Duct Cleaning – Blog 2 – Why you shouldn’t get your ducts cleaned

Why you shouldn’t get your ducts cleaned, and when you should…

At R&B we are against duct cleaning for maintenance purposes for several reasons.  First, any dirt and debris that makes it into your ducts, does so from the room, not the furnace.  The dirt and fluff will dance along the floor and fall into the heat vents.  It does not travel a long way either.  The only duct cleaning you really need to do is with your own home vacuum, or possibly a ShopVac if you think childrens’ toys are down there, and only as far as the standard hose reaches.  That will get 90% of it.

Second, debris might be deep in your ducts, perhaps.  But it is fine in your ducts.  It is there because it is too heavy to be airborne.  If you are seeing dust in your house and particulates in your air, it has not been suddenly picked up from the warm air travelling though your dirty ducts.  Nor is it like river silt that was carried only so far from the furnace before it was dumped in the ducts as the air slowed.  Furnaces do not produce dirty air.

Third, any debris that is in your ducts can stay there, thank-you very much.  It won’t do anything to restrict airflow for about 1000 years.

Are there exceptions to this?  You bet!  If there are small animals living in your ducts, get them cleaned!  If you have been through a major renovation where the ducts have been uncovered, get them cleaned before you move in.  If you have an issue with mold in your house, it can live in the ducts, but you will need to deal with the entire mold issue before you simply clean ducts.

Not sure if you need it or not?  At R&B we can show you how to check your filters so next time you won’t have to wonder.