Angie's List: Air Duct Cleaning

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Is their value in cleaning your home's air ducts?

In today's Angie's List report, here's what you need to know before making a decision.

Adam Ketterman says he suffered from a nagging, dry cough after some drywall work created a lot of dust in his home. He scheduled an air duct cleaning and immediately felt his symptoms improve.

"I did feel a lot better physically right after the duct cleaning, like within two to three days," said Ketterman. "I noticed it was like flipping a switch, so I was kind of excited about that."

There is no scientific evidence that regular duct cleaning improves air quality, but some consumers have reported that when they have their ducts cleaned, they experience fewer allergy symptoms and cleaner air.

Angie's List says do your research when hiring someone to clean your ducts.

Beware of bait-and-switch tactics that advertise an unbelievably low rate and then immediately start tacking on up-charges or using scare tactics.

"One of the more common things that we hear about with air duct cleaning comes down to pricing," says Angie Hicks, of Angie's List. "It's important for consumers to get written in-home estimates because a lot of times air duct cleaning is based on either the square footage of the home or the number of vents. A typical air duct cleaning might cost anywhere from $300 to $500. If you find you're being offered a really low price, you're going to want to question it."

There are a couple of ways to tell if your air ducts are dirty.

"One of the easiest ways to find out is to take the vent cover off, stick a camera phone down there and take a picture. They are going to be able to see down the duct," said Dave Adams, the owner of an air duct cleaning company. "Another sign is if the house is dusty a day or two after cleaning the house."

Qualified air duct cleaners will follow strict standards set by the National Air Duct Cleaners Association.

Hiring an unqualified contractor to clean your ducts could be worse than not having them cleaned at all. More particles could be broken up and released into your home.

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