Duct Cleaning

If you have a forced-air heating or cooling system, you have ducts that get the air to living spaces (supply) and ducts that get the air back to the equipment (return). While it is true that over time the ducts can load up with dust, there is some debate as to how effective professional duct cleaning really is. There are some things that you can do yourself that are easy and cheap (free).

Get out the vacuum--the shop-vac if you have one--and a small mirror. If you have floor vents, remove the covers and look down there for debris, using the mirror to see around corners. If you have kids, there is no telling what you might find. After the stuff is pulled out, vacuum as far down the duct as possible. After all the outlets and returns are cleaned, be sure to check the air filter and replace it if necessary.

- Stephen Corwin

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001

Answers

Easier to just move to a new house, I think. LOL

I've been debating having the ducts replaced. Easily done, actually, since it is one main tube from end to end. We just have to remove the access cover on the end of the house and slide it out and duplicate it and then slide the new one back in.

The hard part will be replacing the little tubes, which requires a small skinny person who likes to sweat crawling in the attic. Must be small as I don't want anyone falling thru the ceiling or making cracks in it.

Perhaps we'll just wait and have it done when we re-model the place. Did you see the drawing I put up at the Ez- Currents board?

In the picture, West is on the top. The south side faces the road.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001

I just was playing with that drawing and I removed the garage and made it a living room. The living space went up to 2307 sq ft from our current 1165.

With the garage it would be 1750 sq ft.

The garage is more than big enough to hold two full size Lincoln Towncars, the largest car I could find. Cadillacs are shorter.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001

I've taken coffee filters and put them in the registers so that they'll catch much of the dust from the old ducts. I'd love to have the ductwork replaced, and it wouldn't be too difficult as its in the crawl space, but I certainly can't do it!

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001