Beware of $99 Air Duct Cleaners Who ‘Blow and Go’

Don't Fall For This Scam

Over the years, dust and debris build up in the air ducts in your home. When this happens, you need a professional to clean them out to improve your home's air quality as well as reduce the risk of a fire. There are some firms out there that try to scam homeowners when it comes to air duct cleaning by offering a "whole home air duct cleaning" for a incredibly low introductory price.

However once they are in your home, they "find mold", change the terms of the offer, or just upsell you on something your don't need. You need to make sure that you're dealing with a reputable company that does the job right. 

Hire a company that you can trust that follow EPA guidelines.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a very clear definition for cleaning air ducts. It also offers guidelines of what you should expect a professional company to achieve during the cleaning.

Call 404-625-2096 for a  free no-obligation quote today.

About Those $99 Deals

From time to time, you may get a flyer in the mail or online from a company offering to clean your air duct system for as little as $99. When they arrive at your home, it's revealed that the deal only covered a few vents in your home.

To clean all your vents, some dishonest companies will charge you extra to clean all the vents and not even touch the actual internal parts of the HVAC system. According to the EPA, this isn't very effective. You want to work with a company that cleans out the entire system.

Aside from the ductwork, you also need a HVAC cleaning that cleans all the various components of both the heating as well as cooling elements in a forced-air system. According to the EPA, this includes cleaning:

• The supply and return air ducts and registers
• Grilles and diffusers
• Heat exchangers heating and cooling coils
• Condensate drain pans (drip pans)
• Fan motor and fan housing
• The air handling unit housing 

HVAC Cleaning Technologies goes above and beyond industry standards to guarantee an extensive cleaning of the air ducts and HVAC system in your home leaves that leaves you with refreshed air quality. For more details on our process, check out our page: What To Expect When We Clean Your HVAC.

Breaking Down the Cost of A Thorough Air Duct Cleaning

A professional company charges you to clean your air ducts in one of several ways. These include charging you:

• For each system, vent, and return.
• By the number of systems.
• For a set price for the first system with a certain number of returns and vents. You pay for additional vents, returns, and systems. 
• By the amount of square footage in your home. 
• For add-on options

While the cost of cleaning your air ducts can vary from one company to the next and the location where you live, you can expect the cleaning to cost between $400 to $1,000 for a mid-sized home with 1 to 2 AC units. The size of your home as well as the number of vents also play a part in the cost. 

You need to ask for a quote before the company arrives to ensure you get the best pricing and service. Ask if they will guarantee the quote won't change unless the quoting information was incorrect.

"The Other Company Quoted Cheaper"

We hear this a lot, which is why we put this resource together so you can be informed in your decision to hire an Air Duct Cleaning Specialist. However enticing it may be to hire the cheapest in town, you will get what you pay for. Please keep in mind that the person cleaning your HVAC system needs to be well-trained, as they are working on YOUR system that can cost thousands of dollars to replace.

If the company is subcontracted without insurance or a fly-by-night hire that you found on facebook, you may end up with a repair bill that cost WAY MORE than the money you "saved" with the other company.

To put it another way, in order properly clean the entire HVAC System (not just blowing out the ducts) in a standard home, a technician should be on site 3-6 hours!

How could a company afford to:

• Properly pay their staff
• Hold the proper insurance and licensing
• Operate state-of-art cleaning trucks & equipment
• Pay business expenses (Office, Gas, Taxes, ect..)
• Train and certify their employees to ensure a job is done correctly
• Be onsite for 3-6 hours (plus travel time)

For only $99?

They would be out of business in a week. So if someone quotes you a  "$99 Duct Cleaning", just know there is no way they can do a good job at that price. Either they are superficially cleaning the ducts (waste of money) or they are setting you up for a "bait-and-switch" upsell for the big bucks once they get onsite.

At HVAC Cleaning Technologies, the price we quote is the price you pay.

We get scammers trying to sell us these "jobs". They will promise and "book" a job at an unrealistically low amount with the whole intention of upselling the unknowing customer upon arrival. The unreputable companies that buy these kind of leads have no intention of doing the service for the amount quoted, otherwise they would lose money. 

Check out this example:

Hire a Team You Can Trust

When the time comes to clean your air ducts, look for a team trained in the methods set forth by NADCA. This can ensure the job is done correctly and will help protect your family from indoor air quality issues.

With more than 20 years in business and as an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau, HVAC Cleaning Technologies has a team of reliable perfectionists to get your air ducts and HVAC system squeaky clean. Our family-owned and operated company has all the certifications necessary to meet the needs of our customers. 

Contact us today to schedule an appointment. 

Tips for Choosing a Reputable Company to Clean Your Air Ducts 

The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) is a non-profit group of air duct cleaning businesses that formed to ensure the standards of cleaning. Its goal is to create a national standard for cleaning air ducts. Here are a few guidelines from NADCA to consider when hiring a company to clean your air ducts:

• Hire a company in good standing and a member of the NADCA.
• Verify that the company has the correct equipment and has worked in homes similar to yours. Ask for references. 
• Many other companies use handheld portable vacuums which do not provide adequate suction. In comparsion, our American Caddy Vac trucks have 14,000 cfm of suction, almost 5x more suction than some of our competitors!
• Make sure the company has adequate experience and many years in business. 
• Don't fall for any gimmicks or $99 deals. 
• Many other companies will buy cheap leads from marketing companies with the "$99 Cleaning" offer to get their foot in the door, just to upsell you when they arrive.
• Check with the Better Business Bureau in your local community to ensure the company is in good standing. 
• Review your quote to ensure that all of your vents and systems are visually inspected and cleaned. 
• Check for the proper licensing and insurance policies for the company. 
• Ask if the technicians servicing your home are National Air Duct Cleaning Association ASCS certified. Many companies just offer have one ASCS-certified technican on staff (the bare requirement for NADCA), but not actually on the job.
• Every one of our lead technicians is NADCA ASCS certified. This makes us the only company in Atlanta Region that guarantees an ASCS on every job site.

When you hire someone to clean your air ducts, you want to make sure the job is done correctly to protect the health and safety of your family. 

How Often Should You Clean Your Air Ducts? 

Since cleaning your air ducts is expensive, you probably wonder how often you need it done. Generally, you should schedule your air duct cleaning every four to seven years. There are several factors that might cause you to clean them more often, including:

• An infestation of rodents or other critters
• A smoker in the home
• Pets with dander who shed
• Damage to your HVAC system in a flood or other natural disaster
• A family member with asthma or other breathing concern

You may notice the air quality in your home begin to decline as it comes closer to time to have your air ducts cleaned. 

Call 404-625-2096 for a  free no-obligation quote today.