Residential Air Duct Cleaning - Avoid $89 Specials!

Basic Explanation     |     The $89 Scam!     |     Never Allow Chemicals! Our 14 Step Cleaning Process     |     Before and After Pictures     |    Request More Information What to do after a $89 Scam     |     Cleaning FAQ     |     Choosing a Cleaner

 

You've seen the coupons.  They come in the household coupon packs or with store credit card bills.  "Whole house cleaning" specials for what it would cost to go to a nice dinner and a movie.  Don't be fooled.  Remember, Air Duct Cleaning is not something that is cheap and quick.

Lets consider a company 1 hour away.  Lets also consider they are using "high tech tools" and two "certified" employees with pay rates at $12 hourly.  One last assumption, their $99 Special takes 1.5 hours for a small ranch style home.  Remember, this is the companies cost of doing business, not your cost or service.

Travel time to and back (1hr)	$48
Time spent on job (1.5hr)	$36
Fuel for Vehicle	$26
Materials (Patches)	$10
Total	$120

There’s no magic process or super-duper labor saving machines available that can make air duct cleaning a lower cost service than carpet cleaning.  A rotating brush on a plug-in vacuum cleaners hose or “multi-motor HEPA vacum” can’t effectively remove dust, wood, nails and debris accumulated throughout an air duct system.  A HEPA vacuum requires slow moving air to filter correctly.  This means that they are not as powerful as some companies want you to believe. 

 

Estimation based on per vent counts can never truly estimate a job.  Every home is different.  Some homes have multiple systems, other homes multiple zones and possibly even a combination. What about different types of duct work?  Are they concerned about how they can access the units?  If they can access the units what about ALL of your trunk duct?  (your main duct work in the home) What about if your basement is finished, how do they expect to clean the sealed up trunk line or account for the extra time involved?  What about painted on floor, wall or ceiling registers?  If you think about it, all these factors greatly effect cleaning time although these questions are rarely asked. 

 

Ducts systems in a home are extensive and take a considerable amount of effort and time to successfully clean.  An average home (1,500sqft) has enough inside duct surface area to equal a typical bedroom.  

 

In addition, an average home has around 20lbs of building debris within the ductwork.  The debris is typically pieces of wood, nails and sheetrock mud left over from home construction plus the additional accumulation of dust that has clung to these pieces.  Ask yourself, how can a shop vacuum be powerful enough to pull a piece of wood up a duct?   How can these cleaners be removing these contaminants by only making 1” holes in your duct work main lines?  Armstrong Heating needs to cut 12”x12” holes on average every 15 feet in your main duct work lines.  This is to accommodate our vacuum hose, high pressure air and power cleaning tools.  This also allows us to properly inspect and remove large pieces of construction debris.  As always we install access panels that are air tight and guaranteed.  Armstrong urges you to investigate before you invest.  Check out your local BBB and inquire about their status as a company.  Research unbiased air duct cleaning website, NADCA.COM and EPA.GOV and never trust a cleaner proposing to spray chemicals in your ducts. It’s the air you breathe. 

 

“Fluff” and debris accumulated in the filter compartment of a forced air system two weeks after a “Whole House Special”. The process was very effective at sweeping the debris from the branches into the main trunk ducts.

The conditions left behind in the return main trunk duct two months after a “Whole House Special”. The lint and debris is left clinging to all four duct walls.

 

This is how the ducts should look after a proper cleaning.  Notice the removal of ALL debris.