I just moved into a new house. I believed the past owners were
smokers. New paint and carpet has taken care of most of the smell but
I figured a duct cleaning might help.

The Duct Cleaning Tech came to me a few minutes after he started.
He was all worked up. Said he found some "spores and mold" and all it
took was just one spore. Having seen the King Of The Hill episode
several times I could hardly contain my laughter.
I knew it wouldn't take him long to get to the money part and he
didn't disappoint me.
He had 3 different treatments he could do to make my home safe.
Each treatment was $100 a pop.
Which was best?
Well, that didn't matter, as long as I used 2 different treatments I
would be safe.
When he described what he could do, it sounded so much like King of
the Hill I started to tear up. And that go me one free disinfection
treatment.
I told the guy that I didn't need any other treatment because my house
was going to be tented and sterilized to treat the Mexican Blood Mite
infestation I had in my house.( I was having fun at his expense I
know).

But the bottom line is now I'm thinking I probably shouldn't have even
gotten the ducts cleaned. It cost me $65 and they did
"something" for a few hours.

What is the general opinion on duct cleaning?

AB

April Buro wrote:
I just moved into a new house. I believed the past owners were
smokers. New paint and carpet has taken care of most of the smell but
I figured a duct cleaning might help.

The Duct Cleaning Tech came to me a few minutes after he started.
He was all worked up. Said he found some "spores and mold" and all it
took was just one spore. Having seen the King Of The Hill episode
several times I could hardly contain my laughter.
I knew it wouldn't take him long to get to the money part and he
didn't disappoint me.
He had 3 different treatments he could do to make my home safe.
Each treatment was $100 a pop.
Which was best?
Well, that didn't matter, as long as I used 2 different treatments I
would be safe.
When he described what he could do, it sounded so much like King of
the Hill I started to tear up. And that go me one free disinfection
treatment.
I told the guy that I didn't need any other treatment because my house
was going to be tented and sterilized to treat the Mexican Blood Mite
infestation I had in my house.( I was having fun at his expense I
know).

But the bottom line is now I'm thinking I probably shouldn't have even
gotten the ducts cleaned. It cost me $65 and they did
"something" for a few hours.

What is the general opinion on duct cleaning?

AB

My opinion: There is a legitimate need in a few cases. Most cases
don't need it. Most duct cleaning outfits will find a need almost every
time.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia's Muire duit

For 65$ he couldn`t of done much of anything worth while, what did he do
in 2 hrs, to bad you didn`t see for your self issues and work performed.
2 hrs might get your coil cleaned good, but not all the ducts. I had
mine done I guess it was a good idea but disturbing the sealed dust made
me sick for days after. I had 2 guys with a 7000$ hepa vacume as large
as a refrigerator spend 6 hrs on a small house on all ducts and returns.
Was the AC coil and area cleaned good, maybe you need a real service
tech out to just check the operation of your system and look things over
and point out any real cleaning issues to you.

"April Buro" wrote in message

The Duct Cleaning Tech came to me a few minutes after he started.
He was all worked up. Said he found some "spores and mold" and all it
took was just one spore.

You are fortunate indeed. If he reported you to the authorities, they would
have burned the house down to destroy that spore. The world could have
become over run with spores.

You should have given him a recipe for making sourdough bread since he
collets spores.

"April Buro" wrote in message
...
I just moved into a new house. I believed the past owners were
smokers. New paint and carpet has taken care of most of the smell but
I figured a duct cleaning might help.

The Duct Cleaning Tech came to me a few minutes after he started.
He was all worked up. Said he found some "spores and mold" and all it
took was just one spore. Having seen the King Of The Hill episode
several times I could hardly contain my laughter.

I would have asked to see the spores..LOL

I knew it wouldn't take him long to get to the money part and he
didn't disappoint me.
He had 3 different treatments he could do to make my home safe.
Each treatment was $100 a pop.


Cheap...


Which was best?
Well, that didn't matter, as long as I used 2 different treatments I
would be safe.
When he described what he could do, it sounded so much like King of
the Hill I started to tear up. And that go me one free disinfection
treatment.
I told the guy that I didn't need any other treatment because my house
was going to be tented and sterilized to treat the Mexican Blood Mite
infestation I had in my house.( I was having fun at his expense I
know).

Next time, tell em fleas....take it from someone that got under a home one
time with a SEVERE flea problem..he would have been packing and striping on
the way back to his van...


But the bottom line is now I'm thinking I probably shouldn't have even
gotten the ducts cleaned. It cost me $65 and they did
"something" for a few hours.

Something is right...you didnt get anything for $65.
What type of ducts do you have? Flex? Metal?

Most of the time, people who call for duct cleaning get exactly what you
got..nothing but a lighter wallet.
If you have flex duct, and the odor is what you want to remove, you remove
and replace all the ducts, have the unit serviced, and cleaned, and then, if
you are worried about some mold, since a small bit of mold is in EVERY home,
you install a couple of UV-C band lights to kill what ever passes in the
airstream.

