In certain situations, duct cleaning services are a must, but even if you don’t have water or mold in your ducts, having them cleaned could still have benefits for the overall indoor air quality in the home. Unfortunately, not all duct cleaning companies are honest in their practices and will take your money without providing an adequate service. In order to know if your duct cleaner did a good job, check these points within the system before the technician leaves the home.
Points to Check after a Duct Cleaning:
- Duct Cleaning Process: For starters, the duct cleaning service should have lasted anywhere from 4 to 6 hours depending on the size of the home. If your duct cleaner was in and out in just a couple hours or less, there is no way he was able to do a thorough job in that short amount of time. Also, did he access the entire system? If your duct cleaner can’t explain and give you reasonable proof of a job well done, do not rest until they do. You paid for a whole system cleaning, and you should not settle for less!
- Metal Ducts Interior: Go around the home and select random return and supply registers. Remove the cover and take a look inside with a flashlight. Are the surfaces clean and free from debris? They should be. The tools the duct cleaners use should be able to agitate and collect nearly all of the dust and debris from the inside of your ducts.
- Air Vent Covers: The register covers all over the home should also be checked for dirt. Your duct cleaner should have scrubbed these covers inside and out.
- Access Doors: If the duct cleaner did the job properly, he will have had to cut access holes in the ducts near the furnace. These access holes should then be sealed with screws or rivets and then the edges lined with mastic take. If your duct cleaner does not make an access hole, he will not be able to adequately clean all of your ducts, and if your duct cleaner doesn’t seal the access hole properly, you will waste costly energy every time you run the furnace or air conditioner after the cleaning.
- Proper Function: The final step to check if your duct cleaner did a good job is to test the function of the furnace and the air conditioner. You want to make sure that your duct cleaner didn’t do any damage to the system, and if they did, hold them accountable for their mistake.
Get What You Paid For!
If you think that your duct cleaner didn’t do an adequate job, ask them to make the required improvements. If they refuse, don’t settle! Deceptive and illegitimate duct cleaners give this industry a bad name and the BBB is looking to warn consumers. Report the company if need be, so that future consumers can be protected from their unscrupulous business practices.