How affective is getting air ducts cleaned on dust problem in house?

Question

We have 3 dogs, 2 kids, a zillion dust bunnies, and a doggy door to let them all in except the kids of course. I know part of the problem is we have backyard that is mainly dirt. In process of trying to get grass to grow. In the meantime, what else can I do to reduce the amount of dust in my house?? I am up for any suggestions.

Answer 1

A better furnace filter does alot and make sure its changed on time.   You can upgrade,  a 1 inch to a 4 inch filter.  You ould have to hire a heating guy to do it.   I have a cousin that is in heating and says that duct cleaning doesn't work,  it just stirs up the dust and can make it worse.  He says there is a new filter system,   a UV filter.  I dont kno much about it but its supposed to kill dust and is really effective if someone has allergies.  I would ask a HVAC guy about it,  I dont think its really expensive.

Answer 2

make sure you change the air filter on your furnace

more often

some time it costs more than it is worth

Answer 3

I cleaned my ducts some time ago. I didn't really notice much difference in the amount of dust. My house sits at the intersection of 2 main drags and I thought that would generate more dust. Apparently it doesn't. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't spend the money.

Answer 4

Cleaning air ducts isn't going to help if the source is still there. Also the only ducts that can be effectively cleaned are metal ducts. The ducts which are made from aluminum paper covered fiberglass and the round, flexible ducts will be chewed up by commercial cleaning tools and just contribute more particles to your house. The duct cleaning companies won't tell you that but a good AC company, which DOESN'T have a duct cleaning business on the side, will.

Answer 5

get the best filter for the unit and change it regularly. duct cleaning is a temporary fix.

Answer 6

I would think that if the vents are not properly maintained and cleaned can contribute to the problem as well as not using a good furnace filter.Bad seams especially on the return ducts can also contribute to the problem as they are susceptible in sucking dust in their surroundings.Have your furnace cleaned during the process as well.

Answer 7

This is a highly debated topic in the HVAC world.

In my opinion, it depends on where you live. I've cleaned ducts in Florida, New Mexico, and Montana.

The only place I've seen it be worthwhile and beneficial is in Montana. If there is a ton of debris in your return air ductwork, I would say get it done. Make sure that they use an encapsulate at the end of the duct cleaning process. Then make sure that your air ducts are sealed properly (all of them).

Get the best filter you can afford and change or clean it regularly. Get some make-up air installed just before your filter to keep your house pressurized and the dust outside.