I guess, I will start with saying that air duct cleaning is almost never needed. It is not a scam, but it is certainly something that uneducated homeowners get suckered into. In regards to air flow, a well balanced HVAC system should be able to deliver more than enough air flow. If you are not getting good air flow, it's because your system may be out of balance. Additionally, regular cleaning/changing of the air filters will solve about 95% of your problem. Though you would be surprised how many people either a. don't have a filter or b. don't know about it and leave it there for 10+years. a washable one should be cleaned every 6 months(spring and fall) and a disposable one should be replaced every 3-4 months.
The next step was cleaning the cold air returns. He found a good spot to drill an 8” hole for his vacuum hose. The procedure matched the other air ducts except that when he finished at the two cold return registers he drilled several holes in the cold ducts in the basement and blasted air into them. Because of our houses age and the upgraded return system, I noticed that the main sheet metal return duct had no top but was just butted up against the ceiling in the basement. When he blasted air in, dust and crap shot out the edges along the ceiling. Once he finished that he removed the filter and “swept” out anything at the bottom of the return with his hand into the 8” hose.
Venice warns homeowners to beware of air duct cleaning scams, especially the sort where unscrupulous cleaners offer a $49 special deal but start piling on extra fees. “It’s a bait and switch scam where they say they’ll offer unlimited cleaning, but then they throw around terms you might not understand, such as extra fees for a ‘main duct line,’” he says. “And many times, these cleaners end up walking out the door with twice the amount of money a reputable duct cleaner would charge. They’ve gotten very sophisticated at upselling.”
On the other hand, if a service provider fails to follow proper duct cleaning procedures, duct cleaning can cause indoor air problems. For example, an inadequate vacuum collection system can release more dust, dirt and other contaminants than if you had left the ducts alone. A careless or inadequately trained service provider can damage your ducts or heating and cooling system, possibly increasing your heating and air conditioning costs or forcing you to undertake difficult and costly repairs or replacements.
HRV/ERV Ventilators: These whole-house ventilators exchange air. They are ideal for homes with what is called a “tight envelope,” homes where house wrap has been applied and airgaps in the attic, around windows, doors and outlets have been sealed. Air in these homes becomes stale and polluted, so exchanging the air is important to IAQ. Heat recovery ventilators (HRV) are designed for cold climates. Energy recovery ventilators (ERV) are best for warm climates. Your cost for an installed HRV or ERV will range from about $2,000 to more than $5,000 based on its capacity and features.
I hope that those customers you have with breathing problems don't follow your advice too closely. You are doing them a disservice. Dirt in your ducts does not always stay there, depending on what the contaminants are. I bet you tell your customers not to worry about mold either- just to kill it with bleach. Educate yourself before opening your mouth- You may kill someone someday with your opinion.
No one has addressed mfg homes and doesn't seem any of the comments are from people in So CA which of course does make a difference as my dust comes from the outside not from the vents. My windows are open pretty much 365 days a year. Secondly mfg homes don't have basements or attics I keep mine clean with my vacuum as they are only about 2 ft deep. I purchased my home 10 yrs ago and it is a high end home but have never had a problem. I clean my furnace filter about twice a month as I have cats and most everything in there is cat fur. I am not saying they don't ever need to be cleaned but I am questioning mfg homes, I also clean my own filters in my AC unit outside as the HVAC guy told me too he QUATITY they would sell. I use this same company every year now for my tune up and inspection which takes them about 10 minutes. Not a bad return for them and I don't mind the $79 fee. If anyone has more info than this on mfg homes please let me know!
Replacing a capacitor is easy. Just take a photo of the wires before disconnecting anything (you may need a reference later on). Then discharge the stored energy in the old capacitor (Photo 4). Use needle-nose pliers to pluck one wire at a time from the old capacitor and snap it onto the corresponding tab of the new capacitor. The female crimp connectors should snap tightly onto the capacitor tabs. Wiggle each connector to see if it's tight. If it's not, remove the connector and bend the rounded edges of it so it makes a tighter fit on the tab. When you've swapped all the wires, secure the new capacitor (Photo 5).
