Frequently Asked Questions

The process is straightforward. Our technicians connect a high-powered vacuum system to your ductwork, then use rotating brush or agitation tools to dislodge dust, debris, and buildup from the duct walls. The vacuum collects that material under negative pressure, so it doesn't blow back into your living space. Each supply and return vent gets cleaned, followed by the main trunk line and air handler area. We document everything with before-and-after photos. Most San Antonio homes take two to four hours depending on size and condition.

A typical single-family home in San Antonio takes between two and four hours. Smaller homes with straightforward attic layouts, like many in Kirby or Converse, run closer to two hours. Larger or older homes in Terrell Hills or Alamo Heights with decades of buildup can take four hours or more. The condition of your ductwork matters as much as square footage. We'll give you an honest time estimate when we come out to quote, and we send photo updates throughout the job so you can see the progress.

Yes, for the first visit. Our technicians need access to your furnace, air handler, and every vent in the home. That usually means entry to basement or attic access points, and we need to confirm which vents are supply and which are return. After that initial walkthrough, if you have future cleanings scheduled, we can coordinate access arrangements with you. But for the first visit, someone needs to be there to let the team in and answer a few questions about your system.

Keep it simple. Clear access to every vent in the home, including floor vents in bedrooms and closets. Move any furniture that sits directly on top of a floor register. If your furnace or air handler is in a closet or utility room, clear a path to it. That's genuinely all the prep needed. Our team brings the equipment, drop cloths, and everything else. You don't need to remove vent covers or do any cleaning yourself beforehand.

No. We use negative-pressure equipment, which means the vacuum is pulling air and debris out of your ducts the entire time. Nothing blows back into your living space. We lay down protection in the work areas near the furnace and any vents in finished spaces. When we're done, the only thing left behind is cleaner air moving through your system. If a company tells you duct cleaning is inherently messy, they're using outdated equipment.

Most San Antonio homes do well with a full duct cleaning every three to five years. That timeline shortens if you have pets that shed heavily, you've done recent renovations that produced drywall or sawdust, or someone in the home has significant allergies. Cedar fever season in the Hill Country is a reminder that our outdoor air is heavily loaded with particulate most of the year. Think of duct cleaning as the same maintenance category as flushing a water heater: not constant, not never.

It can help, with the right expectations. Duct cleaning removes the dust, pollen, pet dander, and debris that's accumulated in your system and gets recirculated every time the AC or heat runs. If you have allergy sufferers in a San Antonio home, reducing that recirculating load genuinely helps. But it's not a permanent cure for allergies. Cedar pollen in winter and mountain cedar season will still find its way inside. What changes is that your system stops being a reservoir of old allergen buildup.

We use professional-grade air duct cleaning equipment from manufacturers like Rotobrush and Nikro. These are trade-standard systems designed for residential ductwork: powerful vacuums that maintain negative pressure throughout the cleaning, combined with agitation tools that break debris loose from duct walls. The equipment matters because a shop vac and a brush can't reach the full run of your duct system. We run the type of gear that gets the entire duct clean, not just the first few feet of visible vent.

Mechanical cleaning is our primary method: agitation plus vacuum extraction that physically removes dust, debris, and buildup. Sanitizing or deodorizing agents are available in some situations, like a musty smell traced to a specific duct run. We'll always discuss any chemical application with you before using it, explain what it does, and include it in the written quote. Nothing gets sprayed into your system without your approval. If you prefer strictly mechanical cleaning, we're happy to do exactly that.

Mostly no, with one exception: the equipment should be professional-grade, not consumer-grade. Rotobrush, Nikro, and Abatement Technologies all make legitimate professional systems. The real difference for a homeowner is whether the company runs a proper negative-air vacuum sized for whole-home systems, versus a portable unit that's basically a glorified carpet cleaner. Ask what kind of vacuum they use and whether they clean the full trunk line. The brand matters less than the system type.

