How To Avoid Scams With Duct Cleaning Service | Azle, TX
Air ducts play a critical role in distributing the conditioned air from the HVAC system to other parts of your Azle, TX home. They are like the veins that distribute blood (air) to all parts of your body (home). Therefore, it is important to take all the steps necessary to ensure that the air ducts are always clean. When the ducts are clean, you can have high-quality indoor air.
Unfortunately, the ducts aren’t always clean. By the very nature of their work, they are sometimes prone to getting dusty and dirty. They also, at times, sweat, forming ideal conditions for the growth of mold and mildew. Mold is a particularly dangerous fungus that can leave you with several health complications. Hence, a regular duct cleaning service is necessary to ensure that the air ducts continue performing their duties unhindered.
But how do you clean the air ducts? If you ask any professional AC repair technician, they will tell you that DIY HVAC projects are a big no. Rather, they will advise you to have a professional conduct the repairs and other works on your behalf. But isn’t this just a ploy for the technician to make money out of your predicament? No. The professionals are trained in all aspects of HVAC repairs and maintenance. Unlike you, they know what materials can be used for cleaning the air ducts and what shouldn’t.
So, how do you determine that a duct cleaning service is legit? Unfortunately, today, the home improvement industry is full of scammers. As a result, unscrupulous DIY enthusiasts or incompetent technicians have defrauded many homeowners. In addition, some homes have intimidating maintenance and repair needs that homeowners cannot handle. Unfortunately, scammers are aware of this and usually take advantage of homeowners that do not perform some research before searching for a duct cleaning company.
To help the homeowners by shielding them from these scammers in the duct cleaning industry, an association of national drain cleaners called NADCA started a clean breathing campaign. The initiative is dedicated to raising awareness through educating the homeowners on the importance of duct cleaning, proper duct cleaning methods, and how the homeowners can avoid falling victim to fraudulent duct cleaning services.
Below are several common duct cleaning scams that you should always be on the lookout for and avoid falling prey to:
Common Duct Cleaning Scams
Dirt and Mold Warnings
Nowadays, air purification is a buzzy term getting thrown left, right, and center. However, you should be cautious of some people or entities that promise to purify your indoor air. While your home might have asthma or allergy-inducing irritants, air ducts are just one of the many areas where these irritants could be hiding. They also could hide in wet areas, on your air filters, or even on the plumbing system. In addition, just because some of your family members have started showing allergic inflammation doesn’t mean that the air ducts are to blame.
However, scammers have been known to use scare methods to have you enroll in an ongoing or a one-time duct cleaning service. However, professional inspection for molds and mildew is a must before you hire a person or company for duct cleaning. Before concluding that the ducts are to blame, have any potential place where the mold might grow inspected by a professional. You should consider hiring a duct cleaning company after ruling out all the other places where the mold might grow.
Even after ruling out all the other causes and narrowing down your air conditioning system, you should always get a second opinion. This should be the case, especially if the professional claims that they’ve found mold and charges you an arm and leg after they purportedly remove it. To begin with, mold is removed with specialized cleaning agents, and the technician should wear the necessary protective gear.
Therefore, if the technician claims to have cleaned the mold but didn’t use special cleaning agents like antimicrobial foggers, and neither did they wear protective clothing, that is a huge red flag. A genuine duct cleaning service will allow you to get a second opinion on their diagnosis and double-check their work before you spend any money. However, a scammer will push you to pay them on the spot.
Cut Rates
There is an old phrase, “if it is so good to be, then it probably is.” That phase comes into play here. Scamming air duct cleaning companies or individuals love outbidding all their competitors by offering cut rates. You may see messages claiming they offer “Whole house air duct cleaning services” for as little as $50 or even at
times less.
Sometimes, the deals help them gain entry into your home. Upon entering your home, they try to upsell you for additional work, something that a genuine professional will never do. Alternatively, they do shoddy, quick, and unthorough work before claiming a down spot payment and disappearing. Because of their haste, they might damage the air ducts or other components of your Azle, TX, home HVAC system.
Hence, by the time the imposter duct cleaning service technician leaves your home, you’ll be left even with a deeper mess than you were. They also don’t take measures to protect your curtains, upholstery, or other things that the dust may damage. In another even more sinister instance, especially over the internet, such scams are a way of getting your personal information. The scammer then uses the information to commit other crimes like account takeover, fraud, or impersonation.
Therefore, you are advised never to sign forms, send a deposit, or answer personal questions online or over the phone before verifying that the duct cleaning service is insured and insured. Genuine companies will never demand financial or personal data upfront. Instead, they have specific rates and follow industry-wide accepted duct cleaning practices. So, think twice the next time a purported duct cleaning company charges you too low. As it is said, “cheap is costly.”
