I just scheduled a cleaning and was curious how often this should be done. I noticed our air filter getting dirty pretty fast and we have animals and kids and blah blah. Should I do it every year or every other ? Or when. And who do you use.
Once every other 100 years.
Same.
So is that a never ?
I get my cleaned when I notice the filter getting dirtier, or more quickly than it normally is. I check my filter monthly and the filters I use (3M brand) are designed to last up to 60 days with frequent use. I also have a dog in the house regularly.
I’ve lived in this house since 2012 and I’ve done it 3 times now. I did it twice in 4 years initially because there seemed to be a lot of “new construction dust” buildup, but that is long gone now. Spring time is a good time to do it, usually before you need to start blasting your AC for the summer. Costs about 100 bucks if you search.
IMO waste of money. Cleaning ducts releases more particles in the house then if you just left it alone. It’s like asbestos if you don’t disturb it won’t be a problem.
If you get them cleaned, have them show you what came out. Then you will be like Wooo that’s a lot of Shi@.
If you get them cleaned, have them show you what came out. Then you will be like Wooo that’s a lot of Shi@.
Absolutely, that’s how it was when I bought my old house. And did it the first time
IMO waste of money. Cleaning ducts releases more particles in the house then if you just left it alone. It’s like asbestos if you don’t disturb it won’t be a problem.
X2
I think there are variables… how much carpet is in the house, pets, how quality the filtration is, how much you leave your windows open, etc.
I had Steamatic come and the guy spent a full 8 hours in our house. There were no port holes in the ducts, so he had to do all of that. He pulled out a dead bat.
When all was said and done, he said he’d recommend this service every 5 years.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>supercat wrote:</div>
IMO waste of money. Cleaning ducts releases more particles in the house then if you just left it alone. It’s like asbestos if you don’t disturb it won’t be a problem.X2
So you just let the dust and debris build up and blow out forever. It’s nothing like dealing with asbestos. I do that on the daily. Cleaning hvac seems like a important thing. Why even change the filter then
I check my filter monthly and the filters I use (3M brand) are designed to last up to 60 days with frequent use.
I’ve had several people who work on HVAC repair tell me to be careful what filters you use. They said many people often think buying the most expensive filters that have the Highest MERV ratings are the best for both their furnace and themselves. They say this is far from True. They said a large amount of repairs they do on furnaces are from the owner using to filters with to high of a MERV rating. These often clog rather fast and then restrict air flow to the furnace and thus causes it to have to overwork to push the correct amount of air. They say a filter MERV rated between 6-10 is the best and to replace them no less than once a month. Possibly more if pets in the home. The good news is that the lower rated filters are much cheaper and you can often replace them more often and still spend less money than on the higher rated filters that say they last longer. They say that for those with allergies having a UV light installed in the air system is the best option. Far better than high $ air filters that claim to reduce allergies.
He pulled out a dead bat.
Yikes!
For those who say Never – Its a waste of $. You never want to see how much crap they get out of the ducts when you have them clean them.
It’s something that can be worth it or not. Hard to tell if you got a good job. Did my last house that was older and had a lot of remodeling. It was along the river and till I remodeled it wasn’t always varmint/snake proof. Guy that did it cleaned all my rental carpets for me and inspected and had the crew redo several runs. They left the contents of the vacuum in a garbage bag. It was nasty. Toys, critters, dogfood, building material. I was glad I did it. He took pictures with his phone before they replaced the vents in the basement they worked through. Obvious they did a good job. Lived there 20years, didn’t do it again. Had an old rental house with some nasty pet owners. Couldn’t get the azz smell out of the ducts. It was all 8” round, exposed in the basement. I pulled it down in sections. Took it out in the yard and bleached /pressure washed. Took some time, but came out good. I’d do it again if I felt it needed it. Take your phone or icefishing camera and inspect a little.
So you just let the dust and debris build up and blow out forever. It’s nothing like dealing with asbestos. I do that on the daily. Cleaning hvac seems like a important thing. Why even change the filter then
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Not saying that you should not change your filter but the major dust in your home is not in your duct work. I had a customer in the past wanting to sue the hvac contractor because his kids were always sick and they thought it was coming from the furnace and duct work. They hired a third party firm to come and take dust and mold test threw the house. What they results showed was the air in the home and duct work was 8 times cleaner then the outside air. Case closed no lawsuit. I’m not telling you not to do it just stating my experience.
