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Air Vent Cleaning
Air Duct Cleaning: What Should It Cost and Do You Need It?
If it has been some time since your last air duct cleaning, you are probably tempted to find a person to sanitize those ducts so you will get cool air throughout your house in the spring and summer.
But before you do, you need to arm yourself with some knowledge to avoid falling prey to air duct cleaning scams!
In this article, I’ll let you know just how much an air duct cleaning needs to price, when you need it, how to choose a company and how to avoid some common scams.
Here's What You Need to Know About Air Duct Cleaning
1. Beware of Carpet Cleaners Pulling Double Duty as Duct Cleaners
Here’s a traditional upsell from carpet cleaners: They get in your house to work on your carpets and offer to clean your air ducts, also, to get a rock-bottom price.
That cost should also include cleaning your dryer vents. “A quality duct cleaning firm will and should clean your dryer vents, also,” an expert says. “They’re also ducts!”
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2. Know When a Duct Cleaning Is Necessary and When It Isn't
Our expert recommends an immediate duct cleaning when you move into a newly constructed home.
“There’s lots of construction debris. Sawdust, drywall scraps as well as Doritos bags may wind up in the ductwork of a newly constructed home,” he says.
Then, he says a duct cleaning should be performed every seven to ten years — unless you have someone in the home with breathing problems.
“You should receive your HVAC provider to upgrade your furnace filtration situation. That is money better spent than on a yearly or every two-year duct cleaning scam.”
3. Make Certain Your HVAC System Will Is Cleaning, Too
“A quality duct cleaning is not, in my opinion, complete without getting your HVAC system cleaned at exactly the exact same time,” our expert says.
But here is the thing: Duct cleaners are not legally permitted to touch your HVAC unless they have a current HVAC license.
The company must provide you with the permit number upon request. If they won’t, that is not a good sign.
While we are on the topic of HVACs and dust, most HVAC maintenance plans include regular changes of the furnace filter. But changing the filter between visits – usually every three months — will help keep your system running at peak efficiency and cut down on dust.
How to Modify Your HVAC Furnace Filter
Uncertain how to modify your HVAC furnace filter? The first thing to do would be to eliminate the filter out of your furnace. Make a note of the filter size. It’ll be something like something or 14x25x1.
Remember to put the filter back when you are done — at least until your new one is ready to install.
Next, head into the store or look online for a replacement filter. You can find a great one for anywhere from $5 to $20 in a big-box or home-improvement shop. Filters may be even carried by your local supermarket in sizes. But the costs will often be higher than at other places.
If you are noticing a lot of dust or other allergens in your home, it may well be worthwhile to pay the few extra bucks to get a filter with a higher Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating.
MERV ratings are on a scale from 1 to 16 for most residential applications, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The higher the MERV rating, the more particles it keep from your lungs and will trap.
Once you’ve got your new filter, you are ready to take the old one and install the new one. We’ve got a DIY video here to guide you through the simple procedure.
4. Beware of Unsolicited Pitches
Here is how this one works: A company calls you and says they will be in your area next week. They offer to clean your ducts for $25 or some other outlandishly low cost.
5. Push Back on the Mold Scare Tactic
Some companies will put a mold test kit in your home to convince you that you need your ducts cleaned. But you’re likely just scaring.
“Mold is not the only reason to clean your duct work though. [Ducts] may result in having more dust and do get dirty over time. Dust is just a fact of life, as everything emits dust.”
Final Thought
An air duct cleaning shouldn’t be treated as an add-on to a carpet cleaning trip. And while it can be expensive to get it an annual air duct cleaning is not necessary for many people.
So it is sensible to budget for the real price of a legitimate cleaning every seven to ten years. Needless to say, if a person in your house has breathing difficulties, you would want to do it more often.
Meanwhile, be certain that you’re hiring legitimate companies by checking with industry trade groups such as the National Air Duct Cleaners Association.
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