Scam Alert: Avoid “dirty” duct cleaners The scenario: You get a flyer in the mail from a company offering to clean the air ducts at your home for only $99. Intrigued by the low price, you contact the company and set up an appointment. When the company arrives at your house, the rep tries to sell you on a bunch of other services, including carpet cleaning or mold remediation, to improve the air quality inside your home. If you don’t bite at these invoice-increasing items, he gives your ducts a cursory cleaning before moving on to the next mark somewhere in your area. That lowball offer should have been a red flag to avoid that firm. A reputable company will charge $400 to $1,000 to clean the ducts in a typical 2,000-square-foot house, says the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA). A quality job should take two pros, who’ll use specialized tools, about 8 to 15 hours to complete. Even more important to know is that there’s no proof that cleaning ducts prevents health problems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Nor do studies conclusively show that dirty ducts increase levels of airborne particulates in a home. Still, there are times when you should get your ducts cleaned:• Have the ductwork cleaned if it contains visible mold buildup or has debris coming out of supply registers, or if the ducts are infested with vermin. Check for problems by removing the registers and shining a flashlight into the ductwork.• Consider having your ductwork professionally inspected if someone in your home is suffering from unexplained allergies or illness. Before you do that, however, a doctor should rule out other causes. To find a reputable duct cleaner, get referrals from the company that services your furnace. You’ll also find NADCA member contractors in your area on the association’s Web site. Before you sign a contract, ask for evidence of contamination, including a lab report if mold is a concern. And be sure the company cleans the entire HVAC system, including the ducts, heat exchanger, and air handler.

After the work has been completed, insist on a thorough visual inspection—all components of the HVAC system should be free of visible dust and debris. Buy Clear BathtubA top-shelf pro might even use remote photography to show you the clean ducts.Match Furnace Ac UnitEssential information: Read “Filtering the Claims” for information on air purifiers.T Shirt Hippo Duct Cleaning: Myth Or Necessity? Air & Water Filters (Image credit: Flickr user Tim7423 under CC BY 2.0) I was hoping to sink my teeth into a juicy duct cleaning debate (possibly including scandals!), but it seems that the experts are unanimous: unless you see insect or rodent droppings in your ducts, or if someone in your household is having mysterious illnesses and/or respiratory difficulties, duct cleaning is unnecessary...and in fact can do more harm than good.

Let's start with the big guns: The Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA has an incredibly thorough examination of duct cleaning, including the four reasons why you might need your ducts cleaned: infestation, mold, mysterious illnesses, and clogged ducts. While there's no harm in having your ducts cleaned even if you don't have any of those four factors (other than the $400-$1000 expense), "provided that it is done properly" [emphasis theirs]. The EPA further cautions, "if a service provider fails to follow proper duct cleaning procedures, duct cleaning can cause indoor air problems." The National Institute Of Health list five conditions that could necessitate cleaning: water, slime [slime!], debris, dust discharge, and offensive odors— as well as 7 questions to answer before hiring duct cleaners. The NIH also cites a 2010 study that showed "even when duct cleaning was extremely efficient at removing contaminants within ducts, the effectiveness of reducing indoor air pollutants was highly variable, and in many cases, post‐cleaning levels of contaminants were higher than pre-cleaning levels.

$1000 to make your house dirtier! The Family Handyman lists regular duct cleaning among its Home Care Myths Busted! In fact, according to the magazine, "most homes never need duct cleaning." Consumer Reports, a trusted source in our household, advises consumers to "think twice about paying for duct cleaning, since it's rarely worth the cost, and in fact the industry is rife with scams." Well, that all seems pretty clearcut, yes? A report in the Chicago Tribune came to the same conclusion, then goes on to pass on a recommendation from the director of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association to change your air filters every two months. Using quality filters is apparently key: "Some filters aren't too good. You can buy them for less than a dollar at the hardware store. Those are referred to as bowling ball cleaners in the industry. They'll catch things the size of a bowling ball, but not much else." I am so happy I wrote this post, not only because I now know about bowling ball cleaners, but because I will never waste $1000 a year cleaning my ducts.

Unless there's slime, of course.BBB: Duck these duct-cleaning schemes The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning consumers about increased activity among deceptive air duct cleaners. The tactics are similar to what we reported in “ Scam alert: Avoid ‘dirty’ duct cleaners.” Companies blast neighborhoods with low-ball ads in newspapers and flyers, then sell homeowners on pricier services, often under the threat of bogus health risks.       “Most of us aren’t experts when it comes to maintaining the mechanical components of our house and we have to rely on the opinion of the technician,” said BBB spokesperson Alison Southwick in the news release. “Unfortunately, some companies are taking advantage of that trust by misleading customers and even lying about having a serious mold problem. One outfit in particular, operating under the names Pure Kleen, Priority One Air Solutions, and United Restoration, has received numerous complaints from around the country, despite being slapped with cease and desist orders by several state attorneys general.