Every pro working under our name is required to hold the license and insurance their state requires. Air duct cleaning doesn't have a specialized Texas state license, but the contractors performing the work need to carry proper general liability coverage. We operate under the Relay Standard, which means the written price, photo documentation, and live arrival tracking are part of every job. When you call (254) 347-3897, ask us directly about current insurance documentation and we'll provide it.

Texas doesn't issue a dedicated "air duct cleaning license" at the state level. Companies doing this work fall under general contractor or service business regulations, which center on business registration and liability insurance. That's why checking insurance matters more than looking for a specific duct cleaning credential. Anyone working in your home should carry general liability coverage that protects you if something goes wrong. We're transparent about our documentation and happy to verify it before any work starts.

Ask three questions: Can I see your insurance certificate? Do you put the price in writing before work starts? And will you show me before-and-after photos of the actual work? A legitimate company answers all three without hesitation. If you live in San Antonio, also check whether the company has a real local presence or is just running a website from another state. The Relay Standard exists precisely because homeowners got tired of companies that couldn't answer these questions. If a company dodges, move on.

Duct cleaning is a scheduled service, not an emergency trade. We don't run after-hours emergency calls because the work is planned, methodical, and takes hours to do properly. Our hours are Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Sunday 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. If you need urgent attention for something like visible mold growth in a vent or a duct that's come apart, call us during business hours at (254) 347-3897 and we'll get you on the schedule as soon as possible.

Mold in ductwork is a real concern, especially with San Antonio's summer humidity. If you see visible mold growth around vents or smell a persistent musty odor when the AC runs, don't ignore it. Duct cleaning can remove surface mold from duct interiors, but if the problem is inside your HVAC system or caused by ongoing moisture, you need the moisture source addressed first. We'll assess what we're seeing, recommend the right next step, and never sell you a cleaning that won't solve the underlying issue. Call us to discuss what you're seeing.

We schedule by appointment based on our current calendar. Most San Antonio homeowners get a cleaning date within a few days to two weeks of their quote. Spring and early summer are our busiest seasons in this market because of cedar allergies through winter and humidity concerns heading into summer. If you're planning around a move-in date, a renovation, or a major allergy season, calling earlier gets you more flexibility. We'll always give you a live arrival time on the day of your appointment, not a four-hour window.

Every job we do is covered by the Relay Visibility Guarantee. That means four things: a live arrival time you can track to your door, photo updates of the work before and after, a written price before anything starts, and a digital invoice texted to you when it's done. If we don't meet that standard, you have a clear path to resolution. The guarantee is the reason we exist as a brand. Cleaner air, booked in a tap, with total visibility from quote to invoice.

The Relay Visibility Guarantee is a service promise, not a fine-print warranty. It covers the things homeowners actually lose sleep over: that you'll get a live arrival time you can track, not a four-hour window. That you'll see before-and-after photos of the actual work. That the price you approve in writing is the price you pay. And that your invoice arrives digitally, which you can pay from a link on your phone. If any of those fail, we make it right. That's the standard Omar Haddad holds this San Antonio branch to on every job.

Duct cleaning is a service, not an installation, so there aren't parts warranties in the traditional sense. If we recommend a replacement component during the job, like a damaged vent cover or a section of flex duct, that item carries its own manufacturer's warranty and we'll tell you exactly what it is before you approve the purchase. What we warrant is our work: if an area we cleaned shows immediate re-soiling or an obvious miss, we'll return and re-clean it at no charge.

Call us. Tell us what you're seeing. If a specific vent wasn't cleaned to standard or a section of ductwork was missed, we'll send the team back out at no charge to make it right. The before-and-after photos we send you after every job make this straightforward: you can point to exactly what you're asking about. We'd rather fix a problem immediately than leave a San Antonio homeowner frustrated. That's how a local branch builds a reputation worth having.

Written by Omar Haddad, Owner at Cardinal Air Duct San Antonio, serving San Antonio and surrounding communities.