Air duct cleaning in Montgomery County, PA: a homeowner's guide
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
What should Montgomery County homeowners know about air duct cleaning?
Montgomery County is the largest housing market in Philadelphia's suburbs and the most mixed, so no single piece of advice fits it. With 350,351 housing units by the Census Bureau's estimate, it has more homes than Bucks, Chester or Delaware County, a larger share of homes in multi-unit buildings than any of them, and both old and new housing in quantity. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises cleaning ducts only as needed. In Montgomery County, what that means depends heavily on which kind of home you have.
Is your Montgomery County home old, new or in between?
The county has more of both ends than most of its neighbors. The Census Bureau estimates that 16.0 percent of Montgomery County housing was first built in 1939 or earlier, a higher share than in Bucks (9.9 percent) or Chester (12.6 percent). At the same time 8.1 percent has been built since 2010, more than in Bucks (5.7 percent) or Delaware County (3.5 percent) and above the statewide 6.1 percent. Each end has its own duct question.
- In the 16.0 percent built before 1940, start by asking whether the house has ducts at all, and what the heating system is insulated with. The EPA says a duct cleaner should inspect for asbestos-containing materials, such as certain insulation and register boots, before starting, and that only specially trained and equipped contractors should disturb them.
- In the 8.1 percent built since 2010, the question is construction dust. The EPA says registers should be sealed and the system kept off during dusty building work. If the builder did that, a new system should have little in it.
What if you live in a Montgomery County condominium or apartment?
You are in a large minority. The Census Bureau puts 26.1 percent of the county's housing in multi-unit buildings, the highest share of the four suburban counties, and 28.6 percent of occupied homes are rented.
For the owners among that 26.1 percent, Pennsylvania's contractor law still applies. The Attorney General says the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act covers single units within any multifamily dwelling, including condominiums and cooperatives, as well as single-family homes and buildings of up to two units. Before asking for quotes, establish which system and which ducts are yours, because the EPA's price range for duct cleaning is per heating and cooling system. For the 28.6 percent who rent, the EPA's advice on moisture is to report leaks and damp to the building owner or manager, who is also the person to ask about the ducts.
How are Montgomery County homes heated?
Almost exactly as Pennsylvania's are. The Census Bureau estimates that 56.0 percent of occupied homes in the county heat mainly with gas, against 56.4 percent statewide. Another 27.4 percent use electricity and 14.5 percent fuel oil or kerosene, against 25.3 and 14.0 percent statewide.
That mix says nothing about ducts, because fuel and delivery are separate things. The U.S. Energy Information Administration distinguishes a furnace, which delivers warm air through ducts, from a steam or hot-water system, which feeds radiators, and gas or oil can fire either one. The Census records the fuel for each of the county's 335,505 occupied homes and not the system, so a Montgomery County homeowner has to look. Registers and a return mean ducts. Radiators alone mean none.
For the 14.5 percent of Montgomery County homes on oil, and for gas furnaces too, the EPA recommends having a fuel-burning furnace inspected and serviced before each heating season to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning.
What will duct cleaning cost in Montgomery County?
No published cost survey gives a Montgomery County figure, and the national ranges are in the cost guide. What the Census figures add is a sense of the spread within the county. Homes here have a median of 6.4 rooms, and 66.7 percent have three or more bedrooms, but more than a quarter of the stock is in multi-unit buildings. NADCA, the duct cleaners' trade association, lists square footage, the size of the system and the number of systems among the things that set the price. A quote for a large detached house and a quote for a condominium unit in the same township should not look alike, so ask each company what it counted.
How do you check a contractor in Montgomery County?
The state's lookup works at county level. In the Attorney General's contractor search, choose Montgomery from the county list to see home improvement contractors with active registrations there. Treat a registration as a starting point: the Attorney General says it is not an endorsement of a contractor's competency or skill, and what Pennsylvania requires explains what the guidance leaves unsaid about businesses that only clean ducts. Owners live in 71.4 percent of Montgomery County's occupied homes, so most households hire for themselves, and how to choose an air duct cleaning company sets out the checks. For a dispute, the Attorney General's office accepts complaints online. Businesses serving the county are on the Montgomery County air duct cleaning page.
Sources
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Chester County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned?, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- RECS Terminology, U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Cost & Time Estimates, National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA)
- Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
- Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
- Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
- Submit a Complaint, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General