemical biocides or sealants without a thorough understanding of the pros and cons outlined in "Should You Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned?"