orion940
Paralyzed By Confusion
Premium
join:2001-12-23
Windsor, CT
 ·AT&T Yahoo
|  [help] Air Duct Cleaners???
I have central air and forced hot air through the same ducts. I need them cleaned and I am not sure what criteria to use when choosing one?
Anybody have referrals in Hartford area? Anyone know price range?
Thanks in advance for any help.
O.
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Enjoy your lunch. |
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Grumpy
Premium
join:2001-07-28
99999
clubs: | Don't know anything about these folks except for reading "Duct Cleaning" printed on the side of one of their service vans.
»www.solvitnow.com/main.html |
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duct cleaner
join:2007-10-31
USA
| reply to orion940
I just found your post and hopefully you have found an answer to your question by now. Just in case, I thought I would give you a couple pointers.
1. Spending more than $400 on duct cleaning is pointless. Many companies do a very good job for less than $200.
2. Duct cleaning should take no more than 2 hours unless you have an unusual system or only one technician shows up. We are also installers and can install new ducts in about 6 hours!
3. CHECK WITH THE BBB!!!
4. Once hired, follow the duct cleaner around and ask questions. People tend to do better work when they are watched. It's just human nature.
Hope this helps. You might want to read this article about hiring an air duct cleaner. |
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Options
@1dial.com
| reply to orion940
2 Hours Max - You've got to be kidding!
It takes us an hour just to set the average job up!
Here's how we clean:
Uless the furnace is new, every job begins with the removal, disassembly and thoroughly cleaning of the blower. As applicable, we also access, protect and clean the indoor coil and its drain pan. UV lights are removed, as are sail switches, humidistats and any other component that could be damaged during cleaning. We also clean electronic air cleaner cells, humidifiers, washable filters, etc.
We then connect our vac (truck mounted or portable) to your system with one or more 8", 10", or 12" diameter hoses (depending on the type of vac being used). Each side (supply & return) is isolated and cleaned separately to prevent our vac from drawing additional dirt thru the heat exchanger or indoor coil. Note: The vac used should be capable of moving at least as much air as your system's blower does with a min. of 2500cfm and preferably at least 5000cfm.
We place a live video camera inside the system near where our vac hose is attached. This camera eliminates guessing when each duct is clean by clearly showing the dirt as it is being removed and we welcome homeowners to watch!
An air line is taken thru your home to each of the vent openings. There the vent covers are removed (& hand washed) and our cleaning tools on small flexible rods are inserted into those openings to clean the smaller branch ducts. These tools consisting of whips, sweeps and/or rotary brushes are powered by up to 200psi of air pressure, are used in conjunction with the vacuum to dislodge and remove the dirt. Multiple passes using a variety of tools are made to ensure that all of the dirt is removed! When all of the branch ducts have been cleaned, we access and clean the main ducts and plenum, before switching over and repeating the process for the other side of the system.
Instead of the BBB, I highly recommend that you contact SEVERAL local HVAC and fire/water/disaster restoration companies to see who the majority refer. These companies should know from experience who does the best work!
A small system with up to 15 vents takes two of us app. 4 hours to clean thoroughly. Larger homes may take all day and those with multiple systems may take longer. Pricing will depend on where you live and the size of your system, but with today’s fuel costs, wages and operating expenses I'd question $200 for all but the smallest home as being low for quality workmanship!
PLEASE don't be fooled by low advertised (bait) prices. Their hidden fees and fine print often add hundreds of dollars to their bill and many pay commissions to their techs to sell you additional products and services! Your best defense against these types of scams is to insist on a guaranteed final price in writing BEFORE you allow anyone to start working for you and if afterwards you feel that you have been pressured into spending more than you had planned, contact your state attorney general and file a complaint! |
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duct cleaner
join:2007-10-31
USA
2 edits | reply to orion940
Re: [help] Air Duct Cleaners???
Well, as you can see from the posts above, when it comes to duct cleaning, the choice is yours. Two different philosophies, neither are wrong.
Choice 1. Pay upwards of $500 - $1,200 for a complete duct cleaning including components which may or may not be dirty, if you even have them at all (think heat exchanger, a/c coil, dryer vent, fireplace, etc...). have the piece of mind knowing that every last spec of dust has been removed.
Choice 2. pay $189 for a professional rotobrush duct cleaning and an additional $65 each for the above mentioned items if it is determined that cleaning is indeed required. using this method, our experience has been that about 95% of the dust, dirt and debris is removed. At Duct-911.com we say "If a rotobrush and 200psi of compressed air won't remove the remaining 5% from your air ducts, the little fan on your furnace probably won't disturb it either."
Either way, I would be interested to know if and when you have made a decision on duct cleaning and a little about your experience.
Best wishes - Dave the Duct Cleaner |
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