These guys are terrible. In fact, probably all of these so called "HVAC cleaning specialists" are quacks, at best. I tried to get my money back (Bruce refused) and filed a complaint with NADCA, but there are far too many hoops to jump through to ever have a chance. Bruce also threatened me with a mechanics lean (I initially stopped payment on the check), but I ponied up because I don't want the hassle. Anyway, these are the points that I had sent to NADCA. Bruce didn't think that any of these points were valid for a refund. Above all, I was extremely dissatisfied with the places that his "technician" decided to make holes in my ductwork.
1) The technician began by explaining that he will be cutting holes into the air ducts, but did not specify with any certainty where the holes would be. We went into the basement and I showed him where my existing vents were. I asked if he could use the existing return vent and he said maybe. We didn't discuss where the other hole would go on the main vent (off the furnace) until he was right about to cut it.
2) I went upstairs briefly, and then watched the technician bring in his tools and 8 inch diameter vacuum hose. The vacuum hose looked like it had taken some abuse over the years as it had been duct taped (patched) in multiple areas. It's not clear to me if there were air leaks in this vacuum, and that made me skeptical. The vacuum machine outside seemed to function ok, but it's worth noting that it appeared to be an older piece of machinery.
3) When I returned to the basement, he immediately began cutting into the return vent. As he was cutting, he explained that he thought this was the best place to do it. Why the return vent that was one foot away wasn't used, I don't know.
4) After the initial cut was made to the return vent, he made his way to the main duct that comes off the furnace (plenum). This is probably the most expensive piece of duct work in my HVAC system. He explained that he thought this was the best place to make the cut. I permitted the cut, reluctantly. Just to give everyone an idea, I was quoted $325 for replacing this piece by an HVAC specialist in my area.
5) 7 other 4 inch diameter cuts were made in my HVAC duct work.
6) cuts were made using a hand metal cutter (snips) and were not precision cut. Cuts were not a perfect circle, and had jagged edges.
7) Technician used a rotational brush attached to a portable drill to break up the dust from the vent. This seems practical, except that the rotating speed seemed sub-optimal. I would expect that a power-whip would be used, but Bruce isn't fond of this because he says it's only used in commercial applications. Personally, I don't buy that.
8) Technician used a leaf blower (Gator was the brand) to push dust down toward the vacuum hose that he placed at one of the 8 inch holes at the furnace. This is a low tech tool that should, I would think, not be used as an appropriate cleaning method.
9) Technician closed all holes with a steel plate and screws, and taped around these areas with aluminum tape. My HVAC specialist says that they typically don't use aluminum tape to make repairs because it looks tacky and is not a good permanent solution. It is not a good permanent solution because at some point, it will have leaks. Bruce says that the patch work is better than what was there originally. I'm not a genius, but I'm pretty sure if you cut a hole in ductwork and patch it, that patch is not as good as before the hole was made. Common sense, right?
10) After the work was performed, I asked to see the dust and debris that was collected by the 8" vacuum. He showed me what he had sucked up with his shop vac. I again asked to see what was collected by the 8" vacuum. The Technician explained that it was a lot, but that I wouldn't be able to know how much because another customer's dust was sitting in the collection canister outside. This seemed to be in direct violation of procedural guidelines as another customer's dust can potentially contaminate my ductwork.
If you express your displeasure with Bruce, he will not work with you and you will not get your money back. His technician doesn't speak very good English, so if you use these clowns make sure you communicate everything up front. Personally, I would stay far, far away from these guys. Extremely unprofessional. read more