The air that moves around inside our houses does more than help us stay cool or warm; it affects how healthy we feel, and our comfort levels and also affects what we pay for energy. But if this important flow of air is not looked after well, it might bring with it things other than just making us comfortable. Dirt, things that cause allergies, and different unclean particles can gather inside the ducts of your house. This ruins the air quality exponentially. Cleaning these air ducts helps with this problem. How much money do you need to clean the air ducts? If you are wondering how much is air duct cleaning this article is made for you as it explains every aspect of air duct cleaning.
Why Clean Your Air Ducts?
Cleaning the air ducts can seem like extra money to spend, but it is worth it for the good things that come from clean air in your house. It’s a good idea to have your ducts cleaned so you breathe healthy air at home. For getting the best results from air duct cleaning, it is important to select a reliable and well-known company with experience. Knowing how much the service will cost you is also necessary. You can then decide with good information and get the necessary services for your particular requirements.
What To Clean?
The EPA suggests that every part of your HVAC system, including the heat pump, furnace, and central air unit should be cleaned. Not cleaning one part could cause contamination to spread through the whole system. A well-maintained system runs better and uses less energy to operate so it is better for your investment.
The Cost of Air Duct Cleaning
Homeowners usually pay from $300 to $500 for cleaning services of air ducts in homes. This AC duct cleaning cost can change depending on different things, so it is important to ask the service provider for a clear quote before you agree. For business buildings, because the heating and cooling systems are bigger and more complex, they usually cost more. You need a special price that depends on what the building needs.
- Several heating and air companies offer a complete cleaning at a single cost, while different ones may bill for each part separately.
- Some contractors could ask for a payment between $25 and $50 for each vent, with an extra cost of $150 to clean the dryer vent. Remember, it is very important to clean the dryer vent to avoid fire risks.
- Other builders may have a set price for the house, and some might ask for about $750 for a home of regular size.
- Many cleaning companies will ask for between $150 and $500 to make the condenser coil and evaporator inside your furnace clean. But, it is crucial to have these parts taken care of so that your system works at its best efficiency. Regular upkeep reduces expenses on energy and fixing costs. To change these components might have a price of up to $1,500.
Factors Influencing Air Duct Cleaning Costs
The air duct cleaning cost can vary widely based on several key factors:
- For big houses with a lot of ducts, cleaning takes more work and time which means it will cost more.
- Cleaning the air ducts becomes more complicated when the system has many turns, stretches over a long distance, or has parts that are hard to reach.
- If your ductwork is simple to reach, the work can be done faster and cost less.
- If mold or bugs are living in your ducts, you might need extra cleaning services which can make it more expensive.
The Process of Air Duct Cleaning
The process of both residential and commercial air duct cleaning includes many stages, beginning with a check-up to evaluate the state of your ventilation pipes and to spot any particular problems.
Here’s what the process generally looks like:
- The technicians are going to check your ducts with cameras to see if there is dirt, things that should not be there, or any hints of mold or pests they have all the air duct cleaning tools to inspect everything in detail.
- With special equipment such as strong suction machines and spinning brushes, the workers will clean the pipes for air, including where it comes in and goes out, along with covers for openings and parts that spread the air.
- After cleaning, another inspection ensures everything is thoroughly cleaned and no debris remains.
How To Prepare For Air Duct Cleaning
To make sure the cleaning of air ducts happens without problems, you can do a few things before starting.
- First, it is necessary to make sure nothing blocks the vents and registers. Move any furniture or things that could stop technicians from easily getting to these places. This ensures they can clean all parts of your system without trouble.
- Also, if you worry about something special like mold in your ducts, it is very important to talk about this with the technicians before they start working. If you tell them early, they can bring the right tools and ways of fixing these problems so that your cleaning will be done well and quickly.
DIY vs Professional Cleaning
Cleaning the ducts needs specific tools, and usually, experts should do this work. But if you have enough time, you can buy these special instruments to help yourself and do the cleaning on your own
Pros and cons of DIY cleaning
Primary advantages of cleaning your air ducts include deciding the timing for this task and reducing the air duct cleaning cost by not hiring others. Yet, self-cleaning does not adequately deal with mold issues, and the equipment you purchase will likely be inferior to that used by experts. There’s also a possibility that you can damage your ductwork, which leads to costly repairs.
Benefits of hiring a professional
When you get a professional to clean your air ducts, they do the job faster and better than if you try by yourself. As they are skilled professionals, they might see issues that you might miss. The price for cleaning ducts in a home changes based on the business size and its operating costs. For big structures, it is generally beneficial to hire professional vent cleaning companies instead of searching for $99 air duct cleaning near me. It is also important that you steer clear of the $99 air duct cleaning companies who do not actually clean anything they just blow and go.