Duct Cleaning-is It Worth It?

Honestly I did not see a big difference after I had mine cleaned, but I don't have bad allergies. So you might. I would suggest using a company that has a big vacuum do it. I wish I had gone that route.

I like Celest's response, but I would get the air ducts cleaned first, that way your new filters wont work overtime right when you install them.

I don't think it is worth it, unless you recently moved into a house that has had pets in it for a long time. I have had the ducts cleaned in two houses we've lived in, and it really doesn't help. I have really bad allergies, and the only thing that has helped me is getting a air cleaner with a HEPA filter. Be sure you buy one large enough to fit the room. I would try it just in your bedroom at first and see if that helps. It's noisy. Sometimes just using it while you are sleeping is enough to unload your allergies a little. If you want one for your family room/rest of the house, I recommend Shaklee's Airsource. They are quiet, work on a different system than the HEPA filter and are not quite as effective, but at least you can hear the television and can use it this summer with the windows open.

I researched this to death we have allergies to. I decided not to do it but instead bought filters for my air vents, I think I got them at walmart they just lie inside the vents and catch the dust from coming out. I change those regularly, and got a vacuum that I know is getting everything up. We opened up all the windows and I am in the process of cleaning all our drapes (I don't do blinds) it's helped alot...also kind of funny mabye but we flip and vacuum our matress at least every other time we change the sheets. minimally it gets vacuumed once a month. that pulls out dead skin, dust mites etc. and we replace our pillows every 9 months. (used to be 6 but we are stretching them out more) make sure your filter on your furnace is new and changed every 3 months. or at least you checked it to make sure it was okay and didn't need to be changed. those are the biggest things that make a difference for us. We also run a humidifier at night in my dd's room so she has a little bit of moisture in the air she is breathing in.
Good luck and if you do get your ducts done please let me know if you think it makes a huge difference. I made my decision and I have been pleased with results but sometimes I still wonder!! lol.

I think it is worth doing it once every 7-10 years. Even in a brand new house, there is so much dirt and construction debris. Some of the services will show you what they get from your vents and some even have cameras. Granted, you never really know what they are showing you. Twice a year, I go around and vacuum and wipe out my vents - as far as my hose will reach. It does get gross down there - we have dogs.

The other thing to consider is a good quality HEPA air filter. I can give you more info on the one I have - it also gives off negative ions (good for you) without giving off ozone (bad for you). I'm going to be writing an article on indoor air pollution and how to shop for a unit in the next few weeks. The other thing to look at is the cleaning products you are using as many are registered toxins. Between all the building products, paints, hardwoods, vinyls, carpets, cleaning products and more in our homes, the air inside is usually much worse than the air outside. There is also something I can share with you about a special young barley grass that really helps my allergies. I was reacting from a friend's cat and came home and drank some of the drink and within minutes my scratchy throat and itchy eyes were gone.

Happy to get you more info if you like.
Take care,
S.

I have had it done twice in our house. We did a lot of remodelling when first moved in and that is when it is super essential, dust, drywall dust and so forth gets trapped in the vents and blows out when you have a/c or heat on. Also how often do you have to dust? One big way to tell if you need it done, take the vent cover off and put your hand down there with a white paper towel and wipe around, see what comes up off on the towel!
That will help you know too if you have dirty ducts. High end expensive filters aren't really worth it as much as just changing your furnace filter every other month. Some filters like this can actually make your furnace work harder, hence higher bills! You don't want something so thick it will block the flow of air and cause over work on your furnace.
You can buy really expensive ones that aren't proven to work any better then if you bought a $3 ones in bulk at Home Depot and changed them every other month or even every month. It will help your furnace run more efficiently too as dust build up is hard on the componentsof the furnance and a/c.
Whatever company you are checking into, look them up on Better Business Bureau and get references. They do drill into your furnace ducts in the basement for hard to reach spots so you want a reputable company that will seal the hole well. I didn't find it overly expensive and with the work we had done chunks of drywall had come up through the vents so it was well worth it for us. See if they have a camera too, most of them will run a camera down your vents to show you what it looks like then have them show you after to ensure they did a proper job.
It will help the dust in your house, it will help with allergies and most of all help your furnace run better and keep heating/cooling costs down.
Good luck

Last summer my Mother-in-law had her ducts cleaned and it was well worth it. She has extremely bad allergies and it help. It had never been done in the house before so what should have taken a couple hours took all day. And at the end the guy told her to take a vacuum to the dyer vent every six months and that will help....So yes, I would say to do it. It has helped a ton with their house.

