I recently had my ductwork inspected (for free) and wanted to share about the process.
Was it worth it?
For me, yes. For you, probably not.
Even though it was free, your time is worth something. The bottom line: most likely you don’t need an air duct inspection because you don’t need to clean your air ducts. For more on this, check out my post entitled Scam Alert: 3 Simple Reasons You Don’t Need Your Ductwork Cleaned.
I am glad I got the ductwork inspection, as I was able to learn more about the whole process first hand and share this information with you!
The Process
The whole process took about 30 minutes from start to finish.
The ductwork inspection was marketed as “Indoor Air Quality Testing” on their website. It led me to believe they would be testing VOC levels, formaldehyde etc. When I scheduled the appointment though, they became more transparent about the process. Turns out they didn’t do any air quality testing, but would inspect the ductwork (for free) to see if they needed cleaning (which they do for a fee).
When the technician arrived, I gave some backstory and shared how I am concerned about air quality and dust.
His first stop was the air handler. He pulled out the filter (which was about 3 months old). “Overdue for changing.” And I’m no expert, but I was in agreeance. That thing was fifthly.
Side Note:
I was relying solely on our Nest thermostat to remind me when to change the air filter. Apparently, it’s programmed to send a reminder every 6 months. Many homes, including mine apparently, need to change the filter more frequently. Just a quick PSA to anyone else who has a Nest!
Other than the dirty filter, the technician didn’t see any issues with our air handler.
Next, he asked if I knew how many vents we had in the house. I didn’t, so we walked around the house and counted every vent.
Then, he brought in a ladder so he could look in the attic at the ductwork.
Results
Finally, we sat down and he went over everything with me.
- We have the “better” (rigid/hard) ductwork in our house
- He recommended getting them cleaned, but because we have the rigid/hard ductwork, they wouldn’t get 100% clean. He said dirt and mold spores can get in the walls of the rigid ductwork.
- His biggest recommendation was installing a UV light purifier in the A/C handler. According to him, this would vastly improve the air quality and address the dirt and mold spores that can’t be cleaned from the ducts. He really tried to sell this (more details below).
Cost Breakdown:
Duct Cleaning Quote: $495
UV Light Filter: $1,495
More Details from Quote:
The duct cleaning quote read: “Duct cleaning is the one known method of making sure that there is nothing blocking the airflow in your home or reducing the quality of the air. While duct cleaning won’t make dust go away it will help to reduce the amount of dust being moved around the home.”
The UV Purifier quote read: “APCO Dual Bulb – The award winning APCO system (Advanced Photocatalytic Oxidation) represents an entirely new type of air purifier. APCO is installed in the ductwork of the central air system where it scrubs the air as it passes by. APCO’s unique combination of UV-C light and activated carbon achieves unmatched germ and odor reduction without producing any harmful ozone. APCO is particularly effective at reducing causing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which include toxic chemical vapors like formaldehyde and toluene.”
Hopefully, this information was helpful if you are curious about ductwork inspections or doing some price comparison for duct cleaning or a UV purifier. Ultimately, after doing some research, we decided not to get our ductworks cleaned (more on that here). We also decided not to get the UV filter, a we found some better alternatives. More on that in a future post!