Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Apex Clean Air?
Apex Clean Air is a family-owned HVAC and indoor air quality company founded in 2010, serving Salt Lake City, Denver, Colorado Springs, and Boise. We provide heating, cooling, air duct cleaning, and air quality testing, with indoor air quality treated as a core service rather than an add-on. The questions below cover what homeowners most often ask us.
Salt Lake City HVAC & Air Quality FAQs
Straight answers to what Wasatch Front homeowners ask us most.
About Apex Clean Air
Apex Clean Air is a family-owned residential HVAC and indoor air quality company founded in 2010. We provide heating, cooling, air duct cleaning, and air quality services across four markets: Salt Lake City, Denver, Colorado Springs, and Boise. What sets us apart is that indoor air quality is a core service, not an add-on.
Apex Clean Air operates four locations: Salt Lake City, Utah (3855 S 500 W, Ste C); Denver, Colorado (6401 Broadway, Unit L); Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Boise, Idaho (6060 Corporal Ln). Each location has its own local team, phone line, and service area.
Apex Clean Air has been serving homeowners since 2010 — more than 15 years. We started in Salt Lake City and have since grown to four markets across Utah, Colorado, and Idaho while remaining family-owned.
Yes. Apex Clean Air is fully licensed and insured in every state we operate in, and every technician is background-checked and certified. All work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Apex Clean Air serves Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front in Utah, Denver and Colorado Springs in Colorado, and Boise and the Treasure Valley in Idaho. Each market covers its surrounding metro and counties — visit your local location page for the full list of cities served.
Indoor air quality is a core service at Apex, not an upsell. Most HVAC companies fix the equipment and stop there; we treat your home as one system, inspecting ductwork, filtration, and airflow on every visit, and we test air quality with lab analysis rather than guessing.
Yes. Apex Clean Air has been family-owned since it was founded in 2010, and that ownership still shapes how we operate — whole-system service, upfront pricing, and recommendations based on what your home actually needs.
Air Duct Cleaning
Most homes benefit from air duct cleaning every 3 to 5 years. Homes with pets, smokers, allergy sufferers, or recent renovation should shorten that to every 2 to 3 years. In climates with heavy seasonal particulate — inversions, wildfire smoke, or agricultural dust — the shorter interval usually applies.
Air duct cleaning is worth it when there is measurable buildup in the system, and not worth it when there isn’t. That’s why Apex inspects with a camera and shows you what’s actually in your ducts before quoting. Homes that genuinely need it see reduced settled dust, improved airflow, and fewer allergy symptoms indoors.
A typical single-family home takes three to five hours, depending on square footage, the number of supply and return lines, and system condition. Larger homes or systems with heavy buildup take longer. We give you a time estimate before starting.
Air duct cleaning cost depends on your home’s square footage, the number of vents and returns, and the condition of the system. Apex provides an upfront, itemized quote before any work begins — with no surprise per-vent charges added afterward. Ask about current specials and financing when you schedule.
Professional air duct cleaning at Apex includes a camera inspection of the system, negative-pressure source removal on the full duct network, mechanical agitation of each branch line, and cleaning of the blower, evaporator coil, and plenum. You also get post-clean verification footage and honest filter recommendations.
Yes, when it’s done as source removal rather than surface vacuuming. Proper duct cleaning places the full system under negative pressure while agitating the interior of each line, which removes accumulated debris instead of redistributing it. A vacuum at the register alone does not.
Yes, in most homes with accumulated buildup. When your duct system holds years of settled dust, every heating and cooling cycle recirculates some of it into your rooms. Removing that material at the source measurably reduces how quickly dust returns to surfaces.
Dirty air ducts can contribute to respiratory irritation, allergy symptoms, and aggravated asthma, especially when they harbor dust, pollen, pet dander, or mold. They are rarely the sole cause of illness, but they can worsen existing sensitivities by recirculating irritants through your home.
Common signs your ducts need cleaning include dust returning to surfaces within a day or two of cleaning, uneven airflow between rooms, a musty smell when the system starts, visible debris around registers, and allergy symptoms that improve when you leave the house.
