Air Ducts Energy Series
  • Category:
    Home Energy Savings
  • Published:
    December 5, 2017

Home Energy Savings Series: Cleaning Air Ducts

Since your home’s air ducts are out of view, you probably wouldn’t think to clean them — you may even wonder, “What is ductwork, really?” But it’s important to keep your air ducts, like any other part of your home, clean — not for aesthetic reasons, mind you, but for your health and to help lower your energy bill. For a homeowner, duct cleaning, especially DIY duct cleaning, can seem daunting; before you get to work, it’s important to understand the basics.

What is ductwork?

Ductwork carries cooled or heated air from your air conditioning unit(s) to all of the rooms in your home. In its simplest form, it consists of ducts and vents.

  • Ducts and ductwork: These are the passages through which warm or cool air from your central air unit reaches your living spaces. Ductwork is located in the ceilings and walls of most homes.
  • Vents: The vents are the points at which warm or cool air enters your living spaces. Keeping your vents clean is important for optimum airflow.

Disadvantages and dangers of dirty air ducts

Just as surfaces inside your home become dirty over time, so can your air ducts. According to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association, the accumulation of pet fur, dust, pest waste, and mold can affect the function of your ducts and your indoor air quality. Cigarette smoke, cleaning chemicals and condensation on air ducts can have a negative effect as well since less-than-optimal functioning of your air ducts can raise your energy bill.

Clean and Dirty Air Duct Comparison

Advantages and benefits of air duct cleaning

Removing the buildup of filth in your air ducts can prevent harmful particles from circulating throughout your home, potentially reducing health risks. This is especially important for anyone with asthma, allergies or a compromised immune system. Further, professional or DIY duct cleaning can increase the functional lifespan of your HVAC system and reduce your energy bill by 25–40%, making duct cleaning well worth the time, money and effort.

How cleaning air ducts could save you money

Learning how to clean your air ducts may sound like a lot of work, but DIY duct cleaning can save you money rather than having them professionally cleaned. Either option, however, results in your HVAC system working more efficiently, which can result in energy savings throughout the year.

Professional Air Duct Cleaning Price

How much does cleaning ductwork cost?

The price of cleaning ductwork depends on the size of the duct system. Most homeowners can expect to pay $300 to $500, though estimates may be higher for larger or more complicated systems. Of course, DIY duct cleaning is a different matter — you may be able to rent a special vacuum from your local hardware store for a considerably lower price.

DIY duct cleaning

Once you know how to clean your air ducts, the process is easily repeatable whenever your ducts are in need of some care. Before starting, you’ll want to ensure that your ductwork isn’t the victim of any specific sources of contamination.

  1. Identify and eliminate sources of contamination: For duct cleaning to be effective, you must first address if there is anything causing contamination outside of normal use. For example, you must get rid of rodents or other pests that may have taken up residence. You might also take steps to reduce the amount of dust in your home or address the problem of condensation on air ducts. If you discover mold, you’ll also want to either call a professional or familiarize yourself with how to clean mold out of ductwork, as this will add an extra step.
  2. Gain access to the ductwork: Your ductwork likely has multiple points of entry, such as a return grille or an end cap. Once you identify the best point of entry, you can begin cleaning out the ducts.
  3. Vacuum out the ductwork: Use an appropriate vacuum to clean out your ducts, following the directions that should come with the specific model you rent. If necessary, you could also use an EPA-approved sanitizer or deodorizer to ensure maximum cleanliness. Be sure to wear a respiratory mask throughout the whole process.

Pro Tip: While you’re making sure your air ducts are clean, check the health of other aspects of your HVAC system with our HVAC DIY Maintenance Checklist.

Do I need to clean my air ducts?

Cleaning your air ducts every three to five years can improve your home’s indoor air quality, although the minimum they should be cleaned is once every few years. Fortunately, cleaning your air ducts doesn’t have to be a great undertaking, and the benefits of air duct cleaning far outweigh the investment.

Condensation on Air Ducts

Why are my air ducts sweating?

Your air ducts are sweating — or dripping — because of condensation buildup. Condensation on air ducts occurs when the air temperature around the duct drops to the point when moisture in the air condenses into liquid form. This occurs in hot and humid conditions when the insulation around the ducts is inadequate.

During the heat of summer, you may notice droplets of water accumulating on your ducts and ask yourself, “Why is water dripping from my air ducts?!” It’s important to watch out for this “sweat” and address it as soon as possible. The excess moisture could damage your ductwork and lead to mold growth.

How to stop duct sweat

The best way to prevent duct sweat is to make sure your ducts are properly insulated. Good insulation will further separate the moisture in the hot, humid air from the cool air flowing through the duct, reducing the likelihood of condensation on air ducts.

Why is my house so dusty?

Why is my house so dusty?

Dust accumulates in air ducts just as it does elsewhere in your home. Dust comes from dead skin cells, pet hair, fabric fibers and other materials. If not taken care of, dust can attract bacteria and dust mites. This dust buildup in the air ducts then gets blown out through the vents into your house.

Though it’s impossible to eliminate dust, there are many ways you can reduce it, most of which involve keeping your home clean and tidy. Microfiber dusters are great for trapping dust — as are vacuums with HEPA filters. Set reminders for changing out your air filters, as clean filters help keep dust from circulating throughout the home or from getting into your air ducts.

If you’ve already implemented these types of changes and still find yourself wondering, “Why is my house so dusty?,” then chances are that you would see reduced dust around the house as one of the benefits of air duct cleaning.

Pro tip: Two other ways to keep dust out of the home — and save energy — are to retrofit windows and AC units and to eliminate air leaks. Learn how to retrofit windows and retrofit air conditioners and how to find air leaks in your home.

Black Mold in Air Ducts

Why is there black stuff in my air vents?

