Pros and Cons of Air Duct Cleaning - Is It Worth It?

[@jeffhagberg6796]

I agree with you , I work with a guy that cleans air ducts , he is certified I'm not.. he also has a truck mount so everything goes out and filtered and if the customer wants to see what we get out of the ducts we show it to them. That being said if the ducts are in the floor or in the wall they will need cleaning more often then if the ducts are in the ceiling . Mine are in the ceiling ,I just had my heat pump replaced after 18 years of service and the ducts were fine , I have cleaned the return once . Change your filter once a month and use a pleated filter ! That is the key!

[@edbam6344]

I've been doing furnace and duct cleaning for 20 years, I agree with Thomas, if you unscrew your colds and you see a bunch of dust and pet hair, or did renos, or you notice dust in the air when you look through light Its time to get it done. Make sure to use a company with a truck mounted unit, the portables are garbage unless you live in a condo and that's the only option...Especially after reno's or if you have pets, or a lot of carpets in your house. The EPA may not say anything but you'll feel stuffed up if you have drywall dust blowing all over your house and in your nose hairs.

[@diegobarra3803]

What would you say the cons are for portable units? Asking bc I recently started looking into duct cleaning equipment and ran across a company that swears by their portable units.

[@jim21804]

We have geothermal units. A pipe broke and flooded our crawlspace. The geothermal units, ductwork, and insulation were replaced. When I looked at the old ducts which were 25 years old, they were clean with no dust or dirt. Yes there may be some dirt that falls in near the vents but the ducts stay clean. This can simply be swept out with a vacuum.

[@MoveMeMark]

That's great. Thanks for sharing! And watching!

[@jamespotts45]

As a chimney and air duct cleaner for 30 years i totally agree that routine duct cleaning is not necessary. If you don't know if you're ducts have ever been done or you've had remodeling going on in the home just stay on top of changing your filters. You can vacuum out your own registers when food or toys get dropped inside.

[@MiceNine9]

Just out of curiosity, how important is routine chimney cleaning? For example, with an 80% efficiency natural gas appliance rated at 90,000 BTU and vented up a 25-foot masonry chimney with a clay flue liner? Totally random example.

[@dan_youtube]

​@@MiceNine9about as often as the reply comes

[@MiceNine9]

It's true that the only way to know For Sure if it's mold is to have it tested. But...something I learned doing home mold inspections at a residential hygiene firm is that, better than 9 times out of 10, if a homeowner think a spot looks like mold, it's usually mold. Especially on non-porous surfaces like inside of ducts. I've seen extensive mold growth on exposed wood joists and trusses and even concrete go completely unnoticed, but for some reason it tends to stand out like a sore thumb dust-caked sheet metal. Exception to that rule being the drain pans under AC condenser coils. Maybe the installer dripped a bit of flux that left a permanently discolored spot on the metal, or maybe someone didn't rinse their coil cleaning chemical out of the pan so it dried into an ominous looking stain. Even though it's among the biggest problem spots for residential mold, it's also possibly the biggest source of false alarms.

[@jcrazeful]

I'm actually a female HVAC technician who works for Goettl Air Conditioning and Plumbing. And having a duct clean every 10 years is a MUST. If you have a big family, pets that shred a lot, and / or a clutter home, then every 5 years.

[@otiliakloos3480]

Hi, Juju. Haven’ t done mine FOR Twenty years. What îs a Way FOR me to know The HVAC company has The negative pressure equipment? That they are Certified FOR this type of Work?

[@darylfulton3312]

Interesting u mentioned "female". Didnt think it mattered

[@XX-qf5zj]

@@darylfulton3312 you’re supposed to believe women, dude

[@arrosconpollo1]

My dog is a huge Metallica fan and shreds all the time! \lll/

[@swhite3883]

@@XX-qf5zj emotional & hormonal women? Yeah right…🥴

[@katbot2190]

My house gets dustier than it did 16 years ago when we had it installed. Is that from the ducts?

