How to Choose an Air Duct Cleaner

Selecting an air duct cleaner takes patience.

Choosing the right air duct cleaner for your home is critical, particularly if you see substantial visible mold growth inside your ducts, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA. Having your ducts cleaned also is important if your ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust or are infested with vermin. The air duct cleaner you select to do the job should be experienced in the field and not recommend duct cleaning as a routine part of your heating and cooling system maintenance, which is unnecessary, according to the EPA.

Instructions

1. Contact the National Air Duct Cleaners Association, or NADCA, and get the names of at least three different air duct cleaners in your area; see Resources. Companies that are regular members of NADCA have at least one certified air system cleaning specialist on staff to ensure the company meets the standards and guidelines of the association's nationally recognized quality assurance program.

2. Ask your potential duct cleaners to come to your home and show you the contamination in your air ducts that justifies having the ducts cleaned. Request a written estimate of the total cost of the job or an estimate of the number of hours or days the job will require if the air duct cleaner charges by the hour. In addition, inquire about whether interruptions in the work could take place, and ask for an agreement that outlines the scope of the project.

3. Check the Better Business Bureau or your county/city office of consumer affairs to see if complaints have been filed against any of your potential air duct cleaners. Ask the air duct cleaners to show you relevant state licenses as well.

4. Request that your duct cleaners explain how they plan to protect you, your pets and your home from contamination during the duct cleaning project. Also, ask if they have worked on a system like yours before.

5. Ask your air duct cleaners to provide a list of two or three references. Contact these references to ensure other customers were satisfied with the cleaners' work and did not experience heating or cooling problems following completion of the job.

Tips & Warnings

• If your ducts are insulated with fiberglass duct liner or constructed of fiberglass duct board, contact the North American Insulation Manufacturer's Association to find out its recommendations for cleaning these types of ducts; see Resources. Ask your potential air duct cleaners if they plan to complete these steps.

References

• Environmental Protection Agency: Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned?

Resources

• National Air Duct Cleaners Association: Home
• North American Insulation Manufacturer's Association: Home
• Better Business Bureau: Home