The Weirdest Things I've Ever Found Inside HVAC Ductwork
Scott Systems Inc.
870-536-9449
The Weirdest Things You’d Never Believe Duct Cleaners Have Discovered in Your Duct Work
Ever wonder why your ducts may not be “bringing the heat” they used to? There could be several reasons, but one of the biggest is clogged ducks. You’d be as shocked as we are to hear about some of the strangest things we’ve found that seem to make their way down the vents.
By the way – it may not be your own kids, if you’ve purchased a re-sale home, you’ll never know if previous owners had curious children who thought vents were a great, secret storage space, especially cold air returns as often shown in the movies.
Surprisingly, even in new home construction, we are often called for duct cleaning only to discover that new ducts don’t necessarily mean clean ducts.
Here’s our list that will make you wonder “what in the world”?
stuff the cat swats down the vent that you don’t know about
stuff the kids throw down the vent (much like the toilet) that you don’t know about
baby & toddler items, pacifiers, food (cheerios, goldfish crackers anything that can fit in a child’s fist and be flung) especially at the grandparents’ house
tennis balls, rubber balls, Nerf balls, laundry balls
plastic bags, wrappers of all kinds
socks & underwear, towels & rags (even a full-size flag)
small dead: pets, reptiles & rodents (mice & rats especially) don’t put the traps too close to the vent
small alive critters – birds especially in the outdoor exhaust for the dryer vents; a kitten was lost and was found down the ductwork, eyes peering back at them – was retrieved successfully but not easily.
human and animal feces & urine residential buildings (it’s true this is a stunt my nephew pulled because he was told he couldn’t leave his room)
human and animal feces & urine commercial buildings – homeless or contractors, one technician found a bed and table in a large commercial vent
dirty magazines, love letters, novels, books
jewelry which has fallen in ductwork or for safekeeping in a cold air return, coin collections
pieces of drywall & metal, leftover construction debris
nails, screws, tacks
rolls of partially-used duct tape
candy: Smarties, jelly beans, M&Ms, Skittles, gum
food: sandwiches, bananas
children’s toys: marbles, Lego, army men, Barbie doll, even an RC helicopter was found
craft supplies
contraband (teenager or dealers), weapons (apparently a crazy ex-boyfriend)
We use a special unit that loosens the debris from the sides of the vents from the bottom up, then a specialized powerful industrial unit to pull the loose debris into the holding bin. We also suction the fine silt and sediment that settles at the bottom of the cold air returns, such that it doesn’t blow up and around when the furnace comes on.
Have you ever noticed you or your children sneezing when the furnace comes on? Especially if you have pets, lots of people living in the house or the previous owners, and the people before that may have never had the ducts cleaned, now is likely a good time!
Weird smell? Could be a dead thing, mold, or mildew. As for an IAQ test (indoor air quality test)! Get real results.
Not only do we clean your ducts, cold air returns & laundry vents, we also use a medical grade all-natural disinfectant that kills, bacteria, viruses, mold, fungus, insects, fleas & dust mites, so you can sleep easier at night knowing the air you breathe in your home (11 times/minute) is fresh & pure.
Some people don’t see the value of duct cleaning, but if you have a child with allergies, you already know it’s essential to keep as clean of an air environment as you possibly can.
Have a room that’s always too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer? There is either something clogging the vents or improper calibration of the dampers on the initial install of the venting system or oftentimes, and how the flow is balanced – sending too much air to one room and not enough to others.
You would also be amazed at how much easier the air flows when ducts are cleaned and or balanced, so air can get up to top floors (balancing of the dampers is a separate service, so be sure to state your situation at the time of inquiry).
Call us for all your HVAC needs!
