Taking care of your home is expensive. There are a lot of maintenance costs that come up for homeowners each season. So, it’s only natural that homeowners would look for deals to lower home maintenance costs. Unfortunately, homeowners can fall for many scams when searching for home maintenance deals, and HVAC cleaning is one of them.
The NADCA is a global trade organization representing HVAC businesses and industry providers. In a 2022 blog post, they warned of the prevalence of duct cleaning scams. These scams are becoming more popular and usually take place on neighborhood social media pages. A ‘duct cleaner’ will repeatedly post a home cleaning special on the neighborhood page for a very low price. If someone shows interest, the scammer will direct message them, convince them to leave a large deposit, and then never show up to complete the duct cleaning work.
These types of scams hit vulnerable homeowners hard. Not only do they get robbed of their hard-earned money, but they also don’t complete vital home maintenance tasks like duct cleaning. To avoid these types of scams, the NADCA suggests that when soliciting or speaking to a potential business owner, do some background research on the business first. Homeowners should always check prospective cleaning businesses to see if they have a website, read previous customer reviews, or check if they are listed on the NADCA or other trade association sites.
These air duct cleaning scams are particularly prevalent in the spring or fall when homeowners either turn their furnaces off or on for the season. Since it’s now fall, we recommend checking and cleaning your system before the winter season starts. A simple HVAC inspection each season is a great way to spot potential problems before they get worse, and following that up with an HVAC system cleaning can also help. Here are a few tips we recommend to keep your system in good shape before the winter cold arrives.
- Make sure to clean up foliage, garbage, or any other debris that may have accumulated near your AC or HVAC unit outdoors. If debris covers your unit during the cold weather, it can lead to mold or mildew build-up, which may be transferred throughout your duct system when the air comes on.
- Change your air filter. Ideally, HVAC system air filters should be changed every 90 days, but many homeowners wait much longer than that. The more clogged your air filter gets, the worse it will be at removing dirt and particles as the air flows through your HVAC system.
- Book an HVAC cleaning! The last step is the most important. We recommend a full HVAC system cleaning before you turn your furnace on for the winter. This will remove any dirt, mold, mildew, or even allergens that may have accumulated in your ducts over the summer.
As a homeowner, we know you care about keeping your home in good condition. We know regular HVAC maintenance, inspections, and cleanings can add up, but it’s much cheaper than replacing a whole HVAC system because of poor maintenance. Just make sure that when you choose an HVAC maintenance, inspections, and cleaning provider, like our team, you choose a verified and experienced provider. Call us today for a quote for our HVAC cleaning services: (801) 994-6924.
