Air duct cleaning services and air conditioner duct cleaning vary in cost. However, expect to pay air duct cleaners at least $460 for the basic service. Usually, though, costs vary according to types of jobs and type of company doing these jobs.

First a caveat, trust only reliable air duct cleaning services. There are many ways to go about this. Ask neighbors, friends, and relatives who have had their air ducts cleaned for referrals on air duct cleaners.

Typical estimates range from $400 to $800 although larger homes with more areas to clean might cost upwards of $1,000. The key to getting the best and fairest deal is to handle the decision with care. That means getting several reliable estimates. It might take a bit longer, but savings and value increase.

Many services try to interest customers with add-on products. They might be needed, but generally are not necessary. For example, sources suggest being very careful about anti-bacterial and microbial sprays as well as chemical treatments. While these are perfectly appropriate for serious mold problems, they are not typically required in everyday air duct cleaning services.

Certainly, homeowners and those with commercial venues may wonder why air ducts even need cleaning. If having reliable, working heating and air conditioning is important, clean air ducts are essential. The federal Environmental Protection Agency says that any activity around the house — cleaning, cooking, smoking, just moving — kicks up dust and particles that embed in the air ducts. Particles can be small, although sometimes mold and larger particles are visible.

How often and how extensively to clean the air ducts depends on the particular system. A typical, one-HVAC unit area should have its air ducts cleaned every three to five years. A single cleaning may take from two to four hours.

Air duct cleaning services include the cleaning of the intake and return ducts to provide cleaner air in your home. Air duct cleaners also clean out all of the other components in your heating and air conditioning systems. In moist climates, air ducts can even start to build up mold and other spores that the system then pumps through the air in your home. Air duct cleaning services can apply chemical solutions to your system that prevents mold from growing for a period of time and kills the current mold. Air duct cleaners know exactly what to do to help your home run with cleaner air.

Air conditioner duct cleaning can greatly improve the price of your monthly heating and air conditioning bills. Homes with clean air ducts have a significantly better airflow overall which decreases the amount of time a heater and air conditioner need to run to keep your house at your preferred temperature. Air duct cleaners are dedicated to doing their best to clean out your system to get it working like new again. The cleaning itself will provide a noticeable difference in the time you see your heater or air conditioner running. You will also notice that with clean air ducts, the air in your home will be fresher with much less dust around to build up on your bookshelves and furniture.

Air duct cleaning cost can vary greatly depending on the size of the system and the methods used by the cleaners. The prices can range from $450-$1,000 depending on the size of the system, how dirty it is, whether or not mold fighting chemicals are used, and any additional services requested. To improve the quality of the air in your home, use air duct cleaning services as recommended.

The only problem was finding a reputable air duct cleaning company to do the job.  He ended up going to the Better Business Bureau and finding a company that had been in business for five years and was very satisfied with the end results.  Immediately, he noticed a difference in the air quality.  Not that it was terrible before but he had not idea how much debris had built up in the vents over the course of the six years he had owned his home. His wife, who suffers from bad spring and summer allergies, received the biggest reward as she reported half the problems as before.  Both noticed how the whole HVAC system in the house worked better, heating and cooling the home in a more efficient manner.

” Not only did we use our heater less in the winter,” Marc stated. ” But we used our AC less in the middle of the summer because the airflow coming inside the house was more.”

There have been numerous such stories as these, and though many people personally find the cost of getting their air ducts cleaned to be highly rewarding, there is no official scientific evidence that shows getting this service done on a regular basis improves a homes air quality, released by the EPA in 1997.  When asked, Laureen Burton, one of the senior scientists in the Indoor Environments Division of the EPA, stated the though the findings were released more than twelve years ago nothing has changed the government agency still stands behind what it origally stated.

“Monitoring and changing out filters, [getting] regular home inspections and making sure that condensation does not get [inside] are more important,” she states.

Despite the EPA’s hardliner stance on the matter they along with the National Air Duct Cleaners Association both are in agreement that there is much value in getting your air ducts cleaned. 

What they disagree on, for the most part, is how regular you should get it done.  Not surprisingly the association representing most of the country’s longtime air duct cleaning companies says it should be a lot more often than the EPA does.  The government’s current stance is that you only really need the service done if you have excessive debris, have pets that shed a lot or if you have a mold problem.

What Is The Normal Price Range For This Service?

The average price paid for an air duct cleaning company to come in and do a thorough job on Angie’s List was $460.  Homeowners need to be leery of companies making elaborate claims about the health benefits you get from cleaning your ducts. As stated, such exaggerated claims are unsubstantiated by the EPA and NADCA.  Also note that there are a lot of outfits that have extremely cheap rates but are known as “blow-and-go” companies. These are the air duct cleaning businesses that routinely advertise in the Val Pac, Craigslist or bulk mailers.  They advertise their services for $99, sometimes less.  Sure, they charge low fees for their services but they also perform a poor job of thoroughly cleaning your HVAC system.  If you cannot afford to spend at least $400 or more for the service its best to wait until you can.  For it to be truly worth it you need to have them cleaned properly.

Overall if you know it has been years since you had the service done and you can afford it, it would not be bad thing to do it.  You might find that everyone in the house breaths better afterwards.  Will it kill you if you do not get your air ducts professionally cleaned?  No.  But, doing so will make every one’s life a lot more pleasant.

What one air duct cleaning business includes in their typical service package will be vastly different from another.

Here is an illustration: when you get an oil change at any quick lube you have a general idea of what to expect. Reguarless if you go to Jiffy Lube or Oil Can Henry you know that the oil & filter will be changed and your fluids will be topped off.

You cannot expect the same when you need your ducts cleaned. Here is what a reader, Kathy H, recently wrote me:

We had a company come out here yesterday to clean our furnace vents. They did use a hose but the hose only went into the 2 large vents in our upstairs area. They did not go into each and every vent. We have 2 air conditioners.

Also, they indicated that we had mold so they sprayed mold formula is only one vent. They were here for and hour and a half, and we were charged 500.00, I cannot help but wonder what did they do for all that money. Please advise. Should they have gone into all vents and 399.00 for mold and its prevention.

I explained to Kathy that there is not much she can do.  She can call the company, complain, and ask them to make the situation right but unfortunately the fine print makes it difficult to seek legal remafications in these cases.

So what are you looking for?  You want your air ducts cleaned properly and to accomplish that a) the dirt needs to be aggitated so that it becomes loose b) a strong vacuum needs to be attatched at the end of the vents and c) mold cleaning formula needs to be added.

I have seen this in so many homes I have serviced.  I have serviced some fairly dirty homes and I can tell you what to look for.  What am I talking about?  I am talking about knowing if you have “dirty ducts.”  You would not believe some of the houses or businesses I have serviced.  They were gruesome.  They should have called an air duct cleaning service years ago!   But many, or should I say most, people do not even know when they need it done.  Read on and I am going to tell you how you can know if you have “dirty ducts” as we call them.

Every home is different.  But here are some things to look for….

If you are any of your family members are having unexplained or usually symptoms or allergies that could be related to your home environment.   This could mean that that there are large deposits and dust or mold and having your air ducts cleaned could be very necessary.

This will depend on where you live but ducts can get infested with rodents and insects.  This is a really bad problem to have.  Those vermin make their homes in your ducts and when they die it can really cause air quality problems.