Finding the Right Air Duct Cleaning Service in Metro Detroit

When I moved into my boyfriend’s large house in Metro Detroit last fall, I noticed that the air ducts weren’t working properly. Upstairs, where there should have been heat, there was very little air or the vents were useless. This is a 2 story, four bedroom, full basement house; I counted over 20 ducts. In addition to that, we have a dog, 2 cats (pet hair) and I find out that in the 20 years of habitation, the ducts have never been cleaned. No wonder I can’t breathe up here! I am thinking of starting a dust mite circus.

I immediately close unused ducts, and open one upstairs to see what the problem is. The air just isn’t getting up here. Obviously this is a much larger problem than just sticking a vacuum cleaner into each vent. I gather up all those local freebie advertisements and look for an air duct cleaning service in my neighborhood.

I immediately find 7 ads in local flyers but what these companies charge seems ludicrous. The first service offers to clean my entire house for only $77.00. The second service’s proposal is even lower: $69.00.

I call these two businesses. On one I leave a message and they have yet to call back; on the other I find out that this is the cost of cleaning the main air duct and that every additional vent is $10.00 extra. You do the math.

I decide to call some cleaning companies that don’t advertise an outright price. Serving east Metro Detroit, Breathe Easy even sounds promising! (586.992.0507 or toll-free 1-866-36-DUCTS) Owner John Ondrus answers the phone himself (this is a family run business). After I explain I am confused and would just like an estimate, he answers all of my stupid air duct questions.

Breathe Easy, like most accredited companies, use state-of-the-art-trucks that can not only clean out my ducts, they remove all that nasty pet hair as well as dust mites and 20 years of unidentifiable stuff that makes me sneeze every time the heat comes on. He also tells me that I will reduce my home energy bills and gives me an estimate of about $375.00.

John explains that these cheapo companies use glorified vacuum cleaners and just suck what they can out of your vents. They often charge you twice for one duct that appears double but is in actual fact a single vent with a two-plate opening. Aha!

I thank him for his time and call another company. I give Becky the same spiel that I gave John and she tells me about Advanced Air Care (586.416.1900), also serving Metro Detroit. It operates similarly to the way that Breathe Easy and other licensed businesses do and the quote turns out comparable. The duct cleaning also includes free air deodorizing. I explain that this too makes me sneeze. She laughs and says we don’t have to have that service.

Although I am already leaning towards one of these two, to be fair I call Sears, the do-all folk in the service world. Their duct cleaning service offers truck mounted air cleaning for $159.00 for up to 8 vents, $15.00 for each additional one. That equals out to another $150-200. There is another thing that disturbs me about Sears. I have known people who have worked in their various service departments and to quote one of my favorite fictional characters, “They seem to come and go so quickly here.” I decide to stick with experts John and family.

The moral of the story here is that when you decide to get your air ducts cleaned, do your homework. Call several in your neighborhood to find the right company for you. Have it done every 5 or so years so that you will not end up with a dust mite circus like we did (I almost taught those little buggers the double trapeze.).