It's generally recommended that pet owners clean their air ducts every two to three years. However, if they have multiple pets or someone in their household has severe allergies, more frequent cleaning may be necessary.
Improved Indoor Air Quality: Professional air duct cleaning removes not just pet fur but also a wide range of allergens like dust mites, pollen, mold spores, and bacteria that can accumulate within the duct system.
How Often Should Air Ducts Be Cleaned? Air ducts, like any other HVAC system, require regular cleaning to ensure maximum efficiency. The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) recommends air duct cleaning every three to five years.
Most air duct cleanings take 3 to 5 hours to complete for a 1 system home. If you are worried your pet will escape, please have them in a secure area that they won't be able to escape. A door to the home will be open for those 3 to 5 hours.
Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. This is because much of the dirt in air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average cost for properly cleaning an entire air duct system in an average-sized home ranges from $450 to $1,000.
Yes, you can remain at home during professional duct cleaning service. However, you should be prepared for noise from the cleaning equipment, and you may need to avoid areas where cleaning is actively happening. Air duct cleaning involves cleaning the entire air duct system.
The ductwork in your home can harbor dirt, dust, debris, and pet dander that can worsen the symptoms of allergies and decrease the overall air quality in your home. Air duct cleaning services remove this build-up, making pet allergies more manageable for sufferers.
Rodents like rats can easily access these ducts, bringing with them noise and health concerns. Duct-loving animals tend to chew through insulation and electrical wiring, too. And it's not just rats. Pros have found squirrels, birds, bees, and all kinds of creatures up there.
The offer price is most likely per vent pricing and does not factor in the cost of the entire cleaning. While it may seem like a money-saving deal, the final price tag will probably be closer to that $450-$1000 range.
EPA does not recommend that the air ducts be cleaned routinely, but only as needed. EPA does, however, recommend that if you have a fuel burning furnace, stove or fireplace, they be inspected for proper functioning and serviced before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning.
The best times to have your ducts cleaned is either in the spring or in the early fall, after you have stopped using your HVAC system to cool or heat your property and before you need to start using it again. You have likely experienced that dusty or musty smell when turning on your HVAC system.
Clean ducts ensure smoother airflow, reducing energy costs. Extended System Life: Regular cleaning minimizes wear and tear on your HVAC system, potentially saving you substantial money on future repairs or the need for early replacement.
Whole home air purifiers can help reduce the amount of pet dander, hair and odor accumulating in your home. Consider using high-quality MERV air filters to help your home sift particles from the air more efficiently.
If a pet odor lingers, air duct cleaning may help. Air duct cleaning removes built-up pet dander, dust, and pollen and will help decrease or eliminate lingering pet odors.
How long does animal dander last? Pet dander can attach to everything in the house and last for a very long time. Typically pet dander can stay in a house for four to six months after a pet leaves home. Cat dander lasts longer than dog dander as it's more airborne.
For residential properties, air duct cleaning costs typically range from $300 to $500. Commercial properties, due to their larger size and more complex HVAC systems, can expect to pay anywhere from $450 to $1,000 or more.
Moisture accumulation: If moisture is introduced into the ductwork during cleaning and not properly removed, it can lead to mold growth, which poses health risks and can further deteriorate the ductwork.
Air duct cleaning is an often overlooked but essential aspect of home maintenance. While the general recommendation is to clean your air ducts every three to five years, this frequency can vary depending on factors such as allergy sufferers in the house, pet ownership, and recent home renovations.
Use a brush to loosen any buildup of dust in the ductwork. Lift register and insert vacuum hose as far into the piping as it can go. Turn the vacuum on to capture as much dust as possible that the fan is pushing through the ductwork.
Even if your ducts are dirty, cleaning them probably won't provide any measurable benefits. In fact, the little independent research performed on duct cleaning indicates that the process stirs up so much dust that it creates a bigger problem than it solves.
Generally speaking, the clothes dryer itself, as well as the vent should be cleaned every 1 to 3 years. The variables that affect frequency include: How much laundry – how many loads – you do a week. How long your dryer vent system is.