Only if testing or inspection confirms microbial growth. Sanitizing is not a default add-on at Apex. If we find evidence of mold or heavy biological activity, we’ll explain what we found and what treatment would address it — otherwise, cleaning alone is enough.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality testing measures what is actually circulating in your home rather than estimating it. Apex collects air and surface samples for lab analysis through Sporecyte, which screens for 287 mold types, and records PM2.5, VOCs, carbon monoxide, and humidity on site, plus ATP surface swabs for biological activity.
Indoor air quality matters because people spend roughly 90% of their time indoors, where pollutant levels are often several times higher than outside. Poor indoor air can trigger allergies, aggravate asthma, and expose your household to particulate, mold, and volatile organic compounds you can’t see or smell.
Common signals include persistent dust shortly after cleaning, allergy or asthma symptoms that improve when you leave the house, musty odors when the system runs, visible debris around vents, and uneven airflow. Testing removes the guesswork by identifying what’s present before you spend on a solution.
A filter captures particles that pass through it; a whole-home purifier treats the air itself. The RGF HALO-LED system Apex installs uses advanced oxidation to reduce airborne and surface contaminants throughout the duct system, addressing gases, odors, and microbes a media filter cannot capture.
A whole-home air purifier is a device installed directly in your ductwork that treats all the air moving through your HVAC system, rather than a single room. It runs whenever your system circulates air, continuously reducing particulate, microbes, and odors throughout the house.
Yes, significantly. Wildfire smoke particulate is generally under one micron — small enough to pass through standard one-inch filters and settle into carpet, ductwork, and your HVAC coil. Once inside, it recirculates every time your system runs, often for months after the outdoor haze clears.
MERV, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, rates how effectively an air filter captures particles, on a scale from 1 to 20. Higher numbers capture smaller particles, but a filter too dense for your blower can restrict airflow, so the right MERV rating depends on your specific system, not simply the highest number.
Yes. Airborne dust, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and fine particulate are common asthma and allergy triggers, and they concentrate indoors when a home is sealed against heat or cold. Improving filtration, cleaning ductwork, and adding purification can meaningfully reduce symptom triggers.
A whole-home humidifier is a device integrated into your furnace and ductwork that maintains stable humidity throughout the house, typically 35 to 45%. In dry climates it protects hardwood, trim, and finishes, reduces static and dry-sinus discomfort, and makes the same thermostat setting feel warmer.
Germicidal UV lights help by suppressing microbial growth at the HVAC coil, where moisture collects and mold or bacteria can develop. They are most effective as part of a broader air quality strategy alongside filtration and, where needed, duct cleaning — not as a standalone fix.
Heating
You should have your furnace professionally serviced once a year, ideally in the fall before heating season. Annual maintenance keeps the system running efficiently, maintains most manufacturer warranties, and catches worn components like ignitors and capacitors before they cause a no-heat failure in cold weather.
A well-maintained furnace typically lasts 15 to 20 years. Lifespan depends on usage, installation quality, and maintenance history. Systems that skip regular service, or that were oversized or undersized at installation, tend to fail earlier.
Consider replacing your furnace when it’s over 15 years old, needs a repair costing more than about half the price of a new unit, or has required frequent repairs in recent seasons. Rising energy bills and uneven heating are also signs the system is losing efficiency.
Signs your furnace needs repair include uneven heating between rooms, unusual noises like banging or squealing, a yellow rather than blue burner flame, frequent cycling on and off, rising energy bills, and weak airflow from the vents. A sudden loss of heat warrants a same-day service call.
A heat pump is a system that both heats and cools by moving heat rather than generating it, making it highly efficient. Modern cold-climate heat pumps work well in the Mountain West, and whether one suits your home depends on your climate, existing ductwork, and energy goals — our team can assess your specific situation.
You may need a new heating system if your furnace is over 15 years old, heating bills are climbing, some rooms never get comfortable, repairs are becoming frequent, or the system can’t keep up during cold snaps. A diagnostic visit can confirm whether repair or replacement makes more financial sense.
Yes. At elevation, thinner air reduces furnace combustion efficiency and air conditioner capacity — roughly 15% lower at Salt Lake City’s 4,300 feet and about 17% at Denver’s 5,280 feet. Equipment must be derated for altitude during sizing, or a system that looks correct on paper will underperform.
Cooling
You should service your air conditioner once a year, ideally in spring before cooling season. Annual maintenance restores efficiency, extends equipment life, maintains warranty coverage, and catches issues like low refrigerant or a weak capacitor before they cause a mid-summer breakdown.
