Whole-home duct cleaning
Dryer vent cleaning
Camera inspection
Sanitizing & deodorizingWhole-system duct and dryer vent check with before-and-after photos - you see exactly what came out of your vents
That "$99 whole-house special" is a bait ad - the real number appears once they are in your hallway, or the "clean" is a shop-vac at the register. We photograph the inside of your ducts before and after instead.
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Before
AfterFull System Cleaning in Pasadena, CA
Full system cleaning is a top-to-bottom cleaning of every part of your forced-air HVAC system: the supply ducts, return ducts, air handler, blower motor, coils, and registers. In Pasadena, where homes cycle air conditioning from May through October and heat during the colder stretches of winter, the system pulls in dust, pet dander, and fine particles that settle throughout the ductwork. A full system clean removes what a basic duct-only service leaves behind. Hollis Air Duct Pasadena performs this work with professional-grade equipment and a written price before any work starts. Call us at (626) 469-5477 for a free estimate.
This service goes beyond what a standard Air Duct Cleaning in Pasadena appointment covers. Where a basic cleaning addresses the duct runs, a full system cleaning includes the components that move and condition the air. If your system has not been opened up and cleaned since it was installed, or if you have never seen the inside of your air handler, this is the service that gets the whole system squared away.
When You Need Full System Cleaning
Most Pasadena homeowners do not think about their ducts until something forces them to. Here are the signs we see most often, in the neighborhoods we serve from Altadena down through San Marino and over to the Arroyo corridors:
- Dust returns within 48 hours of cleaning surfaces. You wipe down a table, and by the weekend it is coated again. That dust is cycling through your ducts and landing on everything the system serves.
- Your air handler or blower has never been opened. If the only cleaning your system has received is a duct brush-out, the blower fan, evaporator coil, and housing still carry years of accumulated buildup. Full system cleaning addresses those components directly.
- You moved into a home with unknown HVAC history. Pasadena has a large stock of homes built between 1920 and 1970. We regularly work in Spanish Colonial and Craftsman homes in Bungalow Heaven, Madison Heights, and the Caltech area where the previous owner kept no records of duct maintenance. A full system clean establishes a clean baseline.
- Anyone in the home has allergies or a respiratory condition. A system that recirculates dust, pollen, and pet dander makes allergy symptoms harder to manage. Cleaning the full system, not just the duct walls, reduces the particle load moving through the living space.
- Your energy bills have crept upward without a clear cause. A blower motor and coil coated in debris force the system to work harder for the same temperature. In Pasadena summers, that inefficiency shows up on the bill.
- You can see dust or debris at the register openings. Visible buildup at the vents is a sign that the interior of the system is worse. What you see at the opening is only what happens to be close enough to fall out.
Our Full System Cleaning Process
Here is what happens on a full Air Duct Cleaning services job with Hollis Air Duct Pasadena, in order:
- Inspection and written price. Before any equipment comes out of the truck, we inspect the system, show you what we found, and write down a firm price. The number on that sheet does not change when the work starts. That is The Garrison Standard on every job.
- Containment and protection. We lay down protective coverings at every register and seal off work areas to keep the dust we dislodge from entering your living space. Your furniture and floors stay clean.
- Negative-air extraction setup. We connect a Nikro negative-air machine to the system. In plain terms: it pulls a vacuum through the ducts while we work, so loosened debris moves out of your house instead of into it.
- Mechanical agitation and brushing. A Rotobrush rotary brush system runs through the supply and return ducts, scrubbing the interior walls loose from debris the vacuum then removes. This is the same mechanical agitation method commercial crews use on larger buildings.
- Component cleaning: air handler, blower motor, and coils. Ducts alone are not the whole system. We open the air handler, clean the blower motor and fan blades, and remove buildup from the evaporator coil. This step is what separates full system cleaning from a duct-only job. Filtration brands like Aprilaire and Guardsman help keep these components cleaner for longer between services; we explain the difference on site.
- Final walkthrough and report. We show you what came out of the system, confirm every register is clean and replaced properly, and leave the work area as we found it. Every full system cleaning is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it is not done right, we come back and make it right in writing.
Full System Cleaning Pricing in Pasadena
Full system cleaning in Pasadena typically runs between $425 and $850 for a single-family home, depending on the system size, number of registers, and whether the air handler and coils are included. Homes with two separate systems, or systems that have never been cleaned in 10 years or more, can push toward the upper end or slightly past it. The price is set before work begins, and the written estimate is what you pay.
