Anyone get their ducts cleaned?

[menace]

I thought while we were on the energy efficiency DIY projects--was wondering if anyone has hired (or done it yourself) duct cleaning?  I guess I'm wondering what they do, and is whatever they do worth it?  If you did it yourself, what was involved and would you do it again as opposed to just hiring someone?

[J_K_M_A_N]

I kinda wonder that myself. My wife keeps saying we have to have that done but, like you, I am not sure if it is worth it.

J_K_M_A_N

[ChadTower]

I have forced hot air and have not had it done, having bought my house in 2001.  I have no idea of the prior owners ever had it done.  What are the potential benefits?

[Stingray]

I had a house fire in '04. I had it done to clean the soot out of the ducts. They have a big truck that acts like a giant vacuum cleaner. They connect that to one end of your ducts and then use what looks like a toilet snake with a round scrub brush on the end at the other and run it through the entire system, sucking out the crap at the other end. It was only two or three hundred dollars for my small house. There is no way in the world I would have tried to do it myself, particularly after I saw how the pros do it. Hell, my air conditioning smelled lightly of peppermint for a couple weeks.

-S

[RayB]

Yearly is probably overkill, but occasionally sucking out the dust will help with your air quality.

Got a webcam? Just tape it to a flash lite and take a peek at what's in your ducts. If it's relatively junk free, then don't bother.

[ErikRuud]

I have had it done twice now.

The first time was right after we had a new furnace and central air installed.

The second time was shortly after having the basement finished to clear out any drywall dust.

It is supposed to help with air quality.  Supposedly in extreme cases the dust build up could start to impair the efficiency of the system.

It did seem to help with the dust.

[quarterback]

My parents had it done to improve their air quality.  I think it's a scam.  Not a 'scam' like the guy comes in and doesn't do anything, but a 'scam' like the Ionic Breeze is a scam (IOW: it's not going to change your life or health)

Do you have air filters?  Do you replace them?  It seems to me that:
(a)  if all the air you breathe is being flitered through an air filter, then what's in the ducts (presuming it's not 8-inches thick) isn't going to make a big difference in your life.
-and-
(b) There's dust everywhere and there will continue to be dust everywhere whether you have this big truck suck out your ducts or not.  There are millions of dust mites in your carpet, your clothing, your drapes, on your body.  If you have specific dust-allergies, this isn't going to solve it. 

[Stingray]

There are millions of dust mites in your carpet...

I don't have carpet anymore either. It's just unbelievably nasty how much crap there is in your carpet even if you vacuum it every day. If you have any kind of dust related allergy, you'll be amazed at how much better your life gets if you yank out that carpet and put in tile or hardwood.

-S

[ChadTower]

Well, dude, how many dogs do you have again?

Dogs + carpets = baaaaaaaaaaaad juju

[JackTucky]

I think that the duct cleaning industry is riddled with crooks too.

I was trying to get an estimate in my old house to make my A/C better, including adding more ducts, bigger unit, etc.

One guy came in and would only recommend duct cleaning.  A long story about how he has the best vacuum, etc.

HOW can you know that he did a good job?  Are they gonna show you the dust?  Are you sure it's your dust.

Duct cleaners post signs around the neighborhood.  $29.95, etc.

Also, keep in mind that this thing was never heard of before about 20 years ago?  Like the sundried tomato 

Jacktucky

[Stingray]

The dogs don't come in the house (except for one who is too old to leave outside), nor do the cats. But I do live in the country. It's pretty dusty out there.

-S

[ChadTower]

Especially when the hills are alive with the sound of flames.

[GGKoul]

If you've recently moved into a newly constructed house.. I would recommend it.  As the duct work becomes a garbage can for the workers.  So alot of saw dust, little wood pieces and coffee cups will be deposited into the duct work. 

My parents had theirs cleaned and there must have been at least 10 cups and bottles sitting in the duct work.  I havent cleaned mine yet, but I did find a snapple bottle in my cold air return in my furnace. 

[ChadTower]

So I could have 50 year old trash in there.  Lovely.

[mccoy178]

I need to have it done.  I just replaced the furnace, and I saw that it was gross.  I have done a complete makeover of my house, so there is some accumulation of drywall, sawdust, and other good stuff sitting in there.  When we fired up the new furnace, old tape from 1970 shot out with a cloud of dust.  Chalk one up to inexperience.  I had dust puddles sitting by most of the grates.  Imagine how high quality my air is.  Anybody want to go jog a mile with me?  I could probably cough up a whole sheet of drywall.

[More Cowbell]

We got our ducts and carpets cleaned when we first moved into our house 5 years ago. The people that lived in the house before us smoked and it smelled like them. It seemed better afterward. I don't feel like it was a scam or anything.

[menace]

some good info coming out here--we are moving into a new place so i think i will pony up the cash and get it done--could be squirrels, dead cats, coffee cups--who knows what else in there...

[Stingray]

I don't feel like it was a scam or anything.

Just to be perfectly clear, neither do I. Quite the contrary, it was money well spent IMO. The guys who did it ran their camera down there before they started and showed me how black it was from the smoke that ended up down there. When they were finished they showed me again. The ducts certainly didn't look like new, but they did look very clean.

They also found a mummified mouse still in the trap I put down there and forgot about three years ago.

-S

[More Cowbell]

Something else just came to mind about the duct cleaning. We had an issue with our company where they were a bit careless with the hose and got some fine dirt/residue on the walls by a couple of the vents. It wouldn't come out so we complained and didn't have to pay for the duct cleaning. Sweet! I just painted over it. So just make sure you check their work just in case.

[xar256]

I want to have it done to my house as well (Moved in 3 months ago) I'll be doing it after most of the renos are done...(In the ducts I've worked on, I've noticed the previous owners used them as garbage cans - used Kleenex, rubber balls, trading cards, etc) it's a wonder I get air in some of the rooms at all.

If you do go shopping around, make sure you get a cleaner who uses the rotating brushed or robot...There are some companies (29.99 for the house) who just use compressed air to blow out the ducts...Lot cheaper...but you get what you pay for.   

Xar256

[Luxury]

I can't believe that this thread has gone this far without any witty euphimisms about the title.

Keep up the good work.