Duct cleaning

[andyvh1959]

My house was built in 1973. Got a new furnace installed in 2012. Far as I know all the HVAC ducting is original to the house. The cold air return vents do collect a fair amount of dust bunnies/cat hair/etc. Gets me thinking the ducting could be cleaned. Anyone done it, or hired it done professionally? Any results, pros and cons to report if you had it done?

 

[NYBODYMAN]

When we had an exterior fire a few years ago, the insurance company paid for it to be done. Not sure if it had ever been done prior to that. We haven't done it since (probably been 10 years) and I often wonder if we should or not. I'm sure it couldn't hurt.

 

[FredWanaker]

kind of depends on how bad it is, and what needs to be done. I cleaned the A coil for the AC a couple years ago. It was pretty clean but the AC efficiency went up considerably afterwards. I pulled one apart in SoCal many years ago and it was so packed with dirt and fuzz it was barely moving air. Kinda depends how well your filtering system has worked too. Do you have a HVAC company you use? Maybe they know someone who is legit.

 

[67CarGuy]

I used to do it for ~2 years -- we used a heavy, awkward, noisy vacuum that spun a big brush on the end to knock stuff loose. The vacuum itself was pretty weak.

Here's what I'd suggest: pull off each vent cover, and look inside. Is it nasty, or just dusty with assorted cat hair, etc.? If it's not dusty, I'd suggest doing it yourself. If it's nasty, it may be worth it to pay someone. IF you pay someone, make sure they're not some fly-by-night operation. There are definitely some good duct cleaners out there, but it may take some work to find them.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

I used to do it for ~2 years -- we used a heavy, awkward, noisy vacuum that spun a big brush on the end to knock stuff loose. The vacuum itself was pretty weak.

Here's what I'd suggest: pull off each vent cover, and look inside. Is it nasty, or just dusty with assorted cat hair, etc.? If it's not dusty, I'd suggest doing it yourself. If it's nasty, it may be worth it to pay someone. IF you pay someone, make sure they're not some fly-by-night operation. There are definitely some good duct cleaners out there, but it may take some work to find them.

Exactly what I worry about. Some half assed dirt chicken with a shop vac coming into my house and doing a **** job.

 

[Showkey]

Pop the ends off the cold air returns ducts……….clean the ducts with vacuum and long attachments or any other cleaning products of your choice, **** and span comes up often.


Some duct cleaners outfits are similar to carpet cleaners…….in quality, effectiveness and pricing

 

[slowtwitch73]

We had it done last year. 30 yo old house, never been done. For the money, why not?

Guy had a huge effing 220 vacuum. I had him show me the bag when he was done, because like you I was curious. It had a lot of stuff in it. Peace of mind.

 

[evintho]

I had it done a couple of years ago. $350. If anything, it'll help alleviate any allergies you may have. The ducts were pretty filthy inside. It's best to have them cleaned once every 10 years or so.
Ironically, as we speak, there're contractors in my attic space ripping out and installing all new duct work. Like you, my house was built in '75 and the ductwork is original to the house. It may behoove you to have your ductwork inspected. Mine was leaking at most of the joints, one was completely disconnected, nothing was sealed well and the insulation was thin and falling off. We're upgrading to a larger 10" trunk line and larger 8" lines also. Manual dampers to control air flow and much higher quality products. The system will be balanced and sealed. $3800 here in the expensive SF Bay Area.

 

[AP514]

From Ridge to Flex duct.....I see.

 

[Showkey]

OP is in Wisconsin ……..the typical system here is metal duct in the basement, hanging from the ceiling.

 

[evintho]

Absolutely! 47 year old rigid sheet metal ductwork leaking like a sieve with deteriorating insulation. The flexible has a higher R value built in and properly sealed and upgraded delivers double the airflow of the smaller rigid lines. Not to mention, cost effective in my area.

 

[andyvh1959]

Thanks everyone. Here in Wisconsin almost every house has a basement, and metal ducting is the norm. In the basement where the furnace is located the main heating ducts are sheet metal and not insulated at all. That in itself provides some heat into the basement which is the floor area directly under the living room.

 

[couch67]

Am I the only one thinking this pic should be in the WTF thread? Man I gotta grow up!

 

[FredWanaker]

I had all the ducting replaced in 2005 with the same stuff going into the new home. The old insulation, albeit worn, actually did a better job than the newer ducts. However the leakage was greatly reduced. If I were to do it again I would have rigid duct put in that is wrapped in R13 and all the seams and joints sealed in mastic. That gives better airflow and less energy loss.

 

[rancherbill]

Get it cleaned. You'll get more air flow and it will be quieter.

There are lots of deals on Group-on for furnace cleaning during the off peak. I think peak season is the start of heating season.

They are not bumpkins with a vacuum, they have huge truck based units.

 

[firebirdparts]

Did it. Nothing to report really.

 

[alexajames533]

The ducts become dirty as a result of pollutants, dust, and pollution that collect in them during heating and cooling operations. These impurities accumulate inside the ductwork over time, providing a favourable environment for the growth of mould, bacteria, dust mites, fungus, and other pathogens. By keeping your furnace and ductwork clean, you can ensure that the air you breathe indoors is healthy. Furthermore, it makes your HVAC system run more efficiently.

 

[AMXJohn]

Have them cleaned, you won't regret it.
Find a firm that specializes in duct cleaning. I would not use a restoration contractor, carpet cleaner or HVAC contractor that has duct cleaning as an add on service. Check out the National Air Duct Cleaners Association website for more information https://nadca.com/.

 

[jfleisher]

When we moved into this house I removed the floor vent covers and stuck my shop vac hose down as far as it would go (20' or so). I got a lot of stuff out of them that way, including some plastic balls almost the same diameter as the ducts. Kids.

 

[slow]

a lot of this has to do with the design of the system, my old house had the filter at the air handler, but had 40 feet of supply duct from the main living space to the unit, lots of dust bunnies and such were in this part of the system, I would reach my shop vac in a good 8 feet but that was as far as I could go, lots of dust in 12 years. My current house has filters on all returns so unfiltered portions of the system don't exist. We still had the ducts cleaned when we moved in as there were portions of the system that were unfiltered. We replaced the ducts with larger ones and installed filter grills with the heatpump replacement in January.

 

[23ford]

We had our ducts cleaned eariler this year and it made a difference this summer. For the first time in 24 years the a/c cooled the house and shut off in the heat of the day.
They spent 11 hours cleaning sealing and fixing a split in the ducts.

 

[dougf]

Pay close attention to them and make sure you check up on their work. I just had duct cleaning done on a new construction due to construction trash inside the vents. They hacked my vent supply lines up for access, messed with the insulation inside my unit which fell onto my coil and froze my lines up, and did a poor job putting everything back together. On the bright side they removed a dead mouse and chunks of spray foam and drywall.

 

[drmarkr]

"Increased airflow" after cleaning ducts? No.