I thought it a waste of money also . Until wife had it done , first time on our new stick built home . I d say money well spent after that ! Incredible amount of dog hair and dander , dust . That was 7 years after it was built . If you have allergies it makes a big difference . Its do for a cleaning again .
I thought it a waste of money also . Until wife had it done , first time on our new stick built home . I d say money well spent after that ! Incredible amount of dog hair and dander , dust . That was 7 years after it was built . If you have allergies it makes a big difference . Its do for a cleaning again .
My allergies are bad. Especially this time of the year. Just peeking in vents and opening up my ducts I can see the build up. That’s why I originally asked
The in-laws run a large commercial HVAC business that’s been in business for 45 years. I’ve asked them about air duct cleaning and filters in the past. They have always been adamant in telling me that cheaper air filters changed regularly are far better for your furnace than more expensive filters changed less often. They recommend changing the filters monthly and running cheaper filters.
As far as duct cleaning, they have always told me it is relative. If you have multiple pets and a household full of people to consider doing it more often. My father-in-law has always had dogs and they’ve never been allowed to step foot inside their house. On top of the obvious stuff dogs are hard on, they can wreak havoc on HVAC equipment as dog hair is notorious for clogging filters and duct work.
If your allergies are bad a combination of inside pets, dirty duct work, and carpet are all your enemies.
No idea, but I will get my ducts clean when I finish my house. I know they are packed full of crap, I cleaned out my basements ones that had some remodel junk and I pulled out a .45 shell.
My allergies are bad. Especially this time of the year. Just peeking in vents and opening up my ducts I can see the build up. That’s why I originally asked
Bearcat. See a post I just made about UV lights installed in HVAC systems. I’m looking into it as like you I have a fair amount of Allergies
Yes. We had it done when the house was new and got one dust bunny. 20 years on and after 3 kids and a Lab the filters are filthy. Newer furnace and tech said Merv 8 maximum. Cheap filters changed every month. Plus the carpet is shedding since it’s basically breaking down. New floors and carpet this year and then get the ducts cleaned.
There’s no smell coming out of mine, air flow is not impeded and I change filters regularly so I dont think its necessary even after 24 years.
wife made me call a company few years ago just to say we did it. some kid showed up and could not figure out how to remove the vent covers. wife said it seemed like it was his first day. i did not notice any difference. waste of money unless they do a really thorough job IMO
Much simpler way. Filter the air returns. Cheap / easy and different annually. You’ll never have crap in the ducts
wife made me call a company few years ago just to say we did it. some kid showed up and could not figure out how to remove the vent covers. wife said it seemed like it was his first day. i did not notice any difference. waste of money unless they do a really thorough job IMO
A thorough job is what I’m looking for. Not the neighborhood “special” for 89 bucks. 2 of my good buddies work for nac, and cool air. We work in the field together on jobs often. They said they have the guy for me and he is coming by next week. I will report back when it’s done
I know a guy who cleaned ducts for a few years. They used to keep a bag of dust and debris to show homeowners “how much stuff they cleaned out.” He told me they didn’t need it all the time but when people pay to have ducts cleaned and there really wasn’t much to clean out in the first place, they’d show them that bag so they didn’t feel like they were getting gypped (I’m Bohemian and can say that). Not saying all outfits do this but just want people to be aware that your ducts may not have been as dirty as you thought just based on what the guys show you.
I can confirm the bag they had came out of my ducts. Was home when they did it and knew the guy very well. He showed me progress as he did it. Obviously took a lot of pride in his work. They phony bag could cover the ducts were fairly clean, and didn’t need it. Or to cover up a half azz job. My guy said a lot of companies clean the spots a homeowner can see easily.
I use cheap filters and change monthly, better for the furnace.
We have had it done once in the last 25 years. That was when the new furnace went in. Once every 20 years seems good to me. Even then when we had it done noticed no change in anything. Made no difference in how much stuff was on the furnace filter to.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Don Meier wrote:</div>
I thought it a waste of money also . Until wife had it done , first time on our new stick built home . I d say money well spent after that ! Incredible amount of dog hair and dander , dust . That was 7 years after it was built . If you have allergies it makes a big difference . Its do for a cleaning again .My allergies are bad. Especially this time of the year. Just peeking in vents and opening up my ducts I can see the build up. That’s why I originally asked
For sure , reputable company did ours , no regrets .
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