Is Cheap Air Duct Cleaning Worth it?

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Cheap Air Duct Cleaning

Would you trust an offer like $99 air duct cleaning? Or $10 per vent?

It can seem tempting to try and save money on air duct cleaning. It’s an added expense, it’s not directly heating or cooling your home like your furnace or air conditioner. Why spend top dollar on it?

Air duct cleaning impacts on:

  • The lifespan of your HVAC equipment
  • The efficiency of your HVAC system
  • Your health – through spreading dust, pollutants, allergens, mold spores etc.

Good cleaning of the air ducts is not a simple thing. In fact, the NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association) rightly says that it’s a little inaccurate to use the term air duct cleaning because it should be described as an “entire HVAC system clean” if don’t properly. The reason for this is that if your ducts are cleaned and other components are not, the whole system could become contaminated again.

NADCA recommends your air duct cleaner cleans the whole system including:

  • Air ducts
  • Air filter
  • Air cleaner
  • Air plenum
  • Blower motor & assembly
  • Coils
  • Drain pan
  • Grills
  • Heat exchanger
  • Registers

Download a checklist to use after a service to help you determine if they did a proper job. You can print the checklist out, and assuming you know what’s included in the service you’re paying for, you can give the list to the HVAC professional and ask them to show you once the work is completed so you can check each one off. A reputable company will be happy to do this for you.

Proper air duct cleaning takes time and requires appropriate equipment. If your paying under the average you will likely get a low quality service that fails to complete the job properly.

How much should quality air duct cleaning cost?

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) a US government agency, suggests proper air duct cleaning of an entire system should cost on average $450 – $1000 per heating and cooling system. This price can vary depending on system size, amount of contamination etc..

How should air duct cleaning work?

Air duct cleaning can be simply broken down into three stages:

  1. Preparation and inspection
  2. Breaking contaminants loose
  3. Removing the source of contamination

Preparation and inspection

All ports and doors should be opened to allow the entire system to be properly inspected for its condition. A professional should be aware of the potential for asbestos and be sure that this is not present before any cleaning takes place. Carpets and household furnishings should be protected during the clean.

Breaking contaminants loose

The cleaner will use some form of agitation device to loosen the contaminants from their surfaces within the HVAC system. This might use soft brushes, air whips, compressed air nozzles and vacuums.

Removing contaminants

The whole HVAC system is put under negative pressure. This prevents the spread of any contaminants into your living space. The negative pressure also helps to extract the containments more easily from the system and remove them from the home or through a HEPA system inside the home.

In summary:

Beware of companies that advertise whole house specials for low prices. Most probably only clean the main ducts and charge excessive amounts to clean the air handler, blower fans, registers etc.. $99 for instance will only cover a few vents. They could charge much more to clean them all and likely more than a reputable company.

A cheaper clean might also use lower quality chemicals that are more harmful to the environment.

Many of us are conscious about indoor air quality these days. Ensuring a good quality air duct clean will help to maintain a healthier environment for you and your family, free from mold, contaminants, allergens etc..

What to expect from Hellas Air Temp

Hellas Air Temp are a full-service air duct and HVAC system cleaning company that provides quality and reliable services backed by 1000s of past customers. Hellas is proudly rated by 100s of satisfied customers in Google, many who have been kind enough to leave a 5* review.

Hellas Air Temp also has an A+ rating with the BBB (Better Business Bureau).

Call to find out about our air duct cleaning services today: 203-852-0666