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Pros and Cons of DIY Air Duct Cleaning Explained
Over time, dust, debris, pollen, pet dander, mildew, mold, bacteria, and more can accumulate in your home's ducts. When the AC or heater starts up, all the dirt and debris stuck in the vents will be dispersed throughout your home. After years of buildup, it can significantly impact the indoor air quality of the property, put excess wear and tear on the HVAC system and even make a thorough air duct cleaning necessary.
How often your air duct should be cleaned depends on several factors, including your personal preferences and placement of the air vents. Floor-based vents frequently require cleaning more often than ceiling-based vents. Other factors include if you have smokers in the household, pets, or water contamination or recently finished construction. As a rough guideline, the pros at Dynasty Ducts recommend For floor duct systems, cleaning should be performed every three to five years. If your air ducts are in the ceiling, services should be done every five to seven years.
The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) recommends property owners have their ducts cleaned at least once every three to five years. However, for those who suffer from intense allergies, properties may require duct cleaning more frequently to help keep flare-ups at bay.
Property owners often go about duct cleaning in two ways: by doing it themselves or by working with a firm that performs
air vent cleaning in Marietta. In this post, we'll examine the pros and cons of each method:
DIY vs. Professional Air Duct Cleaning
DIY Duct Cleaning: What to Know
Do-it-yourself, or DIY, duct cleaning involves using a shop vac or standard vacuum cleaner and reaching the hose into each vent as far as it will go to clean out dirt and debris. The most significant advantage of this method is that you'll save on costs. You likely already have a vacuum cleaner in the storage closet or a shop vac in the tool shed - the only cost involved by going the DIY method is the time you invest in it.
While cost savings is a significant advantage, there are several notable disadvantages to going the DIY route. For instance, your vacuum hose will only reach so far down into the vent, so you will only be able to clean near the surface of each vent. It will be challenging to clean up all particulates that accumulate in the duct system when you can only reach so far down. The other significant disadvantage is that improper duct cleaning can cause many problems. For instance, you could cause damage to your ductwork - especially more fragile types of ducts, like insulated and flexible models - if you don't know what you're doing.
The bottom line is that it's never a bad idea to bust out the vacuum, unscrew the ducts and clean near the surface of each vent - but this won't exactly pass for a thorough duct cleaning.
Professional Duct Cleaning: What to Know
If you want a thorough duct cleaning, contacting a professional
Marietta GA air duct cleaning
company is the way to go. Professional air duct cleaners will use truck-mounted deep cleaning systems that can reach every nook and cranny in the duct system. That's one of the significant advantages of working with a professional service - you can rest assured that your ducts have been thoroughly cleaned. Many duct cleaners will show you how much they're pulling up from your ducts as they clean or allow you to observe what they vacuum up after the cleaning is done. So if you dropped a ring down the vent years ago and never thought you'd find it again, you'll likely be reunited with it after a duct cleaning.
The other significant benefit to working with a professional duct cleaning company is that you won't risk damage to the ducts as they're being cleaned. The professionals know what they're doing and have the right tools to clean ducts properly without causing harm to them. You may also be interested in some add-on services while the professionals are at your home doing AC duct cleaning, such as dryer vent cleaning.
The primary disadvantage to a professional duct cleaning is the cost. A professional cleaning can cost a few hundred dollars. But as we said, you get what you pay for.
A final word about professional duct cleaning: It's crucial to work with a credible company. Many unethical companies will send out mailers advertising cheap and effective duct cleaning. This is likely a bait-and-switch sales method or a firm that is going to perform it on the cheap - and likely at a far inferior quality compared to a professional. If you go with a professional duct cleaner, ensure you're working with a credible, quality company. If a company looks too good to be true- it probably is.
Learn More
If you live in Marietta, GA or one of the nearby communities, we invite you to learn more about our air duct cleaning services for your home.
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