[@MoveMeMark]

You know, it could be from the ducts. You can take a vent off and look inside with a flashlight and see if you see any dust in there. If you are thinking about getting your ducts cleaned, use a reputable company, and know that you don't need to do it yearly, like some might have you believe. Good luck!

[@razmatazzdt]

We're getting a dusty or burning smell. Would a duct cleaning work?

[@DoubleGunns]

Thanks, you just saved us $300. The Facebook scam you described is exactly what I almost just fell for!

[@MoveMeMark]

That's awesome! I'm so glad to hear that! Thanks for watching!

[@dwaynecrosse8208]

My family’s home caught on fire acouple months ago due to clogged dryer duct vents.. (which is 80% cause of all house fires) please make sure you vents are not clogged.

[@danceAtango1]

If you smell bad smell or mold from your air ducts, you have a bigger problem than just cleaning the air ducts. you might end up better replacing your air ducts. But you need to talk with an HVAC tech to find out why you have mold in your air ducts. If you have black marks on your vents, just clean them with your vacuum machine once in a while. this is a result of electrostatic and cleaning your air ducts would not do anything for that.

[@pabriny]

What looks like mold but is not? I see some brown stuff in my ac duct when I open the supply register.

[@rhiannonbain4725]

Thanks for the insight! Our upstairs unit, where our babies sleep, smells quite musty when the a/c turns on. Downstairs does not. Curious if duct cleaning would help. The company we got an estimate from uses Vital Oxide also. Can’t find much other than the MSDS on it.

[@jimmygonzalez6244]

You are the man mark ! You really help to ease my mind on this subject you answered all my questions . Thank you sir.

[@MoveMeMark]

That's awesome of you to say! I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!

[@TrustedUser-s3j]

Yes you are correct and so is the EPA on stating the research it's on very early stages. If you see or smell mold (smells sour) you may want to duct cleaning. If there is excessive visible dust in the system you may want to duct clean. If it has been more than 3-6 years and you see these signs duct clean. Maintain every 5 months with biocide spray sold almost everywhere and change your correct filter every 2-3 months

[@thetheorizxr]

If your constantly using ur ac systems just get it cleaned u might be saving money now but they will break down from dust since hvac has sensitive equipment

[@theone5404]

Well, it improved my family's health. Ours were sickening and tryfling. Plus, my bill came down.

[@MoveMeMark]

They CAN be helpful. You just need to know exactly what you're getting. I'm glad it worked out for you!

[@edgara6333]

What company did your hire?

[@tommyhuffman7499]

Loved everything about the video, except the reference to EPA studies. That comment in the video is misleading. It sounds as the the video and EPA are saying duct cleaning won't improve your health. But a lack of studies only means a lack of evidence. It's honestly useless information to give. Even if studies showed that duct cleaning DID NOT improve health, it still wouldn't be worth saying. A study can only give statistical evidence. The listener doesn't care about what the average person can expect. They care about their individual health. And besides, the people to click on this video are statistically more likely to have a duct problem than the average American, which is what the EPA would likely test. Modern medicine😑

[@lespaul.R9]

How about having to dust every couple of days during winter?

[@buddhismful]

Thanks for your help I work for a ducts cleaners company , got 7 children and they need their father working the whole year !

[@janemajor5215]

This was very helpful, thank you Mark!

[@MoveMeMark]

Thanks, Jane! I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!

[@phillipmatthews8341]

I just bought a 17 year out condo and they never had a return filter. Dust blowing out of the ducts and all over the wall. I’m getting the ducts cleaned. Always change out your filter.

[@MoveMeMark]

Dust blowing everywhere is definitely a good reason to get your ducts cleaned!

[@johnstawicki3185]

CAN YOU REPEAT THAT IN ENGLISH

[@NappaneeVetHospital]

So, what about duct work that has had corn burning residue/creosote...would cleaning these ducts be beneficial? What would be the process?

