Getting Your Ducks Cleaned

[GoCubsGo]

That is very scary. Over time a copper gas line touching a metal duct will corrode and eventually cause a gas leak that could blow up your home.

Glad you were able to get a qualified person to replace your system.

Me too. I was none too pleased to find my "nest egg" eaten away because something wasn't disclosed and the seller's agent lied about something else (whole house warranty on termite treatment), but in the end, I am glad it was all done. And I didn't go through this summer without a/c.

 

[samiwas]

If you have a newer home you likely have flex ducts running from the main to your registers. Flex duct can't be cleaned by a cleaning service. Many sketch companies will charge you for cleaning the flex even though they can't clean anything other than the main sheet metal duct from the furnace.

I'm curious why flex ducts can't be cleaned? We did have a not-sketch company do our ducts a few months ago. Their tool, which went up the flex ducts, seemed like it was working quite well. And the design of it is exactly what I think would clean flex ducts.

 

[Huntn]

Is there a leak in the duct, I thought that sealed systems don't usually need to be cleaned of mold.

What do you mean by sealed system? My furnace sits in the attic. It sucks in hot humid air and runs it through the AC coils were most of the moisture is removed before the air comes in through the registers. However, during the intervals when the AC is not running, hot humid air works it's way into the ducts that run through the attic. When the AC starts up, that hot air, about 5 seconds of it, blows into the house. So there is moisture up there .

I work in the Hvac field and have done a few duct cleanings. I have a question for you:

What kind of duct work do you have? sheet metal, fiberglass duct board (insulation inside duct), or flex duct?

With bare sheet metal the growth of mold is fairly rare but very easy to clean with light chemical. Fiberglass duct is near impossible to clean and you CANNOT prevent regrowth of mold due to the fiberglass retaining moisture and spores.

If you have a newer home you likely have flex ducts running from the main to your registers. Flex duct can't be cleaned by a cleaning service. Many sketch companies will charge you for cleaning the flex even though they can't clean anything other than the main sheet metal duct from the furnace.

Flexible insulated ducts.

If there was mold in your ducts (its possible) you need to find the cause of the mold. Many times it can be caused by moisture from your ac coils not draining outside.

Here is some reading from the EPA. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airduct.html#Are

Thanks for the advice. I'll check this out. The furnace does have a drain for for water. I have a question, when the AC is running should you see water gathering/draining in the drain pan? Of if I look for water, maybe I should check in the vicinity of the coils to make sure the drain is actually open?

What about spraying a liquid into the intake register while the AC is running with the intent of killing, preventing the growth of mold in the ducts? I am suspicious of this and am kicking myself a bit that I accepted this explanation without doing any research. Is spraying a fungicide into the duct system considered a method of stopping mold growth?

Within months of buying my house there was a smell that was almost deathly. Long, long, story short, there were a few issues. Critters made their way in the crawlspace and made a home. The ducts at some point were replaced but not all ducts were replaced. They used below code ducts and hooked them into existing ducts. The ducts were secured to a gas line and water pipes using consumer-grade zip ties (not code). They were routed like a maze and just wouldn't provide the airflow one would want. The fact that a large circle (duct) was being put into a small circle (duct) there were gaps. Gaps were filled by squeezing the ends together with more zip ties daisy chained together.

In short, I had major issues. Flex duct is not something they wanted to clean. Whether they can is another story because I am not sure. I ended up having them replace all ducts because we didn't know where the stench was coming from and I have asthma. Because of the asthma, allowing anyone to spray anything with the intention of having it "clean out through the AC" sounds absolutely wrong.

The best subscription I have ever paid for is to Angie's List. I cannot recommend it more to anyone. At the very least, it helps me make slightly more informed decisions.

Thanks for your input. It's going to be Angie's list next time. In the mean time I'm wondering if I wasted $500.

It's a trap.

Image

That looks Photoshopped.

 

[MacNut]

What do you mean by sealed system? My furnace sits in the attic. It sucks in hot humid air and runs it through the AC coils were most of the moisture is removed before the air comes in through the registers. However, during the intervals when the AC is not running, hot humid air works it's way into the ducts that run through the attic. When the AC starts up, that hot air, about 5 seconds of it, blows into the house. So there is moisture up there .

I mean are the ducts properly sealed so moisture can't get in. If the joints are not taped more condinsation.

 

[blazerdude20]

I'm curious why flex ducts can't be cleaned? We did have a not-sketch company do our ducts a few months ago. Their tool, which went up the flex ducts, seemed like it was working quite well. And the design of it is exactly what I think would clean flex ducts.

Technically they CAN be cleaned, but most builders who use flex duct use it to save cost. They use the absolute cheapest materials possible, which is prone to tearing during cleaning (has the durability and thickness of a knockoff ziploc bag, lol).

If you don't mind getting dirty and can pull a ziptie replacing flex isn't terribly expensive. Couple hundred bucks for brand new runs.