A well-maintained air conditioner typically lasts 12 to 17 years. Lifespan depends on usage, climate, installation quality, and maintenance. Skipping annual service, or running a unit low on refrigerant, shortens that lifespan considerably.
An AC that runs but doesn’t cool is commonly caused by a dirty air filter, low refrigerant from a leak, a frozen evaporator coil, a failing capacitor, or blocked condenser coils. Some of these are quick fixes and others indicate a larger problem, so a diagnostic visit identifies the exact cause.
Consider replacing your air conditioner when it’s over 12 to 15 years old, uses R-22 refrigerant (which is being phased out), needs a repair costing more than about half a new unit, or struggles to keep your home comfortable. Rising energy bills often signal declining efficiency.
Signs your AC needs repair include warm air from the vents, weak airflow, unusual noises, short cycling, water or refrigerant leaks around the unit, and a sudden jump in energy bills. Warm air during a heat wave warrants a same-day service call.
An air conditioner freezes up most often due to restricted airflow from a dirty filter or blocked return, low refrigerant from a leak, or a dirty evaporator coil. Running a frozen unit can damage the compressor, so it’s best to shut it off and schedule a diagnostic.
Comfort Club & Maintenance
The Apex Comfort Club is our annual maintenance membership. It includes two scheduled seasonal tune-ups a year — one for heating and one for cooling — plus priority scheduling when systems fail, member discounts on repairs, and no overtime charges on service calls. It’s available in all four markets.
An HVAC maintenance plan is worth it for most homeowners who would otherwise skip regular service. Consistent tune-ups extend equipment life, maintain manufacturer warranty requirements, and catch failing parts before they cause an emergency — and the priority scheduling matters most during peak season, when wait times are longest.
An HVAC tune-up includes inspecting and cleaning key components, checking refrigerant levels and electrical connections, testing safety controls, measuring airflow, and identifying worn parts before they fail. The goal is to restore efficiency and prevent breakdowns rather than simply confirm the system turns on.
HVAC systems should be professionally maintained twice a year — heating in the fall and cooling in the spring. Between visits, homeowners should change filters regularly, typically every one to three months depending on the filter and household.
Yes. Regular HVAC maintenance saves money by keeping systems running efficiently, which lowers energy bills, and by catching small problems before they become expensive emergency repairs or premature replacements. It also preserves manufacturer warranties that often require documented annual service.
Pricing, Financing & Scheduling
Yes. Apex offers flexible financing through Synchrony and GoodLeap, with terms ranging from 18 to 120 months and options across a range of credit profiles. Financing is available in all four markets and can be applied to repairs, replacements, and indoor air quality upgrades.
Yes. Same-day HVAC repair is available in most areas across all four markets, including evenings and weekends. Call your local office directly and our dispatch team will give you the earliest available appointment window.
You can schedule service by calling your local Apex Clean Air office or filling out the form on your location’s page. Choose your market — Salt Lake City, Denver, Colorado Springs, or Boise — to reach the team that serves your area.
Apex provides upfront pricing before any work begins, and offers a free diagnostic on repairs where the service fee is waived if the repair is completed at the time of service. Ask about current specials when you schedule, as offers can vary by market and season.
Yes. Apex offers a free second opinion on furnace and AC repairs and replacements, backed by a 10% best-price guarantee. If another company has quoted you major work, it’s worth having us take a look before you commit.
Yes. Apex runs seasonal specials that often include offers like a free furnace with a qualifying high-efficiency AC purchase, discounts on duct cleaning and air purification, and free diagnostics. Current offers are listed on our Specials page and can vary by market.
At Apex, technicians give you your results and explain what they mean. If a finding points to a service that would genuinely help, we explain it and give you a price — and if it doesn’t, we tell you that instead. Recommendations follow inspection findings, not a sales script.
Join Thousands of Satisfied Customers
See why homeowners across Utah, Colorado, and Idaho trust Apex Clean Air with their home’s air.
- Fast Response: Same-day service available in most areas.
- Trusted Experts: Certified HVAC and air quality specialists.
- Transparent Pricing: No surprises, upfront quotes.
- Guaranteed Work: Backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
- Flexible Financing: Offering solutions that fit your budget.
- Peace Of Mind: Knowing your home is in good hands.