I need a complete system replacement , before I was trying to get an evaporator coil replaced , of course the price is between $2200 an $2800 , then get told it probably will over tax my ac unit within months , so now and like everyone else what do you buy 14 ,15 16 17 seer units ,price and how do we know its reasonable why can't there be '" a estimated price ,in the ball park, a range of prices ,so we can at least go from their ..... Now it's from 7500 to 15000. Frustrating from the start so everybody good LUCK. Draw a # from the hat Unregulated and who do you BELIEVE, just like on NCIS go with your gut feelin
Indoor Fan Motor -- Indoor fans circulate the air from your house and through the system. Age and dust buildup are the two biggest contributing factors to their failure. When they are starting to fail they will often make noise. Failure of the fan will result in no heating or cooling, and if it is not repaired soon, it can cause other components to fail.
Once on the scene, trained Sears professionals utilize powerful, truck-mounted equipment to clear your air ducts of dust, debris, pet dander, allergens, and grime. Our powerful air duct cleaning suction equipment vacuums out years of accumulated dust from your air ducts, leaving them clean and clear. Once finished, our technicians remove all equipment and make sure that your ducts and HVAC unit are restored to their best condition. For continued protection against dirty air ducts, your service technician may suggest a variety of air purification products.
Prices for central-air HVAC systems will vary. The national average to hire an HVAC specialist is $2,920-$3,670 but can run as high as $5,000 or even $12,000 depending on the capacity you need and other factors. Installing central air conditioning requires an entire system that works together to draw hot air out of your home. The system includes an outdoor unit, which houses the condenser and compressor, and the evaporator coils. If you don’t have an existing duct system, ductwork will need to be installed, which will affect labor and material costs. Leaking or damaged ducts will also need to be replaced.
An alternative to packaged systems is the use of separate indoor and outdoor coils in split systems. Split systems are preferred and widely used worldwide except in North America. In North America, split systems are most often seen in residential applications, but they are gaining popularity in small commercial buildings. The split systems are a great choice for small buildings where ductwork is not feasible or where the space conditioning efficiency is of prime concern . The benefits of ductless air conditioning systems include easy installation, no ductwork, greater zonal control, flexibility of control and quiet operation . In space conditioning, the duct losses can account for 30% of energy consumption . The use of minisplit can result in energy savings in space conditioning as there are no losses associated with ducting.
I thought the price advertised at 129.95 for duct cleaning was great and called to clean our ducts. When they came in to do the the job I could not be home and my wife dealt with them. My wife ended up paying 954.00. They convinced my wife that there was 1.5 inches of mold built up on the Evaporators and coils. It is not the money, my wife could not go to the basement to witness the mold build up or the coil fouling. We have not cleaned our ducts for at least 10 years. The last price we paid for our duct cleaning was 150.00. My concern is that they told my wife not to turn on the heat for 2 hours due the strong chemicals they used to kill the mold. Are these chemicals approved as safe?
Concealed behind your walls and mostly ignored, your air ducts serve as vital pathways that deliver warm and cool air throughout your home. While they may be unseen, your air ducts are working whenever you have your air conditioner or furnace running–nearly year round. Attached to your HVAC, air ducts transfer the air from these systems throughout your home. What many homeowners don't realize is that your air ducts, in nearly constant use, continually accumulate dust, grime, debris, pet dander, and allergens throughout the year. A professional air duct cleaning is necessary for better indoor air quality and the health of your family.
Ok what you said is true but in most cases ducts are in a duct flex format, and knowing that the dust in people's flex duct is just surface dust, any real debris that are in the duct itself will result in very little to no air flow which will keep your unit from performing properly, but if it is true allergy reasons then replacing your duct system is better for overall better air quality, plus if you do pay attention to the warranty on flexible duct is that it only has a 10 year warranty and typically only lasts for 20 years so do your research before having a duct cleaning, and to add one more thing if your duct work is completely metal and you can't see visible insulation then your duct on the inside has insulation inside of it, if you replace that with duct work that is clean metal on the inside and wrapped with insulation on the outside then it will further reduce the air bourne fiberglass and dust.
"OTHER THAN A SMALL SCHEDULING HICK-UP THEIR SERVICE WAS EXCELLENT. JOSH THE TECHNICIAN THAT PREFORMED THE DIAGNOSTICS AND REPAIR WAS EXTREMLEY PROFESIONAL AND FRIENDLY â ¦ HE WAS ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM WHICH WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND AND FIX THE PROBLEM. I WISH THAT ALL HOME SERVICE PEOPLE WERE AS GOOD AS HE WAS. I WOULD HIRE AGAIN...JOB WELL DONE !!!"