What's Your Opinion on Duct Cleaning?

[ponytug]

OP here. I just wanted to do a follow up on the duct cleaning we had done after our renovation. I am officially a believer. I just changed the filter after about 4 months and it looked really good. Before the duct cleaning only after a month the filter would be awful, thick visible layer of dust. The one I just changed after 4 months looked really good. Sure it was gray but there was not a pile of dust on it like before. And the air quality is just better. My wife has respiratory issues and she has not had any flair up since moving back in. Put me in the believer category.

I'm glad it worked for you. After you started this thread, we had our ducts 95% replaced, and the two large returns cleaned. The cleaning was a disaster as the vacuum rapidly got overwhelmed with the dust load and the dust backed up into the rooms, and they kept going with the brushing, so much of the dust flowed on into the house. The rooms were a deep fog of dust and it has taken us months to wipe /dust / vacuum the backed up dust out.

For next time, I will know that if they don't bring out the big boy (3'x3'x3') filter box, I will decline the service. They had that one in the truck, but it was apparently full from a job earlier in the day.

All the best,

Peter

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I'm glad it worked for you. After you started this thread, we had our ducts 95% replaced, and the two large returns cleaned. The cleaning was a disaster as the vacuum rapidly got overwhelmed with the dust load and the dust backed up into the rooms, and they kept going with the brushing, so much of the dust flowed on into the house. The rooms were a deep fog of dust and it has taken us months to wipe /dust / vacuum the backed up dust out.

For next time, I will know that if they don't bring out the big boy (3'x3'x3') filter box, I will decline the service. They had that one in the truck, but it was apparently full from a job earlier in the day.

All the best,

Peter

Interesting!! The guy that came and did mine had a truck that was a giant vacuum with huge filters. Your experience sounds AWFUL sorry!!

 

[ponytug]

Interesting!! The guy that came and did mine had a truck that was a giant vacuum with huge filters. Your experience sounds AWFUL sorry!!

Yes, it was pretty bad, and y the sound of it that was the big brother machine that was full. I walked in on the dust explosion #2, by which time it was too late.

Like many residential contracts, it only specified cleaning, not a 2 hour minimum cleaning with a "Duct Monster Pro", and 24" rotary brush.

Live and learn, though I doubt I will ever need to do it again. Indoor AQI tends to run 4-8 now. The Honeywell filter is amazing.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Cycledude]

Had the ducts in my house cleaned last fall, they had 3-4 workers, took about 2 hours start to finish, cost me $450 , I believe it was a very worthwhile project, the boss told me they are supposed to recommend having the ducts cleaned every 3 years but he feels in most cases every 5 years is plenty good.
That was the first time they were ever cleaned and the furnace was installed in the 60’s, before that the house was 100% heated with 2 wood stoves and no bathroom or running water, they didn’t even have electricity here until sometime in the early 60’s.