Whole-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
AfterAir Duct Cleaning Before & After in Elk Grove Village, IL
We’ve photographed the inside of every duct run on every job since 2013. Not marketing shots, the actual plenum (the main distribution box, where your trunk lines connect) and each branch duct before we touch it and after we leave. Below are real conditions we’ve found in Elk Grove Village homes, with the documentation our customers receive as standard.
Recent Transformations
Heavy Debris Build-Up in 1980s Ranch, Elk Grove Terrace
The camera showed a 2.5-inch debris mat at the first elbow of the main supply trunk, choking airflow to three bedrooms. We used negative-pressure extraction (a large vacuum mounted to the ductwork, pulling debris toward the machine while agitation tools knock it loose) with a Rotobrush contact-vacuum on the fiberglass trunk lines. The after photos showed bare metal at every access point, and the homeowner noted the second-floor registers were finally pushing air at the same velocity as the first floor.
Construction Dust in Newer Build, Grove Manor
This home was built in 2019, but the ducts had never been cleaned after construction. The camera showed fine drywall dust settled in a uniform film across the plenum floor, the kind that bypasses standard filters and recirculates through the HVAC system. We sealed the registers, pressurized the duct run with a Nikro negative-air machine, and ran compressed-air whips through each branch. The photo record showed white dust removed down to the galvanized steel, and the homeowner’s Aprilaire media filter (a pleated high-capacity filter, not the thin disposable type) has been lasting its full rated life since.
Pet Hair Accumulation in Townhome, Biesterfield Commons
Two golden retrievers, eight years of shedding, and the return duct was woven with hair at every joint. The camera showed the hair had formed a mesh that trapped finer particles, creating a 1-inch thick blanket across the return drop. We used a combination of forward and reverse skipper balls (pneumatic tools that crawl through ductwork on compressed air, knocking debris toward the vacuum) with the Abatement Technologies HEPA-filtered collector running continuously. The after documentation showed clean joints and full diameter restored; the homeowner said the musty smell they’d blamed on the dogs’ beds disappeared within 48 hours.
Mold-Prone Ductwork in Split-Level near O’Hare Corridor
This split-level sits in the flight path where summer humidity spikes and winter stack effect (warm air rising, pulling cold air in through lower leaks) creates condensation in the basement return. The camera showed dark staining at the low points of two branch lines, not active growth but the residue of repeated moisture events. We completed full mechanical cleaning first, then applied a Guardsman EPA-registered sanitizer (a non-fogging, coating application that remains active on the duct surface) to the affected runs. The photo record shows the staining removed and the sanitizer’s light residue visible at access points. We also sealed a 3/4-inch gap at the return plenum with mastic, which the homeowner’s HVAC contractor later confirmed had dropped the basement humidity reading by eight points.
Blocked Register in Ranch with Finished Basement, Westgate
The homeowner called because one bedroom was consistently six degrees colder than the thermostat reading. The camera showed the supply register boot (the sheet-metal transition from duct to wall) packed solid with debris that had fallen from the trunk line during a previous owner’s renovation, probably fifteen years prior. The blockage was 14 inches back from the register face, invisible from the room. We cut an access panel in the trunk, extracted the compacted material with a contact vacuum, and sealed the access with a gasketed door. The after photo showed full 6-inch diameter restored, and the homeowner texted a photo of their thermostat two days later: the bedroom was reading within one degree.
Post-Renovation Cleanup in Colonial, Countryside
A full kitchen and second-floor addition had left the existing ductwork loaded with sawdust, insulation fragments, and the occasional drywall screw. The camera showed the plenum floor covered in a half-inch of mixed construction debris, and two branch lines had visible obstructions at the takeoffs (the points where smaller ducts branch from the main trunk). We ran the Nikro system with sequential agitation: first compressed-air whips to break up compacted material, then contact-vacuum passes on the trunk, then reverse skipper balls on each branch. The photo record documented debris removal at six access points, and the homeowner’s general contractor asked for our number for his next Elk Grove Village job.
What You Receive on Every Job
These aren’t cherry-picked cases. Every CleanRun job in Elk Grove Village includes:
- Written price before any work starts - Haven Standard Clause 1, no exceptions, no “call for a quote.”
- Documented Photo Record of every duct run - before and after, delivered as part of your job record, not an upsell.
- 365-Day Done Right Promise - in writing, not subject to manager approval.
- Background-checked, uniformed technicians - Haven Standard Clause 3: Verified Crews, identified by name before arrival.
BeforeAfterWant Results Like These?
Call (224) 344-8881. We’ll answer live, schedule at your convenience, and put a written price in your hands before a single panel comes off. Free Second Opinion on any written estimate from another Elk Grove Village duct cleaner - bring us their number, we’ll put ours next to it.
Written by Tomas Reyes, Owner at CleanRun Air Duct Cleaning Elk Grove Village, serving Elk Grove Village since 2013.