Most of the homes I’ve serviced over the past twelve years have one thing in common: people are surprised by how much dust and debris can build up in a system they rarely think about. Right in the center of that realization sits duct cleaning Calgary, a topic that usually comes up the moment a homeowner sees inside their return line for the first time. I’ve watched even the most confident DIY-ers pause when they realize their furnace has been pulling air through years of settled dust, pet hair, and renovation residue.
Early in my career, I visited a couple in the northwest who had just finished a basement remodel. They assumed a few new filters would handle the extra dust. Instead, the remodeling debris had filled their cold-air returns so densely that the blower motor started to sound like it was grinding. When I disconnected the main return, I remember a puff of drywall powder floating out like it had been waiting for its cue. Once we cleaned the lines properly, their airflow improved immediately, and the motor quieted down. They told me afterward that they wished someone had warned them how quickly construction dust spreads through a duct system.
Calgary’s climate adds its own quirks to the situation. Our long heating season means furnaces run hard for months, circulating the same indoor air again and again. In my experience, that recirculation magnifies whatever’s happening inside the ducts. One winter, a family called me because their teenage son’s allergies kept flaring up, even though they were religious about changing filters. The culprit wasn’t the furnace at all—it was a thick layer of pet dander tucked into the supply lines from years before they adopted their current dog. After cleaning, the difference in the home’s air quality was obvious enough that even I could feel it while packing up my tools.
Of course, duct cleaning isn’t a magic solution for every problem. I’ve met homeowners who were convinced their musty smell was coming from the vents, only to discover the issue was moisture wicking through old insulation in a crawlspace. In those cases, I’ve always believed in fixing the source before rolling out the cleaning equipment. A clean duct system won’t stay clean if the home is still feeding it moisture, dust, or contaminants. Some companies will clean anyway, but I’ve never had the stomach for charging people for a service I know won’t hold.
One mistake I still see is the assumption that duct cleaning needs to be done on a strict schedule. Calgary isn’t uniform—older homes in the inner city behave differently from newer builds in communities like Mahogany or Evanston. Renovations, pets, furnace usage, and even how often someone vacuums all change the picture. I’ve had customers who needed cleaning after a single project weekend, and others who could comfortably go years without touching their ducts. The system itself usually tells the truth: uneven airflow, visible dust streaks on vents, persistent odors, or a furnace that seems to strain more than it used to.
There’s a certain satisfaction in opening a vent that once coughed out dust and watching clean, steady air move through it again. For me, duct cleaning isn’t just a job—it’s a chance to restore something people depend on but rarely see. And Calgary homes, with their long winters and hardworking furnaces, seem to appreciate the attention more than most.