The black stuff is black mold in your air ducts, which can cause a range of respiratory problems if left untreated. Black mold in air ducts is caused by excess moisture in and around your ducts. Mold spores are carried by air currents, and they grow once they land on moist surfaces.

How to clean mold out of ductwork

The safest way to approach how to clean mold out of ductwork is to enlist the help of a professional — particularly if the mold is located deep in your ducts. If you opt for DIY duct cleaning, it is very important that you know exactly how to clean mold out of ductwork before attempting it. In a nutshell, however, you should first address the source of moisture and then eliminate the existing mold using a mixture of one cup of chlorine bleach per gallon of water.

When to call an air system professional

Large, complicated duct systems are best left to the professionals. Air duct experts are also best equipped to address severe contamination, such as severe black mold in air ducts. In addition, if you’re ever uncomfortable with any aspect of how to clean your air ducts, it’s best to call a pro.
Air ducts may be out of sight, but they shouldn’t be out of mind. The good news is that you only need to clean your ducts once every few years, and doing so can yield benefits for your health and your household budget.

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Comments ( 25 )

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Justin Krupp - 11/18/2023

HVAC systems: the silent choreographers of comfort, seamlessly orchestrating heating, ventilation, and air conditioning for optimal indoor environments.

David Grace - 11/11/2023

The unsung heroes of comfort and climate control, silently working to keep us cool in summer, warm in winter, and breathing easy year-round

Tyrone Loukas - 11/4/2023

Explained the intricacies of HVAC systems beautifully, making it easy for readers to understand the importance of proper heating, ventilation, and air conditioning for optimal indoor comfort and air quality. Kudos to the writer for breaking down complex concepts into digestible information

Ryan Chavez - 10/22/2023

HVAC system: the unsung hero of modern living, harmonizing climate control for ultimate comfort in every season

Clover Rayner - 11/10/2021

A properly and thoroughly cleaned HVAC system, not just the air ducts, can reduce the costs associated with running your HVAC system and increase the useful life of your air conditioner and furnace. EPA research suggests that cleaning dirty cooling coils, fans and heat exchangers can improve the efficiency of cooling and heating systems and lower the energy costs of running your heating and cooling system.

Kopernikas Green - 5/15/2021

Your blog is so informative and helpful. The services you shared about cleaning the air duct is good . Thanks for sharing this blog post

Green Leaf Air's Air Conditioning in Austin - 4/9/2021

Great article, with routine cleaning and maintenance we can always avoid other unnecessary cost. With the right air duct system will also go a long way.

Green Leaf Air's Air Conditioning in Austin - 4/6/2021

Your blog is so informative and helpful. The services you shared about cleaning the air duct is good . Thanks for sharing this blog post

Green Leaf Air's Air Conditioning in Austin - 4/1/2021

It’s a great source of knowledge; I think it will be helpful for a lot of people who are looking for learning more about the air duct cleaning interior industrial ducts. Thank you very much for sharing this article.

Green Leaf Air's Air Conditioning in Austin - 4/1/2021

It’s a great source of knowledge; I think it will be helpful for a lot of people who are looking for learning more about the air duct cleaning interior industrial ducts. Thank you very much for sharing this article.

Kopernikas Green - 1/26/2021

It is very important to keep our home without air ducts. Keeping our home vents clean is important for optimum airflow. The vents are the points at which warm or cool air enters your living spaces. Thanks.

Joven Ruthford - 12/17/2020

You share a good article. I think cleaning our air ducts every three to five years can improve our home’s indoor air quality,

Sam Green - 12/9/2020

Your blog is so informative and helpful. The services you shared about cleaning the air duct is good . Thanks for sharing this blog post.

Sam Green - 12/8/2020

Advantages and benefits of air duct cleaning is very high. Air ducts are cleaned and properly cared for on a regular basis, it is one important part of maintaining a clean air conditioning and heating system is making sure the filter is regularly changed.

Steven Smith - 8/13/2020

DIY duct cleaning can save a lot of money but duct cleaning services from professionals can save you from various expenses. As a amateur people don’t have idea how to clean duct completely and they often end up with messy results.

You must hire expert air duct cleaning services to get rid of these problems.

Dr. Michael Podolsky - 2/5/2018

How can I get a list of honest reputable air duct cleaning services?

    Constellation Community Team - 2/28/2018

    Michael, unfortunately, we currently do not have a list of preferred air duct cleaning services. If you visit thumbtack.com or angieslist.com you can find reviews for air conditioning cleaners in your area!

Skip - 2/2/2018

Is Consolation Company teaming up with any particular air duct cleaning company to get a group rate discount?

    Constellation Community Team - 2/28/2018

    Skip, unfortunately we are not currently working in relation with any air duct cleaning company.

Lorraine Sanders - 2/1/2018

Would like an estimate

    Constellation Community Team - 2/28/2018

    Lorraine, we are not currently working with any air duct cleaning company, so we cannot provide a correct estimate for a professional cleaning of your air ducts. We apologize!

Norman E Davis - 2/1/2018

Hello, I do clean my air ducks with the hose from my sweeper. Thank you.

    Constellation Community Team - 2/28/2018

    Hi Norman, it’s great to hear our readers doing DIY air duct cleaning!

Jason Taylor - 1/17/2018

As mentioned in the article we can stop duct-sweat by properly insulating the duct. If insulation doesn’t work, another option is to dehumidify the space. Lowering the humidity of the area which is surrounding your ducts also lowers the dew point. You can fix sweating ducts by installing a dehumidifier in the crawlspace with the ducts. This also helps your air conditioner run more efficiently.

    Constellation Community Team - 2/28/2018

    Jason, that’s a great point! Investing in a dehumidifier for your basement/crawlspace helps in many ways, especially for your AC system.

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