Does it work? Does it make any difference? I vaguely remember hearing that this was a scam, and didn't really do anything.
Our house is so very dusty, and it just gets worse in the winter when the heat is on.
Bethany

I haven't had this done, but I used to want to have it done. I've heard from people who have that it really helps. Our house is old and gets so dusty also, but in the winter we mostly use a pellet stove to heat so that is probably why! I think they come in with a super long hose-like thing attached to something in a van and suck it out that way. IS your sig pic a pic of your property? Man, if it is, what a nice building spot!

I had it done. The works!! I'm not really sure if it helped or not. I don'ty really think it is worth it, unless you have a problem.

Well, you tell me if it's a scam. We built our house in 98-99. We moved in in 99. That year I had strep throat *5* times, 2 sinus infections (1 that I thought was going to be the end of me) and an upper respiratory infection. This is in the course of 9 months. The next year I had strep throat 3 times and an upper respiratory infection. Typically I get strep once a year. NOT multiple times and I ALWAYS take my full course of antibiotics. So the following year we cleaned out the ducts (read - hired a service) and last year, strep throat *1* time, no upper resp inf, no sinus inf. They were pulling crap out of those vents for HOURS.

Okay, so moral of the story, if you think they might be dirty, or you just moved in the house, get them cleaned. The air going through the vents is the air you are BREATHING.

Jessica

if you have piping done that is not the greatest, then no amount of clearing them out is going to give you better heat....it sucks, I know!

we have a small home, and our back 2 bedrooms don't get very warm at all! it is because whoever set up the heating stuff used shoddy material, and so we just get a small space heater to heat thier rooms.

Anyway, it might help get dirt and stuff out, but it won't improve your heat very well unless you have a good system.

I would get them done - also remeber to change the filters monthly and maybe use one that is for allgergys (3m has one that I have seen comercials for)

I cant stand forced air and hope to find a house with radiators or floor heating when we finoly buy.

we do it every fall. It does work. It's amazing how much dust gets up there...ya know, you dust your house weekly but the ventilation system never gets dusted...so when ever your ac or heat is sitting idle, the dust is just collecting... It's only a couple $100 if I remember right. well worth it IMO.

We had it done to combat mildew problems. They sucked stuff out and then coated the interior of the ducts with microban. It did help. Prior to doing it, the whole house smelled like mildew (very old house with damp basement). Afterwards, the mildew was limited to the basement (where we got help getting much, much better control over it).

We're about to do it this year for th efirst time, becuase our basment flooded so many times this summer that I'm worried about mildew and mold growth in there. With Ethan's asthma, even if there's a chance it might make things better, I'm totally willing to try it!!!

We got the ducts cleaned when we moved into this house in July.

They pulled, among other things- FIVE TENNIS BALLS :eek: out of the ducts! The gunk build up in there was outrageous. I have to believe it's improved the heating ability of the furnace AND the air quality!