Is the air quality of your home poor and congested? If so, has this made you think about cleaning the ductwork to make the air fresher and healthy? Although most HVAC companies provide duct cleaning services, duct cleaning may affect the air ducts negatively in some cases. This is because cleaning the air ducts may damage the duct systems, causing them to require many costly repairs in the future.
3 Reasons why you shouldn’t rush to clean the air ducts
Before you click on those duct cleaning ads from HVAC companies, check out the following details about why cleaning ductwork might not be the best option.
May not solve health issues
In case you or someone in your home has allergies that have been triggered due to poor air quality, your first thought might be to clean the air ducts to rid the air of the allergens. While cleaning the ductwork might prove effective once in a while, you need to know that the ductwork might not be the source of the allergens.
Dust from outside, pollen was blown into the house by the wind, pet dander, dust mites, dust particles in the drapes and carpeting, and tracked in dirt may be sources of the allergens. Therefore, cleaning the ductwork without identifying the source of the problem will only cost you money without actual results.
The inside of the ducts may not be dusty
Maybe you saw that dust was building up on the registers of the ducts. Dust build-up on the outside does not mean that the ductworks are full of dust. In fact, according to Bob Vila, HVAC scammers usually use the layer of dust on the registers to convince people to buy ductwork cleaning services that they don’t really need. The ductwork registers are the metal grills that cover the air ducts (return air).
The return air ducts tend to gather up dust on the outside naturally. However, this does not suggest that the interior surface of the air duct is covered with dust. If you take a closer look at your ductwork, you may recognize air filters at the back of the registers. The air filters are designed to trap the dust that is sucked into the return air register duct system. As a result, the dust never actually enters the duct system.
Some air duct cleaning deals are scam
First, we would like to mention that there are honest, legitimate, and reputable air duct cleaning services from HVAC providers out there. However, there are equally as many scammers who offer false duct cleaning services online or in real life. You might be surprised when a con artist shows up at your doorstep offering to clean the air ducts for less than $100. Kindly note that reputable duct cleaning services cost between $500 and $1500.
When should I clean the air ducts?
How will you tell the difference between an honest duct cleaning service and a scam? For starters, scammers will pressure you to have the ducts cleaned without any tangible reason. As we mentioned earlier, dust on the registers is not a sign to clean the duct system. Additionally, if the services are too cheap, think twice. Below are some valid reasons that warrant you to clean the air ducts. They include:
- Visible growth of mold
- Rodent infestation in the duct system
- Insect infestation in the duct system
- Deposits of debris or dust in the registers in case they were not sealed during a renovation
Get in touch with us today for alternative solutions for achieving high-quality indoor air without damaging the duct system. Call us at 561-395-6400 for more information.