Hello all,

I'm trying to convince SWMBO that the money we would otherwise spend on
a "professional" duct cleaning service would be better spent on a nice
dust collection system for my shop. I could then use said DC to
periodically clean our forced air heating ducts. My house is a small
single store ranch with full basement, so all ductwork is fairly
accessible.

Has anyone out there tried this (the duct cleaning, not the convincing)
and, if so, was it as effective as a "professional" job?

Or am I just BSing SWMBO?

TIA

Sid

"Sidney" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

I'm trying to convince SWMBO that the money we would otherwise spend on
a "professional" duct cleaning service would be better spent on a nice
dust collection system for my shop. I could then use said DC to
periodically clean our forced air heating ducts. My house is a small
single store ranch with full basement, so all ductwork is fairly
accessible.

Has anyone out there tried this (the duct cleaning, not the convincing)
and, if so, was it as effective as a "professional" job?

Or am I just BSing SWMBO?

Does not matter as long as she buys it. Do you really have to clean the
ducts anyway?

A DC does not have the velocity of a vacuum cleaner, but the ducts won't
really be dirty anyway.

We had a fellow come do our ducts a few years ago, there was a scary
amount of stuff in there after a whole lot of years.. It was quite
inexpensive, soemthing like $6.00 a duct. We paid him some extra
because we felt he didn't earn enough for the trouble.

Alan

When we had our ducts done 5 years ago they conencted their big honking
DC (truck mounted, 6" hose) and then blew the ducts and vent one by one
with compressed air.

We're in a similar house to you, and I'm seriously considering doing it
myself like you are suggesting. It won't be that difficult.

djb

--
Life is nature's way of keeping meat fresh. -- Dr. Who

The typical shop dust collector probably does not have sufficient
airflow through the size of household ducting to do a decent job.

If you can use a duct brush to loosen any accumulated debris your duct
collector might pull it out.

"Sidney" wrote in message
Or am I just BSing SWMBO?

Heh! Technically, you're not BSing SWMBO. However, the fact that you're not
absolutely sure and have asked here means that in your mind, at the time you
mentioned it, you are guilty of BSing SWMBO.

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 13:38:41 +0000, Edwin Pawlowski wrote:


A DC does not have the velocity of a vacuum cleaner, but the ducts won't
really be dirty anyway.


Dunno about that. I just took off an access panel and found a good 1/2"+
of accumulated stuff in there. I'm thinking of getting ours done. Maybe
evict a couple zillion mites, for instance.

Bill

"Sidney" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

I'm trying to convince SWMBO that the money we would otherwise spend on
a "professional" duct cleaning service would be better spent on a nice
dust collection system for my shop. I could then use said DC to
periodically clean our forced air heating ducts. My house is a small
single store ranch with full basement, so all ductwork is fairly
accessible.


Well you make believe that it will work the same but chances are the fan on
you house system moves more air than your collector will. The pros usually
use a tool to clean/knock the dirt off of the inside surfaces while they
blow air through the system.

Use a brush like a big baby bottle brush on a long snake on all your ducts
starting at the room end. . . .. Then hook your dc to "ONE" of the
connections on the plenum. Then put a balloon in the room end of all youe
vents but one. Kick on the DC & it's done . . . Then plug that vent with a
ballon and unplug another, then kick on the DC . . . Keep moving and this
way you only connect the DC on time . . . . We use to do commercial building
this way . . . . PS, be sure to tie string on ballons are the DC will suck
them up. Buy the biggest trickest ballons you can find so they will not be
too thin when in inside room end of duct . . .

"Sidney" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

I'm trying to convince SWMBO that the money we would otherwise spend on
a "professional" duct cleaning service would be better spent on a nice
dust collection system for my shop. I could then use said DC to
periodically clean our forced air heating ducts. My house is a small
single store ranch with full basement, so all ductwork is fairly
accessible.

Has anyone out there tried this (the duct cleaning, not the convincing)
and, if so, was it as effective as a "professional" job?

Or am I just BSing SWMBO?

TIA

Sid

You're BSing. You can use a regular vacuum cleaner with an extension
to clean your ducts. I clean my ducts once a year by removing the
registers and snaking down the vacuum cleaner extension. I don't get
it all, just the first 10 feet or so.

You still need a DC for your shop. It is a wise investment to protect
your lungs. A well-fitting dust mask is another wise investment.

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 09:31:26 -0400, "Sidney"
wrote:

Hello all,

I'm trying to convince SWMBO that the money we would otherwise spend on
a "professional" duct cleaning service would be better spent on a nice
dust collection system for my shop. I could then use said DC to
periodically clean our forced air heating ducts. My house is a small
single store ranch with full basement, so all ductwork is fairly
accessible.

Has anyone out there tried this (the duct cleaning, not the convincing)
and, if so, was it as effective as a "professional" job?

Or am I just BSing SWMBO?

TIA

Sid