Duct cleaning...

[Capt Steve]

Our new home, we have been here 2 years now, is 29+ years old. As it was a rental for ten years before we bought a lot of maintenance chores were put off or ignored altogether.

Recently we heard a rattling noise coming from the duct in the bedroom and when I opened it up I found a large, very old cardboard box with a dried out piece of tape fluttering in the breeze jammed between the bedroom and master bathrooms. I have no idea why it was there.

I called the restoration/cleaning company that we used when we had a burst pipe last winter. They sent two guys and a lot of equipment out and it took them 6 hours to thoroughly clean all of our ducts. They had a very large HEPA suction/vacuum that pressurized the entire duct system and then used a rotating brush to scrub all of the ducts. Keep in mind this is just a 1400 square foot, single story house. They also scrubbed all ten registers and even disassembled the blower from our furnace scrubbing it thoroughly before reinstalling.

I was embarrassed at how much crud they got out and consequently how much junk we had been breathing...Arrrg! If your house has not been done in the last few years now is a good time to check your ducts as the heating season is fast approaching. The bill was $675 and frankly I was glad to pay it.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I toss a couple of catnip mice in the duct work and turn the cats loose in there. A bit calamitous but effective.

My job is to handle the lint rollers afterwards.

 

[grover99]

If I tried the cat cleaning my dumb cat would get lost and I would have cut a hole in the wall to get him out.

 

[Roger Kipwell]

My HVAC guy told me that "duct cleaning" is a big scam.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My HVAC guy told me that "duct cleaning" is a big scam.

My 44 years in the apartment and rental home industry tells me you really need to fire you A/C guy! No telling how many other whoppers he's told you!

No property management company can afford to clean all the ducts in hundreds of units. The ductwork gets dirty if you improperly change or clean the furnace filters.

The type of local airborne dust makes a big difference. Harvest time in grain producing areas is rough on on both the filters and your lungs!

Ivan

 

[Capt Steve]

Say what?

My HVAC guy told me that "duct cleaning" is a big scam.

OP here, care to explain why? I know how bad they were and now can clearly see how clean they are so where's the scam? Not looking to argue just more than a little curious what your friend bases his blanket statement on.

 

[Onomea]

My 2800 sq ft house was built in the early 90s and I bought it in 2020.

I had the compressor start to fail in my central air conditioning this past summer. While the HVAC guy was here replacing the compressor, I asked him about the advisability duct cleaning.

He said if you have kids and pets, probably a good idea. With just my wife and me, and previous owner being a single guy, probably not necessary.

For what it's worth...

 

[Roger Kipwell]

OP here, care to explain why? I know how bad they were and now can clearly see how clean they are so where's the scam? Not looking to argue just more than a little curious what your friend bases his blanket statement on.

He said that most homes don't build up enough dust to become a problem. The scam is that they are selling you a service that you really don't need.

My house was built in 1957. I put a camera down my vents and there's dust there but it isn't piles of tumbleweeds like the commercials tell you.

 

[mtgianni]

I think a lot of the need for duct cleaning depends on the moisture in the area. If you could be growing mold it may not be a bad idea, especially if you see dark traces around any wall vents. If it is dry enough or there are no shedding pets in the house it probably isn't necessary.

 

[Heymatt]

Kinda depends on the type of material your duct system is made of.
Sheetmetal is much for forgiving than flexible duct and fiberglass board for cleaning. And will actually be cleaner when done. Too many nooks and crannies with flex and board to do a good job.
If the company doing the cleaning is overly aggressive with the wands used. They will cause more problems than the one they came for.
Yes, a lot of companies use the cleaning as a way to get into your home. Then add on services to drive the final bill up.
Yes, I'm in the trade, 30 years now and counting

 

[Capt Steve]

A couple more thoughts...

OP here once again... Our ducts are sheet metal and through the magic of "sight" I was easily able to see just how bad they were. I'm pretty sure they had never been done in the last 29 years. Living up here in the mountains at 5,000' we get lots of wind all year long and it consistently brings a lot of dust.

My bride is an amazing housekeeper and even with all of her best efforts dust buildup is constant. For the first 29 years this house was here the two long driveways {total of 85 yards} were dirt and the house faces southwest where most of our wind comes from. We saw a dust reduction when we paved both driveways with asphalt shortly after moving in but it never goes away.

The company we used {Sunshine restoration/cleaning} has been nothing but awesome getting us through our burst pipe disaster last January. They have never even suggested any additional services and I sought them out for this job.

Bottom line I am glad we had it done and after two years here hopefully I am just about done with home improvement projects... yeah right.

 

[ladder13]

Clean your dryer vent regularly.

 

[arjay]

I'd be more concerned with having the ducts cleaned right after the house is built. All kinds of junk is often left behind.

 

[Capt Steve]

Oh yeah...

Clean your dryer vent regularly.

We are replacing the old washer and dryer that came with the house. They both worked OK for 2 years but the washer developed a small leak. Ordered a matching pair of Samsung's but Home Depot wanted $80 to haul the old ones away so I put them out in front of the house with a sign that said "Free" {Dryer works fine, washer works but has a small leak}. An hour and half later after a lot of lookeeloos a guy showed up with his pickup and was happy to take them both.

Once the old units were out on the street cleaning the dryer vent was easy... it is only 8" long {house is framed with 2 X 6's} blowing out of the back wall of the house. As far as having the ducts cleaned after the initial construction I have to agree. A lot of what came out of our ducts looked like it could have easily been some of the original construction debris though I'll never know.

 

[SMSgt]

Samsung makes great TVs. I'll leave them to that.

 

[SMSgt]

Clean your dryer vent regularly.

I cleaned mine for the first time since the house was built in '94. Very little came out. Got more from the inside of the dryer, which has been cleaned several times before, than I did from the vent line.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Samsung makes great TVs. I'll leave them to that.

And cell phones.

 

[swsig]

Here's a dryer exhaust line lint trap I can recommend. It catches virtually all of the lint that gets by my dryer's somewhat ineffective lint screen. It was recommended by Mike Holmes, and it's made in Canada, so it has to be good!

 

[jeffrefrig]

I would gladly pay a company <$700 to clean my vents. I have a small 2-story 1200 sq. ft. built in 1950 and I'm sure the ducts have never been done. I have an 18" UV light in the return air before the filter, Aprilair 2200 air filter, and another combination UV and ozone generation light above the A coil, so nothing grows in the furnace. I installed the system the spring of '04 after we moved in and the furnace still looks new and the blower wheel doesn't have any buildup. Glad I saw this because I like to change filter, UV lights, humidifier panel, and vacuum it out every Sept./Oct.
Getting someone to come in and do the vents will be a chore. I've been waiting 2 1/2 months for a company to install a fence out back for the dog.

 

[cndrdk]

Clean your dryer vent regularly.

Unhook the dryer and use an electric leaf blower (or gas, if your wife is not home). It will clean the dryer vent out pretty good. Can also use the leaf blower to clean out your vehicle.