Air Duct Cleaning - Necessary?

By Hklbrries

Q. We recently moved into a house with metal air ducts to deliver heat and air conditioning. We were contacted by a company that cleaned the ducts several years before we moved in. The salesman tells us we should have the ducts cleaned again, at a cost of $600, or we risk health problems, a lot of dust in the house and so forth. Do we really need this? - Jan

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A. Air duct cleaning is controversial and I can’t give you a definite answer. Even the Environmental Protection Agency has some doubts about it, and is probably the best source of in-depth information (visit epa.gov and click on "Air Ducts").

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To quote just a few sentences from the EPA document: "A blanket recommendation cannot be offered as to whether you should have your air ducts cleaned... Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems."

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The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (nadca.com) is another excellent source of information, although NADCA, a trade group, is understandably more in favor of duct cleaning. The NADCA site includes a list of frequently asked questions geared to homeowners.

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My guess is that the ducts do not need cleaning after only a few years unless:

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They are very dirty inside and contaminated with mold and other unhealthy substances

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There are members of your family who have respiratory problems that might be worsened by contaminated ducts

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You have an inefficient heating-air conditioning system, don’t use good quality air filters and don’t change them regularly.

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If you are concerned about the condition of the ducts and feel you are being pressured by the firm that cleaned them in the past, I suggest getting them inspected by another firm. I’d recommend one that belongs to NADCA, whose members follow effective duct-cleaning practices.

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Gene Austin, MCT Information Services

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Questions and comments should be emailed to columnist Gene Austin at [e-mail]. Send regular mail for Gene Austin to 1730 Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422.

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