What's with all the air duct cleaning ads? Do you need it?

It's not just you: Social media users in the Monroe County area have seen a deluge of duct cleaning ads. Are these ads legit?

The proliferation of posts advertising "duct cleaning" services has prompted some groups to ban the posts outright. For example, the Facebook page "Ellettsville, IN Uncensored," posted this month, “Any posts regarding duct cleaning and the like will be deleted and the posting member will be banned unless you get prior approval from a moderator or group owner.”

Some people have a more humorous take on the ubiquity of the so-called business ventures: Bill Palanuk, a TV show host in Montana, posted the following advice on Facebook Tuesday: "If you’re considering starting a business, DO NOT get into the HVAC duct cleaning business! The competition appears to be BRUTAL!"

Are these duct cleaning ads on Facebook legitimate?

Not according to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association, which warns about "air duct cleaning scams on Facebook."

The industry group, founded in 1989 "to promote source removal as the only acceptable method of cleaning and to establish industry standards for the association," says on its website that "posts targeting homeowners on social media neighborhood groups are on the rise."

Following the adage of offers appearing too good to be true, NADCA warns consumers to beware of tell-tale signs that should raise your suspicion.

"The content of these posts is almost identical and often touts things like a ‘special discount’ for the first few people who comment, or one price for unlimited vents and ducts," the association writes. "If you look closely, you’ll notice that unrelated posts often use the exact same assortment of images and videos. The company name is almost never included in the post, and those who show interest are sent private messages through the app. Also, they're often posted from accounts that are made to look like genuine residents of the communities the groups are made for.

"The scams have gotten more and more sophisticated over time, and the posts can truly appear legit," NADCA said. "Once homeowners show interest, the most sophisticated scammers will direct message consumers, and eventually gather personal information just before asking for a hefty deposit. Your money then disappears, and your ducts never get cleaned. Or if they are cleaned, it’s sub-par work."

For what it's worth, NADCA, according to its website, is "professionally managed by Association Headquarters Inc., a charter accredited association management company."

Do you even need to have your air ducts cleaned?

Probably not, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The agency acknowledges on its website that "knowledge about air duct cleaning is still in its early stages, so a blanket recommendation cannot be offered as to whether you should have your air ducts in your home cleaned."

However, the EPA also writes, "Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. This is because much of the dirt in air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space.

"It is important to keep in mind that dirty air ducts are only one of many possible sources of particles that are present in homes," the EPA says. "Pollutants that enter the home both from outdoors and indoor activities such as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or just moving around can cause greater exposure to contaminants than dirty air ducts.

"Moreover," the agency writes, "there is no evidence that a light amount of household dust or other particulate matter in air ducts poses any risk to your health."

Are there times you might want to get your air ducts cleaned?

The EPA says you should consider having your air ducts cleaned if:

• You see substantial mold growth inside hard surface ducts or on other components of your heating and cooling system.

• Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris and/or particles are actually released into the home from your supply registers.

• Ducts are infested with vermin, such as rodents or insects.

"If any of the conditions identified above exists, it usually suggests one or more underlying causes," the EPA says. "Prior to any cleaning, retrofitting, or replacing of your ducts, the cause or causes must be corrected or else the problem will likely recur."

For more information, go to tinyurl.com/27krwft3.

Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Why you're seeing so many social media ads about duct cleaning