Air duct cleaning and servicing has been a concern that still keeps a lot of us awake at night. With the weather conditions worsening and all the diseases in the air, you’d jump to the Instafix - duct cleaning.
However, considering you're concerned about the budget, you may stop and think about how you would proceed with duct cleaning.
You may have options on your hand and could choose between hiring duct cleaning professionals or renting duct cleaning machines.
Let’s weigh the options in this article.
To cut straight to the point, you can either choose to hire general duct cleaning equipment to do the job yourself, saving yourself a few extra bucks while adding to your “to-do list,” or you could simply hire duct cleaning professionals who will get the job done for you.
While it may be a simple pick for some people, it is often a debatable topic among enthusiasts as to which is the more feasible option.
We will take a closer look at duct cleaning machines to properly understand their function, availability, and how easy it will be for you to use them to clean your air ducts effectively.
Although it might be challenging to acquire industrial-level duct cleaning vacuums, several rental companies, including Sunbelt Rentals and Home Depot, offer rentals for powerful vacuums and hoses.
These vacuums will be more powerful than your typical home vacuum and have extended hoses to remove more grime. Vent-cleaning brushes are also available for approximately $20.
The price of renting the machinery varies according to how long you need it. The majority of rental companies offer day and weekly rates for under $100.
The 24-hour fee is usually the best price because duct cleaning jobs normally take less than a day. A few rental companies also offer curbside delivery, although receiving the equipment takes a few days.
If you have expertise with home DIY projects and duct cleaning, you might feel like you can do this job better yourself by renting duct cleaning machines.
On the surface, air duct cleaning is simply removing dust, debris, and other pollutants from your ducts. However, focusing on the actual HVAC system can get a bit more complex.
Let’s uncover some of the machines available for duct cleaning and find out how to rent them.
Before starting the cleaning procedures, inspecting the air and the air duct’s conditions is vital. There can be rodents, critters, bird nests, cracks, holes etc in the ductwork.
So before jumping straight into cleaning, proper inspection is required, for there are many tools available like cameras, line inspector bots, surface air remote monitoring systems, etc.
You can buy or better rent them for your needs at a reasonable price from various machinery rental places.
Portable vacuums are readily available for hire at equipment rental facilities and home improvement stores.
Vacuums are simple machines that suck in the dust and dirt from air ducts directly. However, their prowess at deeper cleaning is debatable since they have limited power, being just portable vacuums.
The specialized air duct cleaning hose tools remove the mold, filth, and fungus that have accumulated in indoor ventilation systems.
Hose products are also used to clean inside cooling units to provide the highest possible indoor air quality. You can simply rent long hoses per your requirements.
Air compressors, like portable vacuums, are available for both purchase and rental at hardware stores and equipment rental facilities.
This machine uses compressed air to blow out the dust and debris from air ducts. Being useful for deeper cleaning, it is usually the first pick for DIY cleaners.
Rotary brushes help loosen dirt and debris from duct walls and are available for both purchase and rent at equipment rental companies.
It is a prerequisite if you’re looking to carry out your duct cleaning since it provides a deeper and more thorough cleaning for your ductwork.
High-pressure air whips are advanced duct cleaning machines that only some companies that specialize in duct cleaning may offer for rent.
The likelihood of you getting them for rental is quite low, and this, too, uses pressurized gusts of wind to blow out dust and debris from your air ducts.
The vacuum excavator or truck-mounted vacuum is another high-tech duct cleaning machine. They are typically unavailable for rent, as they are expensive and require specialized training.
These vacuums are purchased by professional HVAC cleaning companies, and even if you could rent one, using them can be extremely difficult. You can easily rent them from Sunbelt Rentals.
We wouldn’t put robotic cleaning machines on our list of available machines for rent since they are extremely expensive and usually not available anywhere.
They require training and experience to operate. Robotic cleaning systems provide the most optimum duct cleaning, and we recommend not investing in these for personal use.
Also, there’s a whole duct cleaning package containing all sorts of equipment, including inspection tools, duct cleaning equipment, and a ventilator.
Duct cleaning is intensely crucial, and it is certainly not an easy job. Of course, DIY enthusiasts would prefer doing it on their own, but the best possible duct cleaning always comes from expert HVAC technicians.
With years of experience and strict protocols, they know and understand every nook and cranny of your ductwork.
Armed with the proper knowledge of HVAC systems, technicians can also help you identify the wear and tear of HVAC components. There is, however, a cost difference which is not too great.
From our perspective, saving a few dollars doesn’t even stand close to ignoring the overall health of your HVAC system, which is only possible through the inspection of trained eyes.
For routine cleaning and maintenance, you can weigh your options and make your pick according to your needs.
Ducts need cleaning. That's the bottom line. However, this depends heavily on how often you clean your air ducts.
If there are long periods between each cleaning session, chances are you may need to have a thorough inspection to detect wear and tear.
