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Beware of Bait & Switch Duct Cleaning Scams

6/2/2020

cleaning a dirty air duct with hose

Don’t assume that all duct cleanings are created equal. It’s important to do your research and know what red flags to avoid.

If a service provider fails to follow proper duct cleaning protocols, duct cleaning can cause serious indoor air quality problems for you and your family’s health. An inadequate vacuum collection system can release more dust, dirt, and other contaminants than if you had left the ducts alone. A careless or inadequately trained technician can damage your ducts or heating and cooling system, possibly increasing your heating and air conditioning costs or forcing you to undertake difficult and costly repairs or replacements.

6 Red Flags to Avoid a Duct Cleaning Scam

  1. Don’t hire a company that makes sweeping claims that they’re “EPA-certified” for duct cleaning. The EPA offers no such certification.
  2. Don’t hire duct cleaners who recommend duct cleaning as a routine part of your heating and cooling system maintenance as this is not a true statement.
  3. Don’t allow the use of chemical treatments unless you fully understand the pros and cons. The EPA cautions against these chemicals. While some are approved for duct cleaning, the chemicals themselves can be irritants. If you choose to have a chemical applied as part of a duct cleaning, ask the duct cleaning company to present evidence that the chemical has been approved for use in duct-cleaning applications (it should have the EPA data sheet for the chemical on hand). Biocides and other chemicals should never be applied to fiberglass-lined ductwork.
  4. Don’t hire a company unless you’ve checked Facebook, Google, Yelp, Better Business Bureau, and other reviews to be sure other customers were satisfied and didn’t experience any problems with their heating and cooling system after cleaning.
  5. Focus your search on contractors that belong to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA), a trade association. As a part of NADCA, member companies must employ at least one NADCA-trained-and-certified technician and promise to use NADCA-approved methods.
  6. Beware of bait and switch scams. If the air duct cleaning service provider charges by the hour, request an estimate of the number of hours or days the job will take. Some companies use low “starting” prices as bait and switch tactics through coupons.

What You Can Expect From Us

Give our Home Comfort Heroes four hours for a thorough duct cleaning and red carpet service. You can expect the following from Service Legends:

  • We’ll open or create access ports or doors to allow the entire system to be cleaned and inspected.
  • We’ll inspect the system before cleaning to be sure that there are no asbestos-containing materials in the heating and cooling system. 
  • As a member of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) since 2013, we follow all of NADCA’s standards for air duct cleaning and recommended practices.
  • We protect your carpet and household furnishings during cleaning with our red carpet protector covering throughout your home.
  • We have invested in the most powerful duct cleaning machine in Des Moines and throughout all of Iowa. Our Home Comfort Heroes use these machines to create a strong vacuum throughout the entire ductwork system while supplying very high pressure combined with agitation.
  • We use well-controlled brushing of duct surfaces in conjunction with contact vacuum cleaning to dislodge dust and other particles while cleaning your vents.
  • We use only soft-bristled brushes for fiberglass duct board and sheet metal ducts internally lined with fiberglass.
  • We take care to protect the ductwork, including sealing and re-insulating any access holes we may have made or used so they are airtight.
  • When we are done cleaning, we will show you all of the dirt and dust we removed from your home. We guarantee you’ll be happy and enjoy clean air in your home.

Count on Us to Deliver Red Carpet Service

If you think duct cleaning might be a good idea for your home and still have questions, give us a call and talk to one of our Home Comfort Heroes. Service Legends can answer all your questions and show you what your ductwork looks like.

515-657-6634Request Appointment Online

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