Air duct cleaning is a fairly new business, and pretty much filled with a lot of hype and misinformation. So let’s clear the air…
So, for now, forget about what private companies tell you to do, here’s what the US government’s EPA guidelines suggest:
You should consider having the air ducts in your home cleaned if:
- There is substantial visible mold growth inside hard surface (e.g., sheet metal) ducts or on other components of your heating and cooling system. There are several important points to understand concerning mold detection in heating and cooling systems:
- Ducts are infested with vermin, e.g. (rodents or insects); or
- Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris and/or particles are actually released into the home from your supply registers.
They do go on to say that these usually suggest an underlying cause. Prior to any cleaning, retrofitting, or replacing of the ducts, the cause or causes should be identified and corrected or the problem may come back.
Now, the causes above are not the only reasons you may want your air ducts cleaned. There are any number of reasons, and though the EPA may not recommend air duct cleaning for those reasons, they do say that there is nothing wrong with getting them cleaned. You may simply like the idea of having clean air ducts supplying air throughout the house. Or a member of your family may suffer from allergies or respiratory problems, and you would feel more comfortable knowing that dirty air ducts are not making the problem worse.
That’s all fine. It’s your call, but before hiring anyone to clean your air ducts, you should know that the field has its share of shoddy contractors. A poorly cleaned air duct, or the use of some cleaning chemicals may actually cause problems for you and your family. However, if you do your research and hire a reputable air duct cleaning service, you will indeed get clean and safe air ducts.
The questions remains:
How do I choose a qualified and responsible air duct cleaner?
For that, follow up here.