Sean McCutcheon's service vehicle and Sarasota skyline collage.

AC Duct Cleaning - Why We Do Not Clean Ducts

Most residential air conditioning duct systems are not designed to be cleaned.

Sean McCutcheon's service technician installing new ductwork.The duct systems that are designed to be cleaned are typically only used for commercial applications. Very few residential duct systems can be effectively cleaned without dismantling or replacing the entire system and no company can guarantee that ducts are completely clean and sanitized unless it is a new installation.

It is the policy of Sean McCutcheon's Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc.to not offer any product or service that we feel is inferior, ineffective, misleading, or that the customer simply does not need.

You cannot properly clean ducts by attaching a powerful vacuum to a vent. This would be like trying to clean a carpet by holding a vacuum two feet above the floor.

If you have Flexible Ducts, stuffing a brush through them may tear the material and create holes in the ductwork.

Resulting not only in ducts that are not clean, but now you are losing cold air into your attic and letting more contaminants (and often a few little critters) into your home.

If your ducts are made of fiberglass board - not only can they not be properly cleaned, but the act of trying to clean them will most likely result in filling your ducts and your home with minuscule fiberglass particles.

Some fiberglass ducts have a coating that will reduce the amount of fiberglass particles created, but there will still be more than 50% of the "dust" left behind.

So how about companies that claim they can sanitize ductwork?

One of the most efficient and accepted ways to sanitize ductwork is by using a special fog machine that will mist chemicals that can sometimes kill mold growing in ducts.

In order to perform this service, you should completely vacate the premises for up to 6 hours while this procedure is going on and, even then, you can only expect a 40% success rate.

Bottom line - beware of duct cleaning scams. Unscrupulous contractors will use this as a means to gain access into your home and intentionally mislead you into paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars for additional work.

The best way to keep your ducts clean is to use a high quality AC filter and change it regularly.

Sean McCutcheon's Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. wants you to be informed and we want you to know the facts. Feel free to call or email us anytime you have a question or concern about your air conditioning and heating system.