Getting the ducts cleaned isn’t exactly at the top of most people’s priority list, even if they have had a recent reminder of the benefits.  To know if you need them cleaned there are several considerations to take into account.

First, how well do you breathe in your home?  If you can take a full, deep breath without getting a light “tickly” feeling in your throat it’s a good sign.  Or more accurately, if you notice just how fresh air smells/feels when you walk outside then it’s time to address your indoor air concerns. Duct cleaning will make the indoor air easier to breathe, especially to those with sensitivities.  While some point to the fact that there are no conclusive studies demonstrating the effectiveness of duct cleaning this has more to do with the nature of the businesses performing it, as opposed to proof that it doesn’t work. As small, local businesses there aren’t many duct cleaners inclined to sponsor a study.

Next, do you have pets?  Animals shed skin at a rate roughly double that of humans, and they shed a lot of hair too. There are a lot of potential allergens coming of Fido, and it’s getting into your air supply.  Animal dander is in fact one of the main allergens there is, so it’s important to keep it out of general circulation if possible.  Besides, have you ever taken a sniff of your dog or cat after a week or so without a bath?  No matter how much you love them (and their smell) are you sure you want your house to smell like that?  Maybe you do.  But any company you have doesn’t.

How about the occupancy level?  People are kind of the same as pets – the more there are in the house the greater the effect will be.  Skin cells are the number one constituent of household dust, and the more people there are in the house, the more skin in the ducts there will be.  But also, people have the habit of dropping things down the ducts as well, be it garbage, grit from their shoes, or the odd wrapper or piece of food.  It’s just straight math – the people (and pets) the more stuff in the ducts.

How dry is your basement?  Many a new homeowner has called us because they tore up the carpet or drywall to find black mould setting up shop in their home.  And while new walls and floors can be comfortably handled by even moderately skilled handymen special equipment and skill are need to cleanse the ducts.  We recommend duct cleaning as a precautionary method regardless, as the dangers of inhaling the mould spores are well known and quite substantial.

There are other factors to consider as well – such as if there were recent renovations, if you just had your furnace replaced, if you smoke indoors, if your cold air return vents are on the floor versus the walls, and others.

What it comes down is living in a clean house.  Most people want their living space to be clean, and for that to be the case the ducts need to be cleaned as well. Of course, how often will depend on many factors, but for a house to truly be clean it has to have clean ducts.

So the final reply to the question “Do I need to have my ducts cleaned?” is yes.  How often you get it done is up to you.

The temperature has dropped quite a bit recently and many people in the area are turning on their furnaces for the first time in months. Did you notice what that initial blast smelled like?

Summer can be very humid here in Southern Ontario.  Basements in particular need to be looked after in the summertime. You absolutely need a dehumidifier to control moisture levels, as mould, once germinated, is tough to contain. I watched my father’s house for a couple of weeks this summer and marveled at how much water came out of his basement daily.  Even on a moderate setting, the machine removed about 2-3 litres of water a day.

This had the noticeable impact of making the basement smell better. Personally, I can’t stand descending into the depths of home to be greeted by that stuffy, musty smell that signifies the presence of mould.  As I’ve said many times before on this blog, mould is a serious concern that must be dealt with immediately.

If you notice that smell coming from the registers it’s definitely time to get your ducts cleaned.  The spores are, for the most part, trapped on the surface of the debris in there.  The air that comes out after the cleaning will be of markedly better quality.

Anyway, this post is just to let you know that if you’ve ever thought about getting your ducts cleaned fall is the best time to do it.  Don’t let yourself suffer unnecessarily any longer, and give yourself the gift of clean air.

Most people have a few questions when we come up to the house to clean their ducts.  While we can’t address all of them in this article, there are a few that pop up again and again.  If you’re thinking about getting your ducts cleaned then have a quick look over this article to see if your concerns are answered.

Question #1 – How often should I have my ducts cleaned?

There is no standard answer to this one, as there are many factors involved.  If you have pets, have a lot of people in the home, smoke, or tend to sweep dust and debris into the registers or vents then more frequently is recommended, perhaps once every couple of years. You should also consider more frequent duct cleaning if you have respiratory problems such as allergies or bronchitis as it will ease your symptoms.  If not, then every 4 years should do.  It really depends on what’s in your house as well as how sensitive you are to bad air.

Question #2 - What size of vacuum do you use?

This one is a little misdirected. The size of the vacuum is not what’s important, it’s how much air it can move.  You want a vacuum that moves not less than 2000cfm (cubic feet per minute) as some pieces of debris can take quite a bit to get moving. This has nothing to do with size, as newer machines will be smaller than older ones, and may have increased power despite decreased size.

Question #3 - How long will it take to clean my ducts?

This really depends on how big your house is. If your home is under 3000 square feet we generally will be out of there in under 2 hours.  Bigger homes will obviously require more time, and house design will also factor in, as some houses have more ductwork than others. Also, preparation by the homeowner is another thing to consider, as we need all registers and vents exposed, as well as 2 feet around the furnace. If we have clear away furniture and other items to get at it we will be there longer, obviously.

Question #4 – Is it loud?

Not inside. Ouside is a bit of a different story, and while I wouldn’t say it is very loud, there is a reason why we don’t clean ducts too early in the morning.

Question #5 – Why is your price different from [another duct cleaning company]?

We decided to price our duct cleaning services the way we do to make it affordable to people in smaller homes or people who may have slightly lower incomes than the average customer. The typical duct cleaning customer has middle class income or above, and there is a whole segment of the market that has been priced out by traditional fee structures. The way we have it set up, you pay for however many registers you have, so there will be a bundle of savings for people who normally wouldn’t consider having their ducts cleaned.