What is the Standard Cost of Air Duct Cleaning?

Determining the cost of air duct cleaning for a home or business can be tricky, because the final price depends on several different factors. Among them are the size of the system, the location, the environment and even the system’s age. However, there are some helpful tips that can help a building owner get a general idea of what the cost of air duct cleaning will be in their particular case.

Start with some general knowledge about heating and cooling systems. As a general rule, air ducts should remain clean if used properly. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) doesn’t have any specific guidelines about how often air ducts need to be cleaned, and only recommend the procedure if there is suspicion of mold in the ducts, a vermin infestation, or the ducts are clogged. It stands to reason that regular air duct maintenance would include cleaning, and the EPA considers this a matter of personal preference for the owners. Consequently, an important part of the cost of air duct cleaning depends on the owner’s needs and wishes.

The EPA suggests that proper cleaning of the heating or cooling apparatus can improve the efficiency of the system, but that there is no evidence to suggest that cleaning the ducts themselves will have any effect on efficiency. Another point that the agency also stresses is that properly installed air ducts should remain clean, and needing to clean them usually means there is a specific problem that needs to be fixed. Without fixing the problem, the ducts will most likely have to be re-cleaned.

There is a National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) which naturally stresses that indoor air should be as clean as possible. The association also offers some standard tips to help homeowners calculate the cost of air duct cleaning before calling the cleaners. Naturally these prices will change depending on the individual conditions for each building, such as size and the level of contamination. For an average-sized home, experts estimate the cost of air duct cleaning to be between $400 and $1,000.

This is a fairly broad range, and is mostly related to the size of the house. The estimation includes cleaning the heating and/or cooling elements in the system, as well as the ducts. Often, cleaning agencies will offer chemical sprays to clean out or prevent mold, and remove bacteria and dust mites. These are called biocides, and while the EPA hasn’t found any reason to object to them, none are registered with the Agency, or have scientifically demonstrated effects. Biocides are an additional cost of air duct cleaning, and whether they are used depends on the building owner.

Since the primary reason to clean air ducts is to remove mold or rodents, most experts advise asking the cleaning agency to show the mold or extraneous objects they found in the ducts. Some ducts have hard to access places, which make them inaccessible for a visual inspection. The additional work required to clean these systems will also impact the cost of air duct cleaning for specific buildings.

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