Question 1

My Eichler has radiant slab heat and no real ductwork — is there anything to clean?

Accepted Answer

If the house is still on its original radiant slab, there's no duct system to clean, and we'll tell you that rather than find something to bill for. But a lot of Palo Alto mid-century flat-roof homes have had ducted heating or AC added later, usually run through a furred-down ceiling chase, a closet, or across the roof. Those retrofit runs can be cleaned, and they tend to need it more than you'd think, because they're often short, flexible, and sitting in spaces that collect dust. Send us a photo of your supply registers and where the air handler lives and we can usually tell you over the phone which situation you're in.

Question 2

We just finished a remodel. How soon should we have the ducts cleaned?

Accepted Answer

Wait until the dusty trades are done (drywall sanding, flooring, cabinet install) and ideally until final cleanup. Drywall dust is the most common thing we pull out of Palo Alto ducts, and it's fine enough to ride past a standard filter and coat the inside of the supply runs. If the system ran at all during construction, it's in there. Cleaning mid-project just means doing it twice. The exception is if someone in the house is reacting badly to the air now; in that case we'll clean, and you can plan a lighter touch-up at the end.

Question 3

What usually goes wrong with ducts in the older homes here?

Accepted Answer

In the 1920s–40s Spanish and bungalow stock, almost everything runs through a crawlspace, and that's where the problems start. Old sheet metal with failed tape at the joints, flex duct that's sagged off its hangers and pooled into low spots, and insulation that's been crushed or chewed. Crawlspaces under here hold damp through the winter, so anything drawing crawlspace air instead of return air brings that smell up into the house. We check seal integrity and support while we're under there and tell you what we find, whether or not it's work we do.

Question 4

How fast can you get someone out?

Accepted Answer

Palo Alto is a short drive for our crews and we're usually booking within a few business days. Same-day does happen, most often when a morning job wraps early or someone cancels, so call and ask what's open today. If you're dealing with an active smell, visible debris blowing from registers, or you're mid-move and need it done before furniture lands, say so when you call. Those get priority over routine maintenance cleanings. Full-day access is easier for us than a narrow window, but we can work around school pickup and work-from-home calls if you tell us up front.

Question 5

What makes one Palo Alto cleaning cost more than another?

Accepted Answer

Access and layout drive it more than square footage. A crawlspace system in an older bungalow with tight clearance and many small branch runs takes longer than a straightforward attic or closet system. Retrofit ductwork in mid-century homes can be awkward to reach depending on how it was routed during the remodel. Register count matters, and so does what's actually in there. Heavy drywall dust from recent construction, or years of the fine organic debris and pollen that comes off the oaks, sycamores and redwoods along the street, takes more time than normal household dust. We walk the system before we quote so the number reflects your house, not an average.

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