Get your ducts cleaned and use a furnace filter rated to remove allergens. The filter has made a big difference in our household air. They cost more and I change it every 3 months

Duct cleaning can be a racket because any dust or small pieces should be blown out when the fan is on, no different from being sucked out if a vacuum is put on the duct. Many good contractors don't do it and recommend against it.

Debris can often be removed by hand. Pieces of crap in floor boots can be removed by hand and smaller pieces with a canister vac, by removing the grill. Most grills just sit in place and aren't fastened. A problem with a rough duct cleaning is that it can disturb and loosen connections.

Be careful about putting too restrictive a filter in, it's not a good idea. Filters that restrict airflow will put a strain on the blower motor and can lead to early failures. Go with the recommendation of an HVAC technician who you should have (or should have had) assess the equipment since you've moved into a new place.

Good luck to your husband.

Yes had ducts cleaned after moving and increased allergy problems. Yes it helped. It decreased my snot production and increased my overall outlook at the fall allergy season.

We had a new furnace and new central air put in before we moved in. I think the previous owner(s) had pets because the carpet was disgustingly stained. We have pets and I know their hair probably has gone in the vents as well.

There is a special filter on the furnace - my husband deals with those things so I'm really not sure what it is.

From what I've read, it won't be cheap - depending on how many vents there are. I hate to waste money but if it will help him then I don't care what it costs. Glad to hear it helped you Moni!

If you do have it done one thing that some companies do not do is to seal where the pieces of ductwork are joined. Without sealing it would be like running a vacuum cleaner with holes in the tube. Dust escapes and the amount of suction is poor. Both of which means lots of small stuff all over and stuff that is missed by which ever type of scrubber that is used is still there. Better to look at a couple of the joints to see than take their word for it.

Don't understand Elmer's "debris can often be removed by hand". You evidently have longer arms than I do. ;) A little vac wouldn't do much good

with all the duct work involved from basement furnace to upstairs and all

around the house. And, FYI...if you hire a reputable worker, here anyway,

they check all the connections during the process. Not sure where Elmer

lives, though.

We had the ducts cleaned, didn't make much difference. We started using a HEPA allergy filter (changed once a month during air conditioner or heater usage) and it does help.

uptown gal, sorry if my comment was unclear.

"Things" often fall into floor registers. The register usually lifts off, sometimes with a bit of tugging. The boot is shallow, maybe about 18 inches or less. A small hand can often reach into one. Otherwise, a grabber, two sticks chopstick style or with a sticky substance should provide easy removal of the larger stuff. The hose end of a vacuum will also easily fit in to clean out dirt and other small pieces of debris.

It's unlikely that there's anything larger than dirt/dust sized debris in horizontal ducts and certainly nothing in vertical runs.

If there's dust and dirt in the ducts, much of it gets blown out when the fan is on. A clean and frequently replaced filter(s) will keep more from circulating through.

A house that was unoccupied for a year and previously had pets probably needs a very serious and very deep and thorough cleaning, It sounds like a dust mite's heaven. I'd suspect that to be the allergy problem and not the duct work. I'd consider removing or replacing any wall to wall carpeting

Just a few years ago, I had three HVAC contractors, bidding on a 5-figure equipment replacement project, all advise me against having duct cleaning done, saying it was a waste of money and not needed. All said in one way or another that the money was better spent mastic sealing all ducts and all connections. We did that and it seems to have made a noticeable difference.

You can see it however you want to and have whatever view works for you. Good luck in any event.

I wonder if there could be hidden mold somewhere. Perhaps they had a leak at one time.

It just occurred to me, that my allergies have been worse this summer than in years and years. It's also been an unusually wet summer. Connection or coincidence, I don't know. It's getting better now (that Fall is here?). Allergies can be so hard to trace. Just thinking that your move to a new house might not be "the" cause of your husband's current allergy flare up.

My post hasn't been any help at all to you, has it -- just like so many allergy doctors appointments I've sat through -- LOL. But, good luck, it's bound to get better.

Yes. My HVAC techs recommended a company. It was $500 which is to be expected to have it done right. I watched many scam videos on YouTube about it and never trust the companies that say starting price at $49.99. Some even less.

They came out with a big truck that had a vacuum system. They did an excellent job. I could hear so much debris coming out of the ducts. As most said above from construction.

Most likely I won’t have it done again since the bulk of debris is gone. I can’t say I noticed a difference but have piece of mind the original building debris is gone.

Our contractor had the ducts cleaned before we moved into our house. How useful that was...I don't know.

What has helped is the Aprilaire cleaner on the furnace blower. We also have a drip-through humidifier on the furnace. The medium dries completely between activations; there's no mold growth. The air cleaner has a 6" thick filter that the HVAC tech changes during spring and fall maintenance. With a central vacuum, everything is sucked into the canister in the basement; DH replaces that bag four times a year. We have all hardwood flooring with wool orientals and minimal window treatments.