Duct cleaning

We did it last year and it did make a difference. We had not done it since our renovations in '88 though. I will let you know who did it for us in a bit cause I can't remember right now.
 
Seems like a scam....they phone me at least twice a freakin week....bastards. If your house was under a major reno or is just extremely old maybe. Other than that pull your registers and cold air returns and vacuum them out and replace your furnace filter...the filter will tell you alot what's goin on.
 
elkymutt said:
Anyone get this done at home?
Is it worth it? Did you notice a difference?
Prices? Scams?

New baby in the house so we are looking into it...
Click to expand...

Mark,

We get this done once every 5 years.
We did have a fellow "co worker" do this on the side but sold the business.

Right now there is a good deal on wagjag.com. It is $119 for your house to get done.
 
a guy called me last night for air duct cleaning and i told him no thanks, then he started telling me about this indian movie which is apparently the most beautiful and true love story ever. he compared it with titanic which i didnt understand cuz he said there is no boats. then he starts asking me where i live and stuff so i just tell him toronto and he talks about the city, asks me how old and if im a student so i tell him and we talk about school for a bit then he starts going on about something else and i just say yo i gotta go back to studying i got midterms, so he says hang on one more question, and he starts asking me if i have a girfriend or if im in love and that kinda crap. i dunno if he was looking to make a sale or looking for a boyfriend but either way i am not interested. so i agree some of these places do seem a little sketchy lol
 
infernobuster said:
Mark,

We get this done once every 5 years.
We did have a fellow "co worker" do this on the side but sold the business.

Right now there is a good deal on wagjag.com. It is $119 for your house to get done.
Click to expand...

Thanks CP!

SLaP said:
^ LOL


Have used Sears before and job seemed good.
OP, Get a count of your vents and returns. Get a written quote based on the number of vents and returns prior to work starting.

Some info...

http://cmhc.ca/en/co/maho/gemare/gemare_011.cfm

Beware of upselling if going with a deal from a non-reputable company.

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/F3qkwmnnd5A
http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/KpNa5-Yd5Bc
http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/ojDHraCsSao
Click to expand...

Thanks for the links! It seems the biggest factors in having this done is whether the house is old (not sure what numbers to base this on) and the size (accessible vents).
My place is only 11 years old and relatively small in size ~1700sq.ft. I can vacuum most of the system myself, and keep the furnace filters changed every 30-60 days depending on furnace/a.c. use.

The cmhc article raises a good point. The dust in your house is a direct result of the occupants of the house bringing it in from the outdoors. Therefore the best way to reduce dust/pollens/danders etc. is to keep it to a minimum from the get go. Keep carpets clean/vacuumed, avoid open windows when possible for extended periods, keep shoes, coats etc. in a closet at the front door. These are all things we already do, and the wife is great at keeping up the housework!

For my situation it seems to be more peace of mind rather than an effective service. Don't think I'll do it.

Cheers
 
Seems logical. Keep system clean and visually inspect yearly. Get cleaned when you think it needs it, or when the wife won't stop complaining until it's done ;)

BTW, Congrats on the new baby! :)
 
There is only one man to call. This guy is the best and has the highest rating on Homestars

http://www.ductcleaningspecialists.ca/s_97.asp

See his ratings here: http://homestars.com/companies/2776037-the-duct-cleaning-specialists?service_area=1828279
He didn't call me... I called him because my wife was concerned we never cleaned the ducts. He came in and inspected the ducts and said we didn't need to clean them. He explained that he could still do it, but it was not necessary and I would not notice any difference. He sprayed a disinfectant in the ducts and replaced the humidifier filter (he had a new one in his truck). He charged me something ridiculous like $12.50 total (free everything except the filter). A ridiculous amount that would not even pay for his truck's gas to get to my place.

I gave him $40 and asked him to keep the change, he thanked me and promise to make a donation to the food bank because he is really into helping that organization.

Please do not call anyone else. This guy is honest and a decent human being. Give him your business.
 
elkymutt said:
Thanks CP!



Thanks for the links! It seems the biggest factors in having this done is whether the house is old (not sure what numbers to base this on) and the size (accessible vents).
My place is only 11 years old and relatively small in size ~1700sq.ft. I can vacuum most of the system myself, and keep the furnace filters changed every 30-60 days depending on furnace/a.c. use.

The cmhc article raises a good point. The dust in your house is a direct result of the occupants of the house bringing it in from the outdoors. Therefore the best way to reduce dust/pollens/danders etc. is to keep it to a minimum from the get go. Keep carpets clean/vacuumed, avoid open windows when possible for extended periods, keep shoes, coats etc. in a closet at the front door. These are all things we already do, and the wife is great at keeping up the housework!

For my situation it seems to be more peace of mind rather than an effective service. Don't think I'll do it.

Cheers
Click to expand...

Most of the dust in the house comes from your skin. I think we shed 6lbs of dead skin per yr.

I open my vents this fall and saw alot of dust. I think i should look into this. I will be replacing the filter more regularly until then

Sent from my phone using my paws
 
When we had our first baby, I bought couple of the Swiss IQ HealthPro air filters, one for each floor:

http://www.iqair.com/home-air-purifiers/healthproseries/

They are a bit bulky and pricy but made a big difference in reducing the amount of dust we vacuumed and the odour around the house.

I believe they also have a unit that gets installed inside your HVAC if you choose to go that route.
 
After any renos (think drywall dust) and if you wanna be anal about it, every 5 years too. Filter changes once a season (3 months) unless you've got a dusty environment. Generally, unless there are major underlying conditions you shouldn't have to worry about blowing your cash on primo filters. Regular pleated ones are fine and can be had in the $5-7 range for most domestic furnaces.
 
I've seen people in condos just put filters in their vents. Good way to filter any dust that may be in your system as well as give you an indication of how much dust is being blown around.

http://www.natlallergy.com/prod/1140/dustchek-vent-filtration-kit-register-filters.html

Something like that combined with you just vacuuming each vent would probably do a lot more and cost a lot less than anything those vent cleaners would do.

If you want to ge fancy you can have special UV lights installed to kill the majority of airborn germs.
 
What's the point? If the dust is in your duct, then it's not blasting out into your living space; it's in the duct. What is the point of cleaning it out, it's not like the dust that you will be cleaning out of your duct is in anyway affecting you. I agree it might make you feel better to do it on a psychological level, but I don't see it actually having any net effect.

Of course, if crap is actively blasting from your vents, then it might be an idea to clean the system out.
 
Johnny_M said:
What's the point? If the dust is in your duct, then it's not blasting out into your living space; it's in the duct. What is the point of cleaning it out, it's not like the dust that you will be cleaning out of your duct is in anyway affecting you. I agree it might make you feel better to do it on a psychological level, but I don't see it actually having any net effect.

Of course, if crap is actively blasting from your vents, then it might be an idea to clean the system out.
Click to expand...


Just because you cant see something doesnt mean its not there.
 
I used to live in a house that was older (approx 80 years) and the ducts had not been cleaned in the 4 years I was there.
I spoke with a friend of a friend in the industry that informed me not to have them cleaned. That over time the dust and sediment would have settled and remained stable in the ductwork. And that a cleaning would only loosen everything up and make the overall problem worse though most of the long-settled dust would be gone.
Have an air-quality test done in an older home first.
 
I used to get calls alot until I told them my ducks clean themselves out in the pond. Haven't had a call since...and the fact that my house was built in 1909 which has water boiled radiators. Best kind of heat IMO.
 
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