Absolutely it is worth it! My brother had a business with this, and I did work for him for a few of his jobs... you can't imagine what you can find in your air ducts. It is GROSS. Once you clean them out, you breath easier, and since you have allergies, it helps a ton with that as well! I would also highly recommend, after you get the ducts cleaned out to get a air purifier in your house. Those are awesome!

In my opinion, if you are going to invest money in making your air cleaner, I would invest in getting some air filters and put them in the most common rooms in your house. Maybe this sounds wierd, but my mother in law has two, one for the family room and one for their room (plus you can move them around to different rooms) and they have noticed a huge change in their allergies. I notice it when I am at their house. I will have to see what brand they are.

Hi K., In our old house I did have the ducts cleaned. I can't remember the company that I went through but it was recommended by the Tom Martino group. I did it in the late summer right before we turned the heat on. We didn't use the a/c in our old house so that is why I waited. If you use your a/c you can do it really whenever. I do recommend doing it. They do a good job and they can snake their way through all of the ducts to get everything. Some companies have a video camera attached to their hose and you can see it. Ask the companies that you interview if they have that. I hope this helps!

Hi K.,
I was thinking the same thing as you - optimizing health in the home, but was told by a professional carpet / duct cleaner (COIT), that it really only was necessary to do every 5 years or so. Therefore, it really depends when you had it done last, if ever!
Good luck!

We had our ducts cleaned when we moved into our house and I'm glad we did. It really helped cut down on dust and gunk on the floors. My parents get their ducts cleaned every 7-10 years, so not often, but it helps with dust in the air.

Saying "it will just get dirty again" is like saying "why should I clean my bathroom, it's just going to get dirty again." Cleaning your ducts periodically is very much worth the expense and effort. Also, make sure all your filters are clean and are approved to filter out allergens.

Hi K.,

We have had our ducts cleaned in the past 2 houses we've lived in. This house is 30 years old and it had never been done. You should have seen what came out of the vents, mounds of goldfish (2 toddlers lived here before us)about 15 different sized balls, soda cans from construction and various construction debris.They can show you the bag of dust that comes out of you house. I would highly recommend it!We used Ductworks ###-###-####.

The other company we use is Delintz ###-###-#### to clean our dryer vent from the house to the outside. It will help reduce drying time, extend the life of the dryer and reduce potential fire hazard. www.delintzcolorado.com

Other ways to maintain health and ward off sickness, as a family we have decided to build a strong immune system by adding a "whole food" supplement to our diet that has been SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN to improve the immune system. It has made a huge difference in my allergies and in 3 1/2 years my son has been to the doctor only one time! It's called Juice Plus, it's 17 fruits and veggies in a gummie, chewable or capsule form. Kids 4-18 can receive JP for FREE with a paying adult. Call me if you'd like to learn more.
L. C
###-###-####
www.DenverJuicePlus.com

We have allergies, and had our ducts cleaned, heard all kinds of things going through it, but honestly it hasn't helped. Sorry!

I had mine done twice and couldn't see any difference in our alleries. If you do do it, look out for the scam where they say they will clean the ducts but if anything else needs work they will charge extra. They will always find something-usually obvious, like the motor of your furnace.

K. S
You say that you are into green living. With your allergies does this mean you do not use any of the following products in your home. Pinesol, ammonia, bleach or bleach based products, J & J baby products, dove, bounce, cascade, pledge, windex or any other ammonia based products, softsoap, tide, febreeze, carpet powders, deodorizers, aresol cans, dawn, ivory, treseme hair products, crest toothpaste,dial, the big ones like lysol. I would change my shopping habits before spending the money on getting the ducts cleaned if you use these products. There is much better products out there that you can buy that take allergies away, cost you less money and less evironmental waste.

It may help some, but more likely there are multiple things in your house that are causing it, not just dirty ducts. Also, you have to do it about every year to really keep it up, so it's up to you. My allergies are horrible so we get it done just to keep the house dust down a bit (we do it every other year or so). Also make sure to get your carpets cleaned, keep animals out of your bedrooms and off carpets (also there are wipes and such at the store that you can wipe your cat and dog down with the help remove some of the dander...helps me lots too), watch for mold, change your furnace filter often, consider removing the comforter from your bed (use an electric blanket or other blankets instead) and put covers on all pillows and matresses or buy new frequently. Also, a big culprit that I found was my curtains and shades...dusty! Good luck!