What’s In Your Air Ducts?

A few months ago, we talked about some of the stranger things we’ve found in air ducts. It turns out, there’s plenty more where that came from. We’re constantly surprised by the strange things we’ve found while cleaning out people’s air ducts. You will be, too. Let’s take a look.

1. Concrete

On one job, we found that the air vent was being obstructed by a large piece of concrete. I’m not kidding. The thing weighed several pounds and was ten inches in size. We honestly have no idea how it got in there, but it was a significant block for the air flow of the house. Removing it really improved their HVAC’s performance.

2. Fiberglass Insulation

Fiberglass is very useful as an insulation and provides a lot of benefits. It also comes with a lot of hazards. Among those hazards are breathing problems if the particles get into your lungs. It can cause irritation in the throat, pain in the nasal passage, and breathing difficulty. It is also suspected to be a cancer risk, though this is still being investigated. This is why we make sure to keep it inaccessible to people in their homes.

This is also why it was so bad when we found it in their air ducts. The customer in question had been complaining about their asthma for some time when we came to clean the ducts. Finding broken bits of fiberglass insulation in the ducts explained the problem. Once it was removed and the ducts cleaned, their breathing problems were significantly improved.

3. Winter Gloves

Yup, winter gloves. Again, we’re not sure how they got in the air ducts, but there you are. Several pairs of winter gloves that had been missing for a couple of years. They needed a good cleaning after we pulled them out, but they were still usable.

4. Toothbrushes and Floss

Dental hygiene is very important. You spend a lot of time trying to teach kids about it. Then they drop their toothbrushes and floss on the ground and don’t bother to pick it up. It gets kicked around, or picked up by the pets. At some point, it gets dropped in an open vent. That’s probably how they got in there, anyway.

5. Construction Tools

It’s always a good idea to have your air ducts cleaned after you have construction done, or after a house is first finished. Some construction companies will clean the vents themselves, or hire someone to do it for them, but a lot don’t. In one particular case, a construction company hired us to clean up the ducts after they were done and we found some of their tools in the vents. A tape measure and a wrench to be specific. The crew hadn’t even noticed they were missing yet, since every tool bag has at least a couple, so there are plenty of spares.

Older Homes Have More Problems With Air Ducts

One common thing we’re finding with this is that it’s more common in older homes. Older homes tend to have larger vents and ducts, making it easier to fit things in them. The vent covers may have larger gaps as well, making it easier to stick or drop things through, whether on purpose or by accident. You’ll also see this a lot with kids, who are curious and like to explore. Oftentimes, they stick things into vents just to see what happens and then forget about them.

Get Your Air Ducts Cleaned Today!

Whether old or new, cleaning your ducts is important. It’s not something you need to do regularly, but that just makes it easier to forget. When was the last time you had your ducts cleaned? If you can’t remember, then it’s probably been too long. Once every 2-3 years is the recommendation for cleaning. If you haven’t had it done recently, get in touch with us and we’ll take care of it for you. We have the best tools to clean out your air ducts without damaging them. You’ll be glad you called us after!