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Last Updated: Sunday, December 31st, 2000, Created: Sunday, December 31st, 2000
The only research done that I have found on duct cleaning, outside of the duct cleaning companies themselves, has been by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation -- EFFICIENCY OF RESIDENTIAL DUCT CLEANING -- Project No. : 93-2-001 January 1994.
Basically they found that when the ducts were exceptionally dirty, like after a renovation, it did some good. In general, simply cleaning what you can reach with your own vacuum cleaner at the outlets, the cold air return and around the fan motor will do almost as much good as most duct cleaning. Of the duct cleaners, the ones that did the most good were those who actually opened the ducts to get access inside, and beyond each obstruction, as well as using a back flow skipper which bounced around dislodging the dust while blowing it back towards the point of entry and drawing it into a high pressure vacuum cleaner usually located in a truck outdoors. Chemicals used to kill fungus were highly doubtful.
Generally their study did not support the strong claims of the duct cleaning industry.
CMHC information sheet CE29
About Your House: Should you get your heating ducts cleaned?
Keywords: Air Quality, Cleaning, Common Questions, Duct
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