Here is what affects cost on a full system cleaning job:
- Number of supply and return registers. Each register is a point of access that gets cleaned and resealed. More registers mean more labor and more time under vacuum.
- System configuration. A single system in a 1,200-square-foot bungalow is a different job than two systems in a 3,500-square-foot house in Linda Vista or the San Rafael Hills.
- How long since the last cleaning. A system cleaned three years ago requires less work than one untouched since the house was built. Heavy buildup takes more passes to remove.
- Access to the air handler. Some Pasadena homes have air handlers in tight attic spaces or crawl areas that take longer to reach and work in safely.
We never charge a travel fee, and the estimate is free. If the technician finds something outside the scope of the written price, the additional work is quoted in writing and approved by you before anything extra happens. Call (626) 469-5477 for an exact quote on your system.
Why Pasadena Homes Need Full System Cleaning More Than Duct-Only Service
Residential Duct Cleaning that is duct-only leaves the blower, coil, and air handler untouched. In a climate like Pasadena’s, where the system shifts between air conditioning load in the summer and heat load in the winter, those components accumulate debris faster than the duct walls do. The coil is wet during cooling season, and wet surfaces capture dust. The blower motor pulls air across itself constantly when the fan runs. If those parts are not cleaned, the system starts re-contaminating freshly cleaned ducts within months. A full system cleaning addresses the whole path of air movement, not just the highway between rooms.
Older Pasadena housing stock adds another factor. Homes with original or early HVAC retrofits often have duct runs sized or routed in ways that collect debris unevenly. We map the system before we start, so the Return Duct Cleaning covers every branch, not just the main trunk line.
What Full System Cleaning Does for Your Home
- Reduces the particle load in the air you breathe. Less dust, dander, and pollen circulating through the house means less dust settling on surfaces and less inhaled particulate.
- Helps the system run more efficiently. A clean blower and coil move air with less resistance. The system does not have to run as long or work as hard to hit the thermostat setpoint.
- Extends equipment life. Debris on the blower motor and coil forces the system to strain. Removing that buildup reduces wear on components that are expensive to replace.
- Creates a clean baseline. After a full system cleaning, you know exactly what condition the system is in. Future maintenance decisions are easier to make with that information in hand.
FAQs – Full System Cleaning
What is the difference between full system cleaning and regular air duct cleaning?
Full system cleaning includes the ducts plus the air handler, blower motor, evaporator coil, and registers, while a standard duct cleaning covers only the duct runs. The all-in-one service removes buildup from every component air passes through, which is why it is the better choice when the system has never been cleaned or has gone years without service. Call (626) 469-5477 and we will help you decide which service matches your system’s condition.
How long does a full system cleaning take in Pasadena?
Most full system cleaning jobs take 4 to 7 hours, depending on the size of the house, the number of systems, and how much buildup is present. We schedule the work around your day and show up inside the quoted window, with the price written down before we start.
Is full system cleaning worth the cost compared to duct-only cleaning?
For a system that has not been serviced in several years, yes, because the components that move and condition air are where the worst buildup lives. A duct-only cleaning on a system with a dirty blower and coil, without Supply Duct Cleaning, will not solve the problem. Ask us to inspect the components during the free estimate, and we will show you exactly what you are paying to clean.
How much does full system cleaning cost in Pasadena?
Full system cleaning in Pasadena generally falls between $425 and $850 for a typical single-family home, with larger or heavily soiled systems running higher. The exact number is always written down before work begins. Call (626) 469-5477 for a free on-site estimate and a firm written price.
Does Hollis Air Duct Pasadena stand behind the work?
Yes. Every full system cleaning is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If the work is not done right, we return and make it right at no charge, including a free second visit. Call (626) 469-5477 and we will explain exactly what the promise covers on your job.
Ready to Book Your Full System Cleaning?
If your system has not been fully cleaned since it was installed, or if you are seeing dust come back within days of wiping surfaces, it is time to get it looked at. Call (626) 469-5477 and we will schedule a free on-site estimate. The price is written down before any work begins, the crew arrives background-checked and uniformed, and the job is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise. We answer the phone 24/7, so you can reach a live person whenever you are ready to talk about the air moving through your home.
Learn more about what we do on our home page, or see our Air Duct Cleaning in Pasadena page for details on the broader service.
Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Pasadena, serving Pasadena.