After you’ve read our blog post on air duct cleaning cost, you’ll know:
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- What factors go into air duct cleaning cost
- How much specific air duct cleaning services may set you back
- Why you need a regular air duct cleaning service performed on your home
You and your family deserve to breathe clean, fresh air. One of the best ways to ensure that the air quality inside your home remains high is to conduct regular air duct cleanings. This service can help assess the cleanliness of your ducts, discover potential sources of indoor air pollution, and clean your ducts to prevent common air contaminants like dust, dander, and other allergens from being flown throughout your home every time you switch on the air conditioning.
Yet, many families go without cleaning their air ducts regularly. This is likely due to two reasons: First, the ducts are hidden behind the walls, and if something’s out of sight, it’s easy to forget about it. The second reason is the feared cost. However, cleaning your air ducts can be cost-effective, as it may save you and your family from spending money on allergy medication or pricey visits to the doctor.
For more on the costs of having your air ducts cleaned, make sure to read below.
Factors That Go Into Air Duct Cleaning Costs and Estimates
Air duct cleaning services will vary by home. You may find that your neighbor is paying far less or significantly more to have professionals clean out their ducts. That’s not due to any personal preference; the air duct cleaning estimates are based on five main factors.
Types of Ductwork
Not all ductworks are the same. There are various materials used to build ducts, and each material requires a different cleaning solution and procedure. That is, some are easier to clean while others are more difficult.
Generally, most homes will have one of five different types of ductwork:
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- Fiberglass duct boards
- Insulated flex ducts
- Metal air ducts
- Metal ducts with an exterior wrap
- Metal interior insulated ducts
System Size
Ductwork comes in all different shapes and sizes. Of course, smaller homes tend to have ductworks that fall on the smaller side of things, but larger homes may have ductwork that reaches a few rooms.
Typically, size is determined not just by the square footage of the ductwork but also by the number of components like air handling units, grilles, and registers. Many air duct cleaning services use negative air pressure to blast dirt, dust, and allergens out of the ductwork. To do that, they’ll need to cover every duct opening except for one. As the number of registers they have to cover goes up, so will the cleaning service price.
Ductwork Configuration and Accessibility
Ductwork isn’t always easy to get to. The ducts themselves are hidden behind and above ceilings. Air registers and returns may be high up on walls or in the corners of rooms, with a barrier of household items acting as a barrier to easy access.
Air duct cleaning professionals need access to the ducts to clean them. That should be obvious. So, if it’s difficult to access the ductwork or its various components, it can impact the price of the cleaning job.
Level of Contamination
Another factor that goes into the cost of your air duct cleaning service is the level of contamination. That is, how much cleaning will be needed to remove the accumulated dust, dirt, and contaminants will help determine the cleaning price.
Additionally, if you haven’t had your ducts cleaned in a while, there may be additional growth in the form of mold or pest infestation. This may require additional services, often pricey ones, to fully clean the ducts and ensure your home isn’t being blasted by spores or rodent feces.
Environmental Factors
Environmental factors are a bit of a catch-all for the remaining cost components: Are there things about your home that may make it more difficult to clean? Do you own pets? Do members of your home smoke tobacco? Is your home a single-story residential unit or a condo, or a townhome?
All of these things can impact price by adding to the level of accumulated dirt within the ducts. They can also impact how easy it is for your home to clean.
Structures for Air Duct Cleaning Costs
At the national level, the average air duct cleaning can cost anywhere between $500 and $1000. That is definitely a significant cost, but regular cleaning can also be cost-effective. Cleaning your air ducts serves as preventative maintenance; it can help extend the life of your HVAC system while also preventing minor issues from snowballing into much more significant and costlier ones. For instance, ducts that are routinely cleaned are less likely to become infested by rodents or insects.
If anyone in your home deals with allergies, you may also find financial benefits from cleaning your air ducts during allergy season. This can keep allergens from being scattered throughout your home, which may make it easier for allergy sufferers to breathe and keep them from needing that extra trip for allergy medication or to the doctor’s office.
So, it’s clear that even if there is an upfront cost to clean your air ducts, it can also help reduce more expensive bills down the road. As you look at air duct cleaning estimates, you should keep this in mind.
You should also keep in mind how most air duct cleaning estimates are created. Most estimates will use one or a combination of three pricing structures to calculate their estimate:
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- Per Vent: This pricing structure is based purely on how many vents there are in your home.
- Flat Fee and Vents: This pricing structure uses a flat fee (often called a service fee or mileage fee) with an additional charge based on the number of vents in your home.
- Per Square Footage: This pricing structure uses the square footage of your home to determine the cost.
Additional Air Duct Cleaning Services
Beyond the basic air duct cleaning service, two additional services may help to keep your home clean and safe:
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- Dryer vent cleaning: Dryer vents may not impact indoor air quality as directly as your HVAC vents, but cleaning your dryer vents can improve your dryer’s efficiency, extend its life, and help prevent fires from occurring in your home. Most experts recommend getting this service at least once a year.
- Air purification: To keep your air as clean as possible, you may want to consider installing an air purification system in your ductwork. There are many different types of purification systems available, all with their benefits and focused on reducing specific contaminants.
Air Duct Cleaning Near Me with Steamatic of Central Florida
At Steamatic of Central Florida, we use advanced technology and proven methods to clean your ductwork so your family can breathe easily. Our team is experienced in cleaning ducts of various contaminants, and we offer ongoing maintenance programs to help keep your ducts clean.
Our services are available throughout Central Florida, from Orlando to Cocoa and beyond! Contact us today to set up an appointment or for more information.
Featured Image: VPales/Shutterstock