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Thanks for the advice. I'll check this out. The furnace does have a drain for for water. I have a question, when the AC is running should you see water gathering/draining in the drain pan? Of if I look for water, maybe I should check in the vicinity of the coils to make sure the drain is actually open?

What about spraying a liquid into the intake register while the AC is running with the intent of killing, preventing the growth of mold in the ducts? I am suspicious of this and am kicking myself a bit that I accepted this explanation without doing any research. Is spraying a fungicide into the duct system considered a method of stopping mold growth?

Water in the drain pan is normal unless its not draining out the condensate line (pvc pipe). Water is from the condensation on the a-coil while refrigerant is flowing. If it's not draining it could be overflowing in the furnace and soaking the insulation inside the unit. If this is the case sometimes its just that the pvc just needs to be slopped down.

Many companies will sell services that use the spray only method but to me it seems ineffective on the whole. The way i look at it is like pouring a little soap on your hand and then rinsing your hands off without scrubbing. At the very least you know now that you don't have a huge growth of mold in either the ducts or the furnace.

 

[Huntn]

I mean are the ducts properly sealed so moisture can't get in. If the joints are not taped more condinsation.

There are no joints that I am aware from. A duct run goes from the output on the furnace to the register in the ceiling.

 

[MacNut]

There are no joints that I am aware from. A duct run goes from the output on the furnace to the register in the ceiling.

The other question would be are the ducts properly insulated.

 

[Huntn]

Technically they CAN be cleaned, but most builders who use flex duct use it to save cost. They use the absolute cheapest materials possible, which is prone to tearing during cleaning (has the durability and thickness of a knockoff ziploc bag, lol).

If you don't mind getting dirty and can pull a ziptie replacing flex isn't terribly expensive. Couple hundred bucks for brand new runs.

In the past I've had rigid metal ducts. When we purchased our current house, the flex ducts strung across the attic, looked good to me, and they appear more durable than freezer bags, but what do I know?

Water in the drain pan is normal unless its not draining out the condensate line (pvc pipe). Water is from the condensation on the a-coil while refrigerant is flowing. If it's not draining it could be overflowing in the furnace and soaking the insulation inside the unit. If this is the case sometimes its just that the pvc just needs to be slopped down.

Many companies will sell services that use the spray only method but to me it seems ineffective on the whole. The way i look at it is like pouring a little soap on your hand and then rinsing your hands off without scrubbing. At the very least you know now that you don't have a huge growth of mold in either the ducts or the furnace.

This is the question- is the spray method an anti-fungal solution or just soap? It it's soap, I'm pissed that they would charge $500 for this treatment even with a 2 year warranty. Yes, I realize that in a big way it's my bad for not researching this in advance, but the situation snuck up on me. I had no idea mold was going to come into the picture, they were here and I was getting pressure from my wife, who has alergy problems to take care of this now. When I asked why was the mold treatment so expensive, I was told specifically it was because the expense of the solution they use. This is what I'm wondering about. Thanks!

 

[blazerdude20]

This is the question- is the spray method an anti-fungal solution or just soap? It it's soap, I'm pissed that they would charge $500 for this treatment even with a 2 year warranty. Yes, I realize that in a big way it's my bad for not researching this in advance, but the situation snuck up on me. I had no idea mold was going to come into the picture, they were here and I was getting pressure from my wife, who has alergy problems to take care of this now. When I asked why was the mold treatment so expensive, I was told specifically it was because the expense of the solution they use. This is what I'm wondering about. Thanks!

There is honestly no way for any of us to know with out seeing what they used. lol. It comes down to whether you deem the company to be reputable. If they are a good company it was likely a high quality fungicide that was used.

Is there a deductible on the 2 year warranty? If not maybe you can call them back out to see if the mold is gone (say you're still getting sick often?).

I wouldn't worry about it too much. If they are a well respected company they likely did good work.

 

[Huntn]

There is honestly no way for any of us to know with out seeing what they used. lol. It comes down to whether you deem the company to be reputable. If they are a good company it was likely a high quality fungicide that was used.

Is there a deductible on the 2 year warranty? If not maybe you can call them back out to see if the mold is gone (say you're still getting sick often?).

I wouldn't worry about it too much. If they are a well respected company they likely did good work.

I'm not asking about my circumstances. I'm asking is using anti-fungal sprays dispersed into the intake register of an A.C. system while it is running to kill mold, a known mold treatment (for mold in A.C. ducts)? Thanks!

 

[blazerdude20]

I'm not asking about my circumstances. I'm asking is using anti-fungal sprays dispersed into the intake register of an A.C. system while it is running to kill mold, a known mold treatment (for mold in A.C. ducts)? Thanks!

I'll try not to ramble.

Yes, fungicide (anti-fungal) is a known treatment. The effectiveness of this method is being debated by the EPA and private groups.