Having your air ducts cleaned

[PongoBoy]

Has any one here had the air ducts in their home cleaned? Lately my house just seems so dusty just days after I clean and I was wondering if this would help. So if you have done this do you think it really is worth it? We also change our furnace filter regularly so that is not the problem. I would really appreciate he opinion of those with any experience with this.

 

[sbtrfly74]

We just had this done in my MIL 's house since its been sitting for two years and had mold debris on some of the vents so I knew it was contributing to some of the smell.

Well worth it but my only advise is find a very reputable company that has prices upfront on their website.

I tried to use those valuepack coupons and after I made an appointment then I decided to look at the reviews.... they were horrible and even had a BBB article written about them that they were scamming ppl out of thousands. They would give you a coupon for $49.00 then tell you it will be $200 then get a bill in the mail for $2700. Luckily I called to cancel my appointment and they didnt even have me down on their calendar.

We paid around $500 but that also included extra vents, and sanitizing that was guarenteed for 3 years for the mold. I think it was $295 for the first 12 vents, $99 for the sanitizing then the rest was for extra outlets including 3 bathroom vents and 2 returns. It was well worth it for that house.

 

[grayhairedone]

Another thing to look into is energy rebates if you have that kind of work done. I know that in California there can be substantial rebates for having duct work done if you can show improved energy reduction. We are actually looking to completely redo our ductwork and maybe replace the heater to take advantage of some of these rebates!

 

[Kellydelly]

We had it done several years ago. Our house was 30 yrs old and had never had the ducts cleaned. Our ducts weren't even dirty . And we still have as much dust as before (which with six people living here I guess that's understandable). I think unless you have a lot of cats and dogs or critters in the house it really isn't necessary. We live in a two story 4 bedroom colonial.

 

[Gigi22]

We had our ducts cleaned about 10 years ago by Sears. They managed to re-install some of the cold air return covers incorrectly, tried to pry up a vent in the bathroom that is cemented in behind tile work, so I am not too crazy about using them. We had a lot of renovations completed (walls taken out, floor sanding) so the process was worth it, but we're not having it done again. According to Consumer Reports, it isn't a necessary part of regular home maintenance.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

I did mine a year or two ago and it was around $450...and only because we were installing a new air handler.

We did it even though I knew that there's no real proof it does anything beneficial. Here what the US EPA has to say about it:

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.

 

[shortbun]

We have ours done every few years. My son is so allergic to dust that we keep cheese cloth over our heat vents as well. My whole house gets vacuumed and mopped twice a week. People with severe allergies come into my house and say things like, "I can breathe in your house!" Some people think the duct cleaning doesn't make a difference; it does.

 

[rileyroosmom]

My husband works in the HVAC industry. He says there is no need or benefit to havethe ducts cleaned.

 

[wiigirl]

We had it done but only because it was a free with our new furnace.

 

[EMAW_KSU]

My husband works in the HVAC industry. He says there is no need or benefit to have the ducts cleaned.

Exactly

 

[Kitty 34]

A friend of mine said she got her ducts cleaned early November and noticed she didn't have to dust as much afterwards.

 

[Tiggeroo]

My husband works in the HVAC industry. He says there is no need or benefit to havethe ducts cleaned.

Mine too and he also says this.

 

[PongoBoy]

Thanks everyone for the information. I was wondering if it was worth it since I don't know of anyone else who has done it.

 

[Kellydelly]

We have ours done every few years. My son is so allergic to dust that we keep cheese cloth over our heat vents as well. My whole house gets vacuumed and mopped twice a week. People with severe allergies come into my house and say things like, "I can breathe in your house!" Some people think the duct cleaning doesn't make a difference; it does.

I have asthma and several allergies and didn't breathe any easier with the duct cleaning done. I am only going to breathe easy in your home if you have no cats or dogs . Do you have pets?