Has anyone out there had their air ducts professionally cleaned? I'm thinking of having it done, but I'd like to know what your experiences were so I can anticipate any pitfalls.
The air apparent
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Julie Todd
Julie Todd is the night editor at The Herald News in Joliet. She and her
husband are looking to cut the chemicals and get back to basics -- minus the
granola and hemp clothing. They live in a home they bought last year in
Plainfield, where they're making changes to create their own little patch of
utopia.
Julie,
We had our air ducts cleaned in the Spring last year and they really did a great job. I can get you the name of the business if you'd like.
At the businesses' request, we kept the windows open and the ceiling fans on for better ventilation. I guess you don't realize how much junk we breathe in every day at home until you see it in a container...it was pretty gross!!
I had no idea they'll actually show you the nastiness. That's really exciting, actually.
I suspect there's a lot of badness in our air ducts. If the kitchen cabinets are any sign, the ducts have probably never been cleaned. The house was built in 1955. That's some pretty ugly math there.
Were you supposed to open the windows and run the fans just while they were there or in general for better air quality? That probably sounds like a silly question, but sealing up the house seems to be one of the things that puts stuff in the ducts.
I know we need it. My husband changed the furnace filter only to find out that, surprise, it wasn't a filter in there so much as a grate of sorts.
Bad, bad, bad. Is it any wonder I mostly answer the phone, "Hewold Noose," because of allergies.?
Julie,
Believe me, after they start suctioning (is that a word??) the junk out of the vents, it has this "dirty" odor and to be honest quite disgusting. We left the house windows open for the day and by the early evening all odor has dissipated. I think the company that we used said we would be good for three years.
I can be honest and tell you that breathing has been much much better since we have had these air ducts cleaned.
It's amazing we have lived in this house since 1994 and never had these ducts cleaned and according to the Joliet records our house was built in approx. 1915, so I really doubt they had ever been cleaned since a furnace was installed!!
Good luck with your air duct cleaning!!
Suctioning is indeed a word and one I plan to have happen to my air ducts.
We could definitely use a little help with easier breathing.