Is Duct Cleaning a Requirement or a Myth?

The answer? It depends on your situation.

Systems made of duct board, flex duct or lined metal duct cannot be cleaned effectively without dismantling the duct and cleaning them by hand.  For homeowners with metal ducts, quality contractors have machines similar to enormous vacuum cleaners that are attached to the supply and returns. The process involves forcing compressed air through the duct system that flows towards a vacuum at the bottom, taking dirt with it as it goes.

Like most HVAC companies, Summers & Zim’s is equipped with the technology that makes duct cleaning possible, especially for areas in the duct system that are inaccessible. Depending on the circumstance, we may point you to a home services provider with different equipment better suited to a specific scenario. If your duct system is dirty due to pet hair, old age, or leaking ducts, this could work very well.

Many times, duct cleaning does not resolve the problem either. A duct cleaning will just temporarily clean ducts that dust will return to anyway, especially if the system is sucking in a lot of attic or basement air through returns that are not sealed properly.  Many times, we recommend Aeroseal to homeowners before duct cleaning to curb the problem at its source so that the cleaning is actually worthwhile.

Here’s the bottom line: there are absolutely applications where duct cleaning is a good idea and sometimes even necessary. However, thinking of it as something that needs to be done as regular maintenance is usually wasting your time and money for very little benefit.

A Summers & Zim’s professional will be happy to give you a free evaluation if you are unsure what you should do. Call (610) 593-5129 or use our contact form to schedule an appointment.