Saved $150+ this weekend!

**mommy4ever** · 04-02-2007, 11:03 AM

We've been talking about getting the furnace ducts cleaned. They looked horrid. After lookign at different companies, i came accross this site:

http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/mah...gemare_011.cfm

So we took out the vacuum and started cleaning all the ducts. (Found 16¢ for my penny jar). Then we found a wrecked hose and vacuumed a little more. We used a mirror and a flashlight to see how bad things really were in there.

Know what? There was nothing beyond the first couple inches other than some fine dust. In the rooms where there was no traffic near the ducts, there wasn't even anything to vacuum up!

The one bathroom, I think we'll look at replacing the initial ducting as there has been water in it, and it looks a little corroded. But I'll take some rags and cleaner to see if it washes off or not first.

I've spoken to people that had it done for health reasons, allergies. ANd they found it was worse after getting it done.

The article confirmed what we thought, and upon a little inspection, we found it was accurate as well. So in about $20 minutes we saved $150+!

Which means we earned approx $450/hr tax free

Sounds good to me!

**tigo** · 04-02-2007, 11:10 AM

Cool! Glad you thought this up!

**FrugalMomof3** · 04-02-2007, 11:19 AM

wow that's awesome, you sure did save a bunch of money and you found 16cents!

**pkellyc** · 04-02-2007, 12:44 PM

I have also heard not to have the cleaned with the exception of allergies or smokers in the house.

**Dancing Lotus** · 04-02-2007, 01:27 PM

dh is an ac pro and he says you should never have them cleaned or even do it yourself.If they are metal ducts its fine but if you have fiderglass ducts (most homes do)you should never mess with them because you will tear the fiderglass and let it loose in the air. If you have a proper filter your ducts should never get dirty. If they were only going to charge you 150 then they were not going to do it right and it would have been more trouble in the long run so its a darn good thing you didnt hire them. Dh said to have it done right would cost about the same as putting in new ducts. IF you see an add for somethin like 20$ per duct its a scame designed to make you spend more latter.

Dh also says to use pleated fliters only. Those cheap flat one wont protect your duct.

**miss_thrifty** · 04-02-2007, 01:27 PM

good for u dear!!! Yes my hubby told me years ago he wouldnt allow anyone to clean ours beacuse it just makes it worse for way too much money. U still may have dust of corse riding in the air after u cleaned because of opening the ducts open. So look and see over the next few days how dusty itmay get while it settles but after that it will be fine. But at least u saved money.