Blow-and-Go Scams
Blow-and-go is a very old and among the first duct cleaning scams. It happened too many times to the extent that it earned a nickname. Unfortunately, some homeowners still fall victim to this scam. The blow-and-go scams usually involve the purported duct cleaning service provider in Azle, TX, coming to your home, vacuuming your air vents, and then moving on to the next client or house. Besides being a waste of time, it is also a waste of money.
A genuine company thoroughly inspects various parts of the air conditioning system before embarking on the duct cleaning. Additionally, they do not only clean the vents. The technician also cleans the filters or replaces them to ensure that the ducting system will be completely clean when they leave your home. Genuine professionals are trained and prepared to handle other repairs and not only duct cleaning.
Hence, should they determine that the ducts are leaking the air, they will apply a duct sealant to prevent energy loss. If the technician determines a refrigerant leak, they will patch and refill the coolant. On the other hand, the scammers perform the bare minimum work and then alert you that they have done complex, extensive, and costly work that they irregularly charge. They don’t work to resolve your problem but rather enrich themselves.
Therefore, before you hire a duct cleaning service in Azle, TX, ensure that you conduct thorough research on the company on the internet. Look for reviews and feedback from the internet and friends. One great way to confirm whether a company is legit is by looking for the name of the company on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website. Additionally, ask for customer testimonials to clarify doubts about the quality of the work done by the company. If the duct cleaning service isn’t listed in the BBB, don’t hire them.
Bait-and-Switch
The other scam that an unscrupulous duct cleaning service might use is bait-and-switch. Like the blow-and-go scam, the popular bait-and-switch adds unwanted services over what you agreed with the “technician.” While the advertised price might have included all your ducts and vents, the scammer might now claim the price was only for a small portion of the system.
By the time they finish the job, you will be paying much higher than the price you had agreed on. Hence, read the print flyers or brochures thoroughly, including even the finest detail. The last thing you want is to pay more for substandard work. When the duct cleaning service provider comes to complete the task, clarify any doubts you had on their contracts before they get started on anything.
You could find the person “found mold” or “had to apply biocide or a sealant” to your vents. Although the genuine duct cleaning service companies offer sealants and biocides in some cases, the EPA hasn’t registered any of these as necessary. Always ensure that you have the entire written contract before the cleaner begins working on your unit. If you find any bait-and-switch tactics, report them immediately to the BBB.
False NADCA Membership and Fake Awards
The other form of scam that some scammers have excelled in is presenting themselves as legitimate members of the NADCA. They even might celebrate their false training on their business title. Fortunately, you can today verify the NADCA status of a company on NASA’s website. The illegitimate duct cleaning services know that you will be convinced of their legitimacy once they present their membership certificate. On the NADCA website, you can get information like the team’s size, the contract information, and the period they have been members of NDCA.
Others fake the awards and present them as genuine to convince the unsuspecting Azle, TX, homeowners, into signing contracts with them. This is where thorough research plays a part. Is there such an award? Did the company win it? What were other companies involved? The same goes for reviews. Some companies have been known to review themselves to upscale their ratings. This is business malpractice that you should be on the lookout for when hiring a company to clean your ducts. Such companies fail to understand that they contradict the false claims act by posing as a legit duct cleaning company.
How Can You Determine That a Company Is Likely a Scam?
Overcharging Simple Services
Do you think that a company overcharged you for a service? Then, compare other companies’ costs for the same duct cleaning service. Honest duct cleaning companies base their prices on various factors like the size of the ducts, the duct contents, how dirty the ducts are, and their accessibility, among other tangible factors. Hence, if you determine that a company is charging too high or too low compared to others, that will most likely be a scam.
They Have the Wrong Tools for the Job
The most common sign is when a technician comes for a duct cleaning with an insufficient. A technician only coming to your Azle, TX, home for a duct cleaning service with a common shop vacuum is as clear a sign they are scammers as possible. You shouldn’t allow them to do the job. Genuine professionals come prepared for all eventualities and carry the necessary tools.
Claims They Found Mold But No Proof
Watch out for professionals that tell you that you require repairs or that your ducts have mold without providing any supporting evidence. After that, they’ll typically try to charge more for the work without actually fixing anything before they leave. Most genuine duct cleaning services will have cameras on standby to take images and videos of the ductwork to prove their claims to you.
Scammers are always trying to find another way of leveraging unsuspecting homeowners. Therefore, you must be aware of the new methods they are likely to use. Before hiring a company, conduct thorough research on them first. Do you need genuine duct cleaning services in Azle, TX? Contact us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth.