[ComeOnLetsGo]

We replaced our entire furnace/heat pump/ac system last month so I decided to have a whole-house duct cleaning done so we could start with a clean slate. I was a little unsure that it was really necessary...until the guy had me climb a ladder, handed me a flashlight and told me to stick my head in the main duct (trunk line) of the house before he began. Oh my! I could not believe the amount of grossness coating the entire thing about 2 inches thick on all sides. It actually made me shudder, and I am not a clean freak by any stretch of the imagination. He spent over 4 hours cleaning every duct and vent in the entire house. When he was done, he showed me the end result and they looked brand new...all the grossness completely gone. He then showed me the contents of this huge hepa filter (about 4 feet high and 3 feet wide) that he brought in to contain everything sucked out of our house. This thing was completely clean whe he brought it in and when he was done it was full-disgusting! I was simply amazed and so glad we had this done. I never gave any thought to the amount of dirt and debris that we harbor in our heating/cooling systems. Our guy said that it is recommended to have it done about every 4 years. Anyone else had this done? If so, do you do it regularly? It's pretty pricey...don't know if I can swing it every four years.

 

[chel]

I've always lived in an apartment but would get it done if I could.

 

[dlm194]

I always advise anyone moving into a new home that they should have the duct work clean. The amount of disgusting crap in there is insane. I had my ducts cleaned a couple weeks before my dd was born (it was funny - the kid who did the work was about to start training to be an EMT and was TERRIFIED that i would go into labor during the couple hours he was there). Anyway, he cleaned mold out of the duct work and the place was only 2 year old!!! I can't imagine putting my baby to sleep in a home that was blowing mold!

 

[ComeOnLetsGo]

There are different levels of duct cleaning. We got the "Ultimate Whole-House Duct Cleaning" which was very extensive and cost over $600. Maybe we'd only need to do that once in a while and do the less expensive "touch-up" cleanings more often. Hmmm...

 

[Petersmamma]

Where I live, companies do specials where you can get the ducts cleaned and have some (or all, if you live in a small house, like us!) of your carpets cleaned for about $100. We did this right before ds was born, and we ended up having to do the really expensive clean-it-good treatment which cost about $300 for our small house. However, if you keep up and get them cleaned every year, then it is about $100 and you get your carpets cleaned, too! We just cleaned our carpets, but I want to get the ducts cleaned since it has been 1.5 yrs since we did it last, and let me tell ya, we breathed SO MUCH BETTER after it was done! We also had the company make us a special filter for our central heat/ac (again, small house, so just one filter) that we can take down and wash. It's nice!

 

[Rico'sAlice]

Did they check for duct leakage as well? (Duct blower test) B/C if you seal up all of the duct lines, the A/C unit, and the return plenum properly they won't get dirty nearly as easily. Most of the duct in the lines is not what has snuck past your return plenum filter. It is junk that got sucked in from the attic, or wall cavity, or wherever your lines are running.

Plus, if you have a high leakage rate the system is not going to be working well anyway, and you'll be paying more & be less comfortable than you would be if everything was sealed up. While some new houses (& Energy Star homes) have almost 0%, you aim for leakage to be under 10%, over 20% is bad news. I've never tested a house ~10yrs or older that didn't have duct leakage 20% or higher. And many new houses have high leakage as well, just due to poor installation.
Just thought I'd mention that.