Duct Cleaning in Ottawa, IL
Tell us about your home, and a licensed contractor who covers LaSalle County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Eight months of heat pushes a lot of air through your ducts
Your furnace runs October through May here, close to eight months of the year. On nights that average 19°F, it cycles on and off for hours to hold the house steady, and every cycle pushes air through the same ductwork. That air carries dust, and over eight months it settles along the seams and turns instead of moving on through the vents.
LaSalle County has also seen 19 winter storms and 124 damaging wind events over the past ten years. Storms like that can knock out power, and when a furnace sits off for a stretch in cold weather, whatever has settled in the ducts is still there waiting when it starts back up.
- 8 months
- October through May, your furnace pushes air through your ducts
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner does the same
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- How often should air ducts be cleaned?
- Most homes do not need it on a fixed yearly schedule. If you have pets, allergies in the house, or just finished a renovation, a contractor may suggest cleaning sooner. Otherwise, it comes down to what is actually collecting in the ducts, and a contractor can check that before recommending anything.
- Is air duct cleaning worth it?
- It depends on what is actually in your ducts. If a contractor finds dust buildup, pet hair, or debris from construction work, clearing it out helps the air moving through your home and can ease strain on your furnace. If the ducts are already clean, there is not much to gain from doing it anyway. A contractor can look and tell you which situation you are in before any work starts.
- What does air duct cleaning involve?
- A contractor connects a vacuum system to your ductwork, then uses brushes or air tools to knock debris loose so it can be pulled out. Every supply and return vent in the house gets opened and checked. The vent covers themselves get cleaned too, since dust collects right at the grille as much as inside the duct.