Most full duct cleanings take a few hours. A smaller ranch or condo can be done in the morning, while a large two story home with more than one furnace can take most of the day.
The Short Answer
For a typical home in Waukesha or Milwaukee County, plan on roughly three to five hours from the time the crew arrives to the time they pull away. That includes setup, cleaning every vent, cleaning the trunk lines and furnace, sealing up and walking you through the photos.
A company that says it can clean a whole house in an hour is either skipping vents or not cleaning them well.
What Changes the Time
- How many supply and return vents your home has
- Square footage and number of floors
- More than one furnace or a second system
- Long trunk lines and tight turns in older homes
- How much buildup is in the ducts
- Whether you add a dryer vent cleaning
Older homes in Milwaukee, Shorewood and Wauwatosa often take a little longer. The ductwork tends to have longer runs and more turns, and many have never been cleaned. Newer homes in Waukesha, Pewaukee and Sussex usually have simpler layouts, but construction dust can mean more debris to pull out.
What Happens During the Visit
Setup
The crew arrives, walks through the house with you and sets up the vacuum and compressor. The furnace gets turned off, and two 8 inch holes go into the main trunk lines so the HEPA vacuum can connect.
Cleaning
Return vents on the top floor come first, then the supply vents. A high powered air line and whips knock the debris loose so the vacuum pulls it out. Each vent gets a before and after photo.
Finish
The trunk lines and furnace are cleaned, the access holes are sealed with plugs and sheet metal plates, and the equipment comes back out. Then we sit down with you and go through the photos.
How to Get Ready
- Clear a path to the furnace and the main trunk lines in the basement
- Move furniture or boxes that block floor and wall vents
- Put pets in a quiet room away from the equipment
- Plan for the furnace to be off for a few hours
- Make sure someone is home to let the crew in and see the photos at the end
Adding a dryer vent cleaning usually adds 30 to 60 minutes, and it is a $40 add on when done with your duct cleaning. Learn more about our dryer vent service.
Want a time estimate for your house? Get a free quote and we will tell you how long to plan for. We clean homes across Waukesha, Milwaukee and the communities around them.