Duct cleaning

[Texclerk]

For those who have had their AC ducts clean, did you notice any improvement in air quality, health, etc.? We are considering doing this and I just wondered if anyone out there has done it and had a positive or negative experience.

 

[Crusher X]

We're in the same boat. We have two units on our house and a ton of vents. It would cost us a good chunk of change for the service. I'm also wondering if it's worth it and if so, are there any contractor recommendations for the Austin area.

 

[Stuck_At_Work]

We've discussed this before. The general consensus is that duct cleaning is worthless.

 

[brntorng]

I know someone who had it done and it was worthless. They removed the vents and vacuumed as far as they could easily reach which was a small fraction of the length of the duct. They complained to the owner of the company and were blown off. Your best bet is to use high quality air filters, preferably the 4" thick ones. Keep this in mind if you're installing a new system--add the option for the thick high performance filter. If you're stuck with 1" filters, the highest performing 3M ones are very good. Just replace them about every 3 months (at the beginning of and midway through heating and cooling season) to avoid restricting air flow through the system. That's the advantage of the 4" filters--they can go for a year between replacement.