[@rajaradhakrisnan4015]

Thanks. Never knew there was a national air duct association

[@solden49]

So i have been noticing a smell in our house for 6 years. Smells kinda like old urine and musty. Seems to be coming out of vents. So i went under the house and discovered on the end of the main duct that goes under the house that one of the "canals" that was supposed to be attached to the garage vent was not. 6" gaping hole that was left open on main canal. The canal that was supposed to be attached was laying on ground and obviously never attached. Was brand new looking to. So, under the house has been getting heated and cooled for years and was never connected. It wouldn't fit because of wrong angle. And someone new that and abandoned it. So i capped it. So someone left it like that 20 years ago. Does that qualify for air duct cleaning lol?

[@keithrogers2295]

What color is that wall in your background? I love it! Don’t say blue either lol

[@MoveMeMark]

Thanks, Keith! I was totally going to say blue, until you wanted specifics! Ha ha. The paint is HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams Showcase, and the color is called Dress Blues. Got it at Lowe's! Hope that helps! Thanks for watching, and be sure to subscribe for more awesome wall color!

[@magicalballers9342]

How to know you actually have mold on your AC unit

[@Sheracross]

Thank you Mark. You answered all my questions. ❤

[@rabokarabekian409]

I have worked with large commercial HVAC since 1979. I did see one site that fully needed duct cleaning. It was a generic pharma in NJ, making tablets. Product powder was up to 18" deep in some return ducts. Yeh, so many thoughts.

[@MoveMeMark]

Wow, that is crazy! I wonder what was in that powder!

[@ymatktpk11]

Since I moved in 10 years ago, every summer when we turn the central AC on for the first time the house smells like the previous owners' dog. In addition, some of the vent covers on my ceiling show dirtiness (dust, not mold). Is this enough to hire someone? I'm in MA. We have baseboard heating, so the ducts are only used 4 months out of the year. Thanks!

[@MoveMeMark]

Great question! That's a tough call. If the smell of the previous owner's dog bothers you, it might not be a bad idea to have someone come in to clean your vents. Is there anything else around that might be holding onto that smell, like carpeting?

[@usinebob]

The problem is getting a reputable company

[@buddhismful]

"a reputable company " ?

[@juliostube]

I was told by a reputable local technician that my Fiberglass-lined air ducts "can't be cleaned, and if anybody tells me they can, they are lying to me".... Is this true?? What is the proper approach to cleaning fiberglass-lined ductwork?

[@sdoucette5229]

I have no experience here but remember a story from a woman recently who had hers done and they used something abrasive and the result was fibreglass in the air. Something to consider for sure.

[@The_NASA_GUY]

Most of the information here is not true. I work in the aerospace industry. The true measurement of dust in a house would be with a particle counter which he never mentioned. Yes. You do need to clean EVERYTHING. We keep particle counter data and there is a clear correlation between allergies symptoms and the accumulation of dust. We clean two to three times a day at work and in my house I have a particle counter and I have to clean twice a week to keep my allergies in check.

[@RT-qz5ci]

Can you expand on this more or point me to some good info to read? What device are you using to measure your air quality?

[@Steve_in_NJ]

We had our ducts cleaned in 2021 and they want to come back every 2 years. Give me a break! More like 5 years! Now, DRYER VENT CLEANING is a whole different animal and we have a separate service for that and that should be every 2 years! Especially when your dryer vent isn't a straight line to the outside of your home, as mine is in an L-shape as it goes up an interior wall, and turns 90-degrees and goes above my garage ceiling to the exterior of my house.

[@MoveMeMark]

It's funny, I saw an ad on Facebook that said you should have your ducts cleaned every six months! I was like, no way! Thanks for your comment!

[@seashackf1]

You don’t need to pay someone to do you’re dryer vents. It’s very easy, especially if the pipes are short. Just use a leaf blower. Put it in the vent hose at the dryer and blow everything out. You could buy a long vent brush for cheap if you really wanted to.

[@Steve_in_NJ]

@@seashackf1 My dryer vents are vented outside and it's a long L up an interior party wall, across my garage roof (2-car garage), and vented outside. Leaf blower didn't work, so I don't mind paying a professional to do it right.

[@usinebob]

I have used a company called DUCT duct cleaning services that is a member of NADCA and he was a total ripoff…when I tried calling him again he will never answer my call or return my call so choosing a company registered with NADCA does not guarantee anything.

