Everyone likes and wants a “good deal” no matter what we’re buying.  We commonly go to great lengths to research and negotiate for the best deal possible.  Nothing wrong with that!  On the other hand, we’ve all been disappointed and remorseful at times when we opted for the cheaper price.  In the residential heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) duct cleaning business, the differences in what a consumer can actually get for the service can be not just significant — but huge.

The Complexity of an HVAC System

When it comes to air duct prices, you don’t want to get stuck in a scam. “Duct Cleaning $299 or less” or “Whole House Duct Cleaning $10/vent”.  To an uninformed consumer, they probably sound like a good deal.  To the experienced professional, these offers represent a consumer nightmare and likely a scam.

Think about how complex an HVAC duct system is.  The furnace blower (fan) pulls the air into and through all of the return-air grills and ductwork. Then the air is pulled or pushed through the furnace heat exchange compartment, blower fan, motor, and housing, and through the A/C evaporator or cooling coils before it travels down all of the supply-air ductwork and registers.  All of these parts accumulate dust, debris and contaminants.  In addition, the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (nadca.com) standard requires all of those air-stream components and compartments to be cleaned.  For a cheap advertised price like $49.95, one can surmise that there’s no way the system will be cleaned to that standard.

Important Questions to Ask

Before making a hiring decision, the wise consumer should ask how a duct cleaning service goes about its process.  What kind of equipment do they have?  Any training or certifications?  About how long does the service take to complete?  All of these questions will help you get a better idea of what they will be getting for the service. In order to clean all of the components of a system, an average size house with one furnace unit should take 4 to 6 hours.

Cheap air duct cleaning price3?  Buyer beware!