Top 3 air duct cleaning services in Chicago, IL

Over time, various allergens, dust, mold, and other air pollutants can accumulate in your home’s air duct system. Air duct cleaning removes these pollutants to keep the indoor air in your home clean and safe. Professionals recommend that you have the air ducts in your home cleaned every three years or more if you notice air quality or HVAC issues. The process requires skill and experience, so you should look for air duct cleaning services near you instead of attempting to do the job yourself. Check customer reviews to ensure the contractor is National Air Duct Cleaning Association certified whenever possible.

Professional air duct cleaners use special tools and equipment like rotary brushes and high-powered vacuums that remove excess dust, dirt, and debris. These specialized contractors use this equipment to clean air ducts without damaging your walls or accidentally loosening crucial connections. If you try to do the job yourself, you run the risk of not clearing the air ducts completely, and you may end up causing unintentional damage to your home. Any damaged connections between the ducts could negatively affect your HVAC system’s ability to run efficiently. It could also let dirty air from the attic or crawl space get into your home’s system, causing further damage. That’s why hiring an air duct cleaning professional is the best way to ensure the job gets done right while also giving you peace of mind.

You might wonder whether paying for air duct cleaning services is worth the money. Particles and common air pollutants are pushed out of the ducts in your heating and cooling system whenever it’s running. Since you won’t be able to see the dust, allergens, mold, or other air pollutants floating through the air, you may assume that having your ducts cleaned is a waste of your hard-earned money. But if you or someone in your family suffers from a sudden onset of respiratory issues like allergies or asthma, or if your house seems dustier than it should, it’s likely due to dirty air ducts. Some pests, like mice and other small animals, also like to nest inside air ducts. This is another reason why cleaning your home’s air ducts is well worth the cost.

Another way to mitigate concerns about your home's air quality is to change your HVAC air filter regularly. Use a special HEPA filter to trap tiny airborne particles and allergens to help keep your home’s air clean and safe to breathe. Some airborne pollutants may settle on surfaces that don’t affect the air, such as furniture, carpets, and appliances. If you notice an unusual buildup of dust, then you may want to have your home’s air duct system assessed by a professional. These experts will determine whether or not it’s worth it to have your air ducts cleaned or whether you could spend your money in other ways to address the issue.

Before contacting someone to do air duct cleaning, ensure they actually need cleaning. Pay attention to these common signs that your air ducts need cleaning as soon as possible:

• If you’ve recently remodeled your home, it’s probably a good idea to have your air ducts cleaned. Construction-related dust can easily get into your air ducts and clog them.

• If you haven’t cleaned the air filter for your HVAC system in a few months, mold, pollutants, and allergens can get trapped inside your air ducts.

• Visible dust settling on your air registers or on top of surfaces throughout your home may indicate that you need professional air duct cleaning.

• Look at your monthly energy bill and check if heating and cooling costs are abnormally high. Dirty air ducts make your system work harder to regulate the temperature.

• Check the airflow in each room of your home. If the airflow is inconsistent from one room to another, then dirty air ducts could be the culprit.

• Family members suffering from sudden unexplained allergy symptoms may be dealing with airborne allergens from a dirty air duct system.

• Listen to your HVAC system when it’s running and be on the lookout for unusual sounds. Loud noises may indicate that your air ducts are ready for professional cleaning.

According to most experts, cleaning air ducts in your home should be done regularly to keep the air you breathe clean and your HVAC system running smoothly. These cleanings will remove various pollutants from the ducts, including dust, mold, pet dander, and allergens, to prevent them from entering the inside air through your HVAC registers. Breathing in dirty air can potentially lead to various health problems for the entire family — even your pets. Most experts recommend that you have your air ducts cleaned every three years. However, you may need to have them cleaned more often if you have pets.

There may be other times that you might need an air duct cleaning, particularly after you complete a remodeling project. Construction from home renovations can release a range of particles into the air, including sawdust and drywall dust. Getting a professional air duct cleaning after any major construction inside your home is best. Unusual sounds and odors wafting from your system may also mean you need an air duct cleaning before the three-year mark. Unusually high energy bills could also mean that it’s time to clean your home’s air ducts to help your system run more efficiently. At a minimum, you should have your air ducts inspected by a qualified technician whenever you notice something is amiss to ensure they’re clean and clog-free.

While some claim that air duct cleaning isn’t effective, it has a host of positive benefits. First, keeping your air ducts clean may help reduce the number of allergens and airborne particles inside your home. When the air you breathe is clean, it may help reduce or eliminate symptoms of allergies, asthma, and other respiratory irritations. Keeping your air ducts clean will also improve the airflow throughout your home, which keeps your HVAC system running smoothly. This should result in lower monthly heating and cooling bills since your system won’t need to work as hard to keep the air flowing and the temperature regulated. Having regularly scheduled air duct cleanings may also reduce the dust in your home, saving you time cleaning and dusting furniture and vacuuming your floors.

If your air ducts have become a haven for rodents or other pests, cleaning them should eliminate the problem. Keep an eye out for signs of pests, including noises or droppings. If you notice these signs, having your air ducts inspected and cleaned is always a good idea. When your air ducts get cleaned, the process will remove pollutants, dust, pet dander, mold, and other allergens from the system. These particles get dislodged with a brush, then vacuumed out using high-powered vacuum cleaners. An experienced and qualified air duct cleaning professional will ensure that your ducts are spotless and free of any excess pollutants that could be causing some of the issues mentioned here.

The cost of professional air duct cleaning depends on several different factors. Most qualified air duct cleaning companies will charge customers based on the number of air vents in a home and how the vents are configured. The size of your home may also play a role, as larger homes take more time and effort to clean. Your location could also impact the cost of air duct cleaning depending on the availability of qualified professionals in your area versus the current demand. If your home’s air duct system has any broken ducts, a rodent problem, or other issues, it may also cost more.

Contact a qualified air duct cleaning contractor near you and ask them to perform an on-site assessment so you can get an estimate. The professional will inspect your air ducts to confirm they need cleaning. Many air duct cleaning companies use a probe with a camera connected to the end. The probe is inserted into ductwork so the technician can view the inside via a monitor. Other companies may need to drill a small hole into the ductwork to get a good view, but they should seal the hole after the inspection. The inspector will look for dirt, dust buildup, and any cracks or leaks that could affect your system’s performance and the cleaning process. Once the inspection is complete, the technician should provide you with an estimate for the cleaning.