[@mr.boniato6402]

There's a weird smell on my return air vents and has some dark dust stuck on it. Can I spray Lysol so it sucks it up and go through the ducts?

[@butterflykisses9331]

My kid moved in to apartment and I looked into her ac furnace it looks like it was 2 1/2 thick of dust. This is in the where the filter goes and the furnace is full of it including the internal fan . 🤮😡

[@someguy1717]

Thank you for this and saving us money!

[@casia1956]

If you have to dust your furniture often it mean dust from the ducts is comming down and they need to be professional clean.

[@grampsradio]

We have an EXTREME amount of dust in our home! It covers every square inch of our home and is impossible to keep up with! I'm thinking all that dust HAS TO BE coming from the vents!

[@MoveMeMark]

It CAN be coming from the ducts in your home. You can probably take a register off and peek inside at the ductwork and see what it looks like. Also be sure to replace your furnace's air filter regularly, depending on the specifications of the air filter you're using.

[@chasingthestorms]

30 years of pet owners in this home, that’s humid and dusty because of its hilltop location…I’ll have mine clean. Nor do I trust any gov agency telling me what’s good of isn’t.

[@MoveMeMark]

Different conditions can require different levels of cleaning. That being said, I do enjoy your mistrust of the government.

[@buddhismful]

You saved my life, Liked, bell and subscribed !

[@MoveMeMark]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!

[@anacontreras6438]

After our ventilations duck were cleaning de air condition make a horrible noise that we did not haved before.

[@MoveMeMark]

That can sometimes happen if there is a gap between pieces of ductwork. That can usually be fixed with some silver tape for ductwork. Hope that helps!

[@jeanne819]

Thank you, Mark ! I appreciate your info !

[@MoveMeMark]

@jeanne819 You are very welcome! Thanks so much for watching!

[@djspty]

Thank you; your video was very informative.

[@MoveMeMark]

Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Be sure to subscribe for more!

[@pss2755]

Thank you for been so honest,

[@tripjet999]

How nice to see a gentleman with no defiling tramp stamps, hog rings, etc.

[@MoveMeMark]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@MyVentClean]

I have a real quick answer for all of you out there watching this wondering if you need it take your dryer. If you can move it out use the screwdriver detach your inducting that goes to the wall check and see how dirty that is if that dirty inside, there looks wonderful to you don’t worry you don’t need to clean it if you don’t like the fact that that could be a fire hazard and a breathing problem and causing you money on your electrical bill then try to clean it if it’s something that difficult for you to do or your health and safety or if it’s not easy to access, just go ahead and call professional we have all the tools and everything you need. We have the investment on that. Keep the cost to you so that we can get the job done so that you don’t have to deal with it but it’s simple. Do you like living with a bunch of dirty stuff to start a fire or do you not?

[@1brokenbychrist]

Great content!

[@MoveMeMark]

Thanks so much! I appreciate your watching!

[@lominiski]

I don't agree with you. I clean it myself. It does get pretty dirty and blow the air ciculation. Just put a power vaccuum cleaner to do the cleaning.

[@CallMeFil]

I think by this time when someone is looking for their vents to be cleaned, it must be 10+ years. Most likely not a scam.

[@thedangler1371]

Real estate agents are a joke! A profession we could do without. Same goes for ridiculous home inspectors. All they care about is sales and money. I went along with my girlfriend to every house in her price range and pointed out all the shit that was fucked up with the house. The damn real estate agent was so annoyed he just gave us the code for every house we were looking at. It took over a year. Don’t let these fools sell u a money pit cause they will in a second

[@mariaalexander427]

Who the hell listens to the EPA or any other 3 letter agency anymore???🤣

[@MoveMeMark]

You've got me there! And you've completely won Comment of the Day! That was awesome.

[@susiebrown6646]

Thank you. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@MoveMeMark]

@susiebrown6646 You are very welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@sw33tm3]

I just got an unsolicited quote for $1200 for duct cleaning on a 3yr house

[@shullK808]

Thank you! I was very close to hired a FB scam! NADCA tip was a good idea

[@MoveMeMark]

That's awesome! I'm glad you saw my video first! Thanks for letting me know!

