I was reading Jim Wheeler's article about cleaning air ducts and was wondering about other opinions on that process. I have a problem with soot at the junctures of all the walls and ceiling which has probably come from the former owner's use of candles and fireplace. I was planning on cleaning the air ducts before I cleaned the soot before I painted. Any opnions?

Angel,
When soot begins accumulating on walls and ceilings, the cause could be a number of things, not the least of which is drafting problems with the fireplace/chimney itself. I don't know how long you have been in the house, but you did reference the former owner. I assume the home was inspected prior to the sale, but it's important to recognize that most home inspections to not include a very thorough inspection of the fireplace and chimney. It is highly recommended that all chimney and venting appliances (such as the fireplace) be professionally inspected annually to ensure proper, safe and efficient operation. A Certified Chimney Sweep can easily do this for you, and he/she will be able to determine the origin of the soot accumulation (and fix it if needed). A resource for finding an accurate and up-to-date listing of certified technicians in your area is online at http://www.csia.org. I hope this is of some help. Good luck to you.

Thanks Mark I appreciate the feedback. Actually I have been in the house for 5 years and haven't used the fireplace at all, nor do I intend to. I have also had the cold air returns moved down near the floor since they were on the ceiling with the heat ducts! They indicated that I had "too much" air return so that may have been the cause of the soot. I have my furnace serviced twice a year and they keep blaming candles! I am just trying to cover all my basis before I clean the air ducts and finally paint the interior something besides white!
Thanks, Sandy

I also have a black sooty like residue on my walls, windows, and blinds, where there is a furnace vent. I cleaned everything when I moved in 2 yrs ago, a neighbor told me the prev. owner burned a lot of candles. I burn a candle every now & then, but I feel the problem may be the furnace ducts. I change filters frequently and they are horrible. I am afraid this may be a health hazzard, would having the ducts cleaned solve the problem or is it a more serious matter?

Have all your ducts, furnace,blower and evaporator coil cleaned. Have the contractor pay close attention to the return ducting. Air velocities are low in this region of the system and dirt tends to accumulate on the walls of the return and return plenum. This is typical of older homes where years of neglect have allowed this problem to propagate. True, candles or any source of open flame can cause this sort of problem but undoubtedly you have other issues. In the winter most furnaces run at a lower speed. When summer comes and the air conditioning is turned on the blower moves to a higher speed dislodging dirt from the ducting walls. Also, change your air filter frequently. You can never change one to often.

One more thing and perhaps the most important. Have your furnace chambers inspected for cracks. Also have the burners inspected and cleaned if necessary. Trash in, on,or around the chambers or gas orifices can cause a very rich, carbonous flame causing soot to accumulate in the exhaust vent. When this happens the vent eventually becomes blocked to a point where fumes and sooty matter roll out into the home causing exactly what you describe. This could be a very serious IAQ issue as well as being hazardous to all occupants.