Deciding to hire an air duct cleaner is a tricky situation.  As with all home repairs, finding the right company to do the work isn’t just a factor of time and price, but also quality and trust.  If your air conditioning needs to be fixed, you know it, and after the repairman leaves you know whether he did a good job.  With air duct cleaning, the homeowner can't easily judge whether the job needs to be done in the first place, nor whether it was done well afterwards.  So you need to beware of unscrupulous air duct cleaning salesmen.

There are three major warning signs to be watchful for when considering a company to clean your ducts: extreme discounts, scare tactics and cleaners who don't follow Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Keeping an eye on these should help inform your decision and make the whole process go smoothly for you and your air ducts. Don’t get lured into low prices or deals that seem too good to be true. The lowest price may get you a much higher repair bill later on to fix the damage done. Duct cleaning for a 2,000-square-foot home typically costs about $400, so if a price is offered that is far lower than that the consumer should be wary.

When looking at prices, also consider which companies are using the National Air Duct Cleaner Association's industry standards. The NADCA has laid out these standards which are recommended by the EPA for proper and safe cleaning of your air ducts. A company that follows them should take good care of your home and its ductwork.

Finally, be aware of scare tactics related to mold. Oftentimes unscrupulous companies may add on exorbitant fees related to mold. If you think you have a serious issue with mold, you may want to consider finding an independent mold remediation expert.

Of course you need to decide if you even need an air duct cleaner in the first place. Take a look at Angie's List's Duct Tales infographic for information on how to keep your system clean, warning signs of problems and information on hiring the right company.