[@jwj4400]

little evidence exists to indicate that simply cleaning the duct system will increase your system's efficiency.

[@RVrockmania]

it doesnt prevent health problems but my electronic’s health are dying

[@rebfan9200]

If you have pets, the ducts will be nasty.

[@potatochobit]

goofy kid, you clean your air duct to get rid of mold not to get rid of dust. if you have dust in your air vents it means you are lazy and are not changing the filter.

[@MoveMeMark]

Your comment made my day! Not too many people in their 50's are called "kid"! But in all seriousness, mold needs something to eat, so getting mold in your vents would seem to be a lot harder than dust. Mold on your walls, absolutely! But vents would be harder.

[@marlynmoonie]

This is talking, but NOT saying a whole lot. He is promoting his Realestate license. I would say this guy is the AGAINST getting them cleaned.

[@MoveMeMark]

Actually, if you watched the video, you would have seen me talk about what the government has to say about it. And no, I'm actually not a fan. Most of the people offering air duct cleaning services talk about how you need to get it done every six months to a year, and there is absolutely no justification for that. What say you? Are you for or against air duct cleaning?

[@marlynmoonie]

@@MoveMeMark Totally for it EVERY YEAR since I own 5 cats and 2 dogs! Plus I have ASTHMA, it DOES keep the air quality in your house BETTER. BOOM

[@MoveMeMark]

@@marlynmoonie Having five cats and two dogs would be a good reason to get your ducts cleaned. If you don't have seven animals in your home, it might not be necessary to do it every year.

[@taylork24ce]

Duct cleaning is extremely important to do. It actually helps your wallet get a little lighter.

[@nsahar4214]

Your are absolutely wrong.

[@TheRandrx2]

Can you clarify what he is wrong about please?

[@C0tt0nPaws]

He is wrong about it not being necessary. An allergist would tell you that it is a must, even if you don't suffer from allergies yet. Think of how dangerous it would be to let vents get clogged up and then allow those particles to be inhaled into your lungs. A fire professional would tell you that it could prevent a house fire, specially when it comes to air dryer vents. An air quality inspector would tell you that it would be easier to catch mold growth in time if there isn't dust hiding it. An AC technician would tell you that it would keep you from spending thousands on a new unit every other year due to the fact that this could damage your AC. The list of things that can be prevented goes on. However, he was right about it only being needed every year or two.

[@MoveMeMark]

@@C0tt0nPaws There are definitely times when it is warranted. There are also definitely times when it's not necessary. My one suggestion for everyone is to know what you're getting into before getting into it. Pop some of those vent covers off and see what's going on in there before spending a lot of money! I appreciate your comment!

[@paintedbird6791]

@@C0tt0nPaws If you live in a cold, damp, polluted area, yes. I live in California, maybe once a decade is all we need.

[@johnstawicki3185]

NON SENSE

[@MoveMeMark]

What part?

[@johnstawicki3185]

@@MoveMeMark I AM NOT A BELIEVER IN THIS DUCT CLEANING , MY HOUSE IS 25 YEARS OLD , ALL MY DUCTS ARE IN THE ATTIC ZIP TIED I RUN A 4 INCH DRYER DUCT BRISH UP AS FAR AS I CAN AND VERY RALEY GET ANY AMOUNT OF DUST …

[@johnstawicki3185]

ALSO THESE COMPANIES WANT YOU SIGN UP WITH THEN AND HAVE IT DONE VERY 2 YEARS WHICH IS A SCAM … EASY MONEY FOR THEM

[@MoveMeMark]

@@johnstawicki3185 I'm with you there. If you see an ad for an air duct cleaning service, you would think everyone's ducts are choked with dust. It's just not true. Now, there may be times someone would need to have their ducts cleaned, like if they just bought a house that had a lot of pets in it, but ordinarily, it's not as necessary as people might like you to believe. Thanks for your thoughts!