Air ducts in your homes play a big role in keeping the air inside the house clean. There are more dirt, dust, and allergens in the air inside the home than outside. The function of air ducts is to collect them and make sure they are ejected outside. This is why you need your air ducts cleaned regularly. So, how long does it take to clean air ducts?
The time needed to clean air ducts usually ranges between three to five hours. But this time varies depending upon a lot of factors. These factors include the size of the house, how spread out the ducts are, how long the entire system is, etc. There have been cases where it has taken more than a day to clean the air ducts.
Let’s take a detailed look at the timeframe to clean air ducts.
How long does it take for duct cleaning?
Air ducts are one of the most important parts of your house as they help in circulating the air and keeping the house energy efficient. If the air ducts are left unclean for too long, they collect huge amounts of dust, dirt, pollens and other allergens, and mould spores. These particles are then recirculated throughout the house by these ducts as they can’t go outside.
Apart from that, unclean air ducts have a lower ability to circulate air, which causes the energy efficiency of the house to go down drastically. This results in you having to spend more money on energy bills. This is why you should clean your air ducts regularly. But you should keep an eye out for how long it takes to clean air ducts in your home.
The average time to clean air ducts of an entire house is between three to five hours. This time is the minimum for thorough cleaning of the air ducts. If any cleaning company claims that they can clean your air ducts in under three hours, you should steer clear of them because they will never perform a thorough cleaning.
There are a lot of factors that influence the time taken to clean air ducts. These are:
1. The size of the home
The main factor that determines how long it will take to clean the air ducts in your home is the size of the house. The larger the house is, the more time it will take to thoroughly clean the air ducts of that house. For example, the time taken to clean the air ducts of a 2000-3000 sq ft house takes around 3-5 hours.
But if your house is quite big, for example, 5000 sq ft, it will take a longer time to clean its air ducts. Again, if you have a multi-storied house, its air ducts will also take a longer time to clean than those of a single-story building.
2. How to spread out the air ducts are
The arrangement and distribution around the house also influence the time needed to clean them. If the air ducts are not very spread out, they can be cleaned within a short time. On the other hand, if the ducts are spread throughout the house, it will take a significantly longer time to clean them because the cleaners have to constantly move around to complete their task.
3. The size of the air duct system
If the entire air duct system is very long, it will take more than 3-5 hours on average to clean them. Since the cleaners will have to move a long way to clean air ducts thoroughly, they will need more time to make sure every bit of the air ducts is cleaned. The more the number of air ducts in your house, the more time will be spent cleaning them.
4. How many cleaners are working
Another major factor that determines how much time it will take to clean the air ducts in your home is the number of cleaners working. If the number of workers from the dust cleaning service is small compared to the size of the house or the number of air ducts, it will take a longer time to clean them. But having too many cleaners will also pose a problem as they will get in each other’s way.
5. How dirty are your air ducts
The work that needs to be done by the cleaners also has a say in determining the time taken to clean the air ducts. If your air ducts are too contaminated, they will need more time to be cleaned. And if you have a large house or a large number of air ducts, the time will only go up.
On the other hand, if you clean your air ducts regularly, then they won’t need that much time to be cleaned since there won’t be much to clean up anyway. If you live in an area that has a lot of dust, and pollen or you have a pet that sheds too much hair, your air ducts will be dirtier than usual, which means it will take longer to clean them.
What’s the best time for duct cleaning?
The best time for cleaning air ducts is when the use of HVAC is the minimum. So, you need to clean your air ducts either during spring, or early fall. Spring is one of the best for duct cleaning as the heating is turned off after winter. On the other hand, early fall is suitable for duct cleaning as you no longer use your AC units after summer.
Final Words
Since air ducts are very important in keeping the air inside the house clean and healthy, cleaning them regularly is a must. As it requires some preparations and moving things around a bit, it is only natural for you to wonder “How long does it take to clean air ducts?”. Once you figure out the timeframe, take preparations accordingly.
FAQs
1. How Much Does Air Duct Cleaning Cost?
The average cost to clean air ducts ranges from $269 to $486. The price varies according to the service and how much work there is to be done.
2. How Often Should You Clean Your Air Ducts?
The average interval to clean your air duct is between two to three years. If you have a pet that shades too much or you live in a dusty area, you might need to clean it more often.
3. Will Air Duct Cleaning Make A Mess Of My Home?
There is a myth that cleaning the air ducts will make a mess of a person’s house. But in reality, the state of the home before and after duct cleaning will be quite the same if you hire a professional cleaning service.
