Like servicing your water heater, furnace, air conditioner, dryer vents and water softener, most homeowners tend to neglect duct cleaning as they do the rest of their home’s appliances. So is it worth it or is duct cleaning a waste of money? Well the answer is it depends on you. Have you ever changed the air filter, fluids, cabin filter, brakes, or tires on your car? Why? Was it because the mechanic told you it was important for safety and improved performance? Was it because it was required for warranty, or did the mechanic show you the condition of those things and you finally agreed they needed replacing?
Here are some Reasons You May Want to Say Yes to Duct Cleaning.
Unlike actually seeing worn tires, dirty oil and filters, most of the heating system and appliances in your home are concealed to you and you cannot see the state they are in. For example, most plumbers will tell you that 99% of the water heaters they replace have NEVER been drained of sediment, and because of that have to be replaced early. Water heaters are supposed to be drained once a year to make them last years longer and save you potentially hundreds of dollars a year without sediment blocking the heating elements. Another often neglected appliance: your water softener’s resin is supposed to be cleaned 2-4 times a year. Your gas or oil furnace should be maintained yearly as well. Duct cleaning is recommended every 3-5 years.
When you see dust on your furniture, debris on the floor, crumbs on the counters, and grime in the tub, it is a visual indicator to you that you’ve got some work to do. Unless you have smart appliances in your home that tell you they need servicing, they usually go unchecked until they break down. Many homeowners just assume that a yearly air filter change is enough, but as you know, dust accumulates on absolutely every surface in a home – as does hair, cigarette smoke, fur, cobwebs, mold & bacteria. Most furnaces in Canada are moving about 1.5 million cubic feet of air a day (over 1000 cubic feet per minute). This means that you are breathing the same air in your home over and over multiple times a day. Many of these particles and organic matter make it through your furnace filter and builds up on all the sides of your duct work. Some of it is sticky, staticky, and over time creates a thick coating of all that stuff, especially on the joints, corners and bends. So if you have a family member with allergies, a compromised immune system, pets in your home, or and older home, duct cleaning is a healthy choice.
If you have kids, especially small ones, you’ve seen all kinds of things end up down the vents that you never even thought possible: balls, socks, toys, fur, feces – the list goes on and on. If you have pets, you’re constantly in amazement of how fur gets where you find it. These are both high risks of blockages in vents, which can be removed by high suction duct cleaning. A dirty heat exchanger is another potential fire hazard.
Speaking of fires, did you know that in Canada nearly 2000 yearly fires could be prevented with properly maintained dryer vents? Although your ducts would rarely if ever catch on fire for lack of maintenance, usually dryer vents & duct cleaning is performed at the same time. This could literally be a preventable life saver!
The Cost of Duct Cleaning
In the end, the cost of duct cleaning is a big factor for many homeowners. Prices range typically between $250-$500, and often depends on the number of ducts/vents in the home. Unless you had a really large home, any higher than this would seem a little unreasonable. The average cost for most homeowners works out to about $375 in Ontario. At Canaduct our prices begin at $225 for a home up to 2,000 square feet, and we don’t charge for the number of ducts/vents. We also have additional services below if you are interested, we can offer a free quote for those services as well. Is duct cleaning worth it? Well if you only had it done once every 5 years, it works out to $45/year, that’s less than the price of 1 air filter, or 1 oil change on your car- you decide.
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