As a sidenote....when we see mold, and I dont mean what we would call a
normal amount, based upon the history of the machine..if its never been
serviced, there might be quite a bit..but I mean the nasty fluffy crap all
over the insides of it, we take air readings of the unit, with a petri dish,
allow the sample to grow for up to 72 hours, and its sent off for testing.
over 3/4 of the time its not a thing to worry about.
Even when the duct cleaning companies have been out and screamed all about
how evil the stuff is...how its GOT to go....
Mold needs 3 things: Food, water, and dark. Remove any one of the three, and
its gone, or reduced.


What is the general opinion on duct cleaning?

AB

Spores, mold, and bacteria are everywhere all the time.....except
inside an autoclave after it's done with it's steralization cycle

You got took for a ride on the turnip truck

Mold normally grows in environment over 80% relative humidity or liquid
water. Normally it takes at least 2 days of continuous high humidity
to grow mold. Some molds take longer periods of high humidity than
that. Mold spores are required too, but they are everywhere, except
maybe the middle of the desert. Most molds require temperatures
between 40 degrees and 120 degrees F. The only thing you can really
control to stop molds is humidity. Any thing else that hurts mold
hurts people too, or makes them very uncomfortable.

Stretch

You are a fool!

All you did is keep the duct cleaning crooks in business for one
more day and it did nothing for you or your environment.

Don't encourage them.

JimL





On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 01:42:45 -0400, April Buro wrote:

I just moved into a new house. I believed the past owners were
smokers. New paint and carpet has taken care of most of the smell but
I figured a duct cleaning might help.

The Duct Cleaning Tech came to me a few minutes after he started.
He was all worked up. Said he found some "spores and mold" and all it
took was just one spore. Having seen the King Of The Hill episode
several times I could hardly contain my laughter.
I knew it wouldn't take him long to get to the money part and he
didn't disappoint me.
He had 3 different treatments he could do to make my home safe.
Each treatment was $100 a pop.
Which was best?
Well, that didn't matter, as long as I used 2 different treatments I
would be safe.
When he described what he could do, it sounded so much like King of
the Hill I started to tear up. And that go me one free disinfection
treatment.
I told the guy that I didn't need any other treatment because my house
was going to be tented and sterilized to treat the Mexican Blood Mite
infestation I had in my house.( I was having fun at his expense I
know).

But the bottom line is now I'm thinking I probably shouldn't have even
gotten the ducts cleaned. It cost me $65 and they did
"something" for a few hours.

What is the general opinion on duct cleaning?

AB

April Buro wrote:

What is the general opinion on duct cleaning?

It's a loss-leader to sell mold-abatement.

I wouldn't mind cleaning my coil.
Is it something a home owner can do?
Would you flush water into the pipe that the condensation comes out
of?

Steve


On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 06:07:21 -0500, (m Ransley)
wrote:

For 65$ he couldn`t of done much of anything worth while, what did he do
in 2 hrs, to bad you didn`t see for your self issues and work performed.
2 hrs might get your coil cleaned good, but not all the ducts. I had
mine done I guess it was a good idea but disturbing the sealed dust made
me sick for days after. I had 2 guys with a 7000$ hepa vacume as large
as a refrigerator spend 6 hrs on a small house on all ducts and returns.
Was the AC coil and area cleaned good, maybe you need a real service
tech out to just check the operation of your system and look things over
and point out any real cleaning issues to you.

and replace all the ducts, have the unit serviced, and cleaned, and then, if
you are worried about some mold, since a small bit of mold is in EVERY home,
you install a couple of UV-C band lights to kill what ever passes in the
airstream.




Steve,

What would one look for when they searched for the lights?
I wouldn't guess you could find one at Home Depot could you?
Would you just wire it and put it in the air intake with some kind of
switch to turn it own with the AC/Heat?

Thanks
Steve

"Steve Huckaby" wrote in message
...
and replace all the ducts, have the unit serviced, and cleaned, and then,
if
you are worried about some mold, since a small bit of mold is in EVERY
home,
you install a couple of UV-C band lights to kill what ever passes in the
airstream.




Steve,

What would one look for when they searched for the lights?

www.ultravation.com

I wouldn't guess you could find one at Home Depot could you?

Actually, they used to carry in some markets a really cheap ( I mean, like
crappy) unit that I have replaced at least 10 of that failed in teh first
two years...and I dont mean the bulbs..the controller.
They used old tech, and just didnt cut it.

Would you just wire it and put it in the air intake with some kind of
switch to turn it own with the AC/Heat?


Some of the early ones used a themister to turn them on, and off, the better
ones stay on all the time.
If it helps...sold many a one in here to people that cant buy them over the
counter...most places wont even think of it due to liability issues.

Thanks
Steve