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Got Rusted Out Vents?
Why is my ductwork rusting?
The rusting of air vents, including floor vents, can be attributed to several factors, primarily involving moisture exposure. If there are high humidity levels or water intrusion within the ventilation system, it can lead to the development of rust over time. This holds true for floor vents as well. Additionally, poor ventilation and inadequate insulation may contribute to condensation, accelerating the corrosion process on both air and floor vents. Regular maintenance, addressing leaks promptly, and ensuring proper ventilation can help mitigate the risk of rust formation, preserving the efficiency and longevity of your HVAC system.
Here’s something that we frequently see when cleaning air ducts in older buildings.
In a specific example, this heating vent is located in a store on the Danforth, near the front door. It was totally rusted out to the point where almost no air was coming out of the vent. There was a gaping hole in the pipe underneath that was serving it.Understanding what causes rust on air vents, including floor vents, is crucial for implementing effective preventive measures.
If you have air ducts like these in need of repair, contact us at City Duct Cleaning for a free estimate on our professional air duct cleaning services.
Another common thing we see while visiting older homes has to do with the return air vent right near the front door… the metal inside is often rotted out because over the years shoes and wet boots have been placed on the grill, causing the metal to rust out over time.
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“The duct cleaning procedure in a Toronto area home starts with a visual inspection of your heating and air duct system.”
How to fix rusted ductwork?
If you’re dealing with rusted HVAC ducts, follow these steps for effective rust removal and repair. Identify rust in air vents, particularly if your system is showing signs of being rusted out. Address rust on AC vents promptly to prevent further damage. We can fix this for you, and this will help to make your HVAC system much more energy efficient. Repairing rusted out duct connector pipes and the metal boots will also make your home much more comfortable. And when you happen to look in, the metal will be shiny and new again!
After you have replaced any rusted ductwork in your home, you may want to consider sealing the system as needed. Sealing your home’s ductwork saves money, energy and your health. Find out why and how in this short video.
Also read: Dryer Vent and Air Duct Cleaning Testimonials
Also read: Dryer Lint Traps – Everything You Need to Know
Also read: 4 Ways Dirty Air Ducts Can Make You Sick
Indoor Air Pollution
There are two main types of air pollution;
1. Particulates (air pollutants that have mass) dust, dander, pollen and cigarette smoke.
2. Volatile Organic Compoundes (VOC’s) which are gases from chemicals that are released into the air by various household materials and liquiteds.
Some sources can be included but not limited too are:
1. Carpets – may emit VOC’s, trap dust, home for microbial organisms
2. Cigarette Smoke – Contains 40 know carcinogens
3. Dry-Cleaned Clothing – may emit chemical used in the dry-cleaning process
4. Furniture – pressed wood may emit formaldehyde
5. Household Dust – most dust is too small to see
6. Mattresses & Pillows – homes for dust mites, trap dust
7. Pets – shed dander, carry bacteria, odors
8. Stuffed Toys – trap dust, may emit VOC’s
9. Air Ducts – can contain molds
10. Wall Paper – mold and mildew can form between paper and walls
11. Air Freshners – may emit VOC’s
12. Household Cleaners – may emit VOC’s
13. Personal Care Products – may emit VOC’s
14. Toilets – source of odors and mold
15. Showers & Tubs – mold and mildew
16. Cabinets – pressed wood may emit formaldehyde
17. Plants – source of pollen and dust, home for microbial organisms
18. Upholstery & Drapes – trap dust and odors
19. Wood Stoves / Fireplaces – product fly ash and smoke
20. Radon Daughters – The radioactive decay products of naturally occuring radon gas that can become attached to airbore dust particles.
Air Duct Cleaning Is Energy Efficient
Most people clean their air ducts to improve the quality of air in their home. Not a bad idea at all if you ask me as an air duct cleaning business owner and overall lover of clean air. What many people do not know is that you can improve your energy efficiency as part of the process. All you need to do is choose the right company and they should assist you in this process. Here are a few ways the right duct cleaning company can help.
When your technician is making his way around your home during the duct cleaning process he can spot all sorts of things that will help you and your energy usage. The first is what is called a boot connection seal. This is where your ductwork meets the floor register. Around each of those connections is typically a small gap. Sometimes the gap is as small as an eighth of an inch. Keep in mind that even if it is that small and it is at every register you will eventually end up with something equivalent to a several inch gap in your system. Not only does that reduce the energy efficiency of your system but it also pulls in large amounts of dust outside the living space of your home. The best thing your cleaning company can do is seal these gaps with a caulk or expanding foam product. Duct tape works well, too. You will love the difference.
The other energy savings comes at the spot of your filter. This time we’re not talking about gaps but the quality of your filter. If you have a lesser quality filter that tends to clog sooner rather than later it might be a good idea to make a change. The reason for this is not to have just another thing to sell you but it just makes sense. For starters when your system’s filtration is clogged, your system must work harder and longer to get the air to where it needs to go. This will shorten the life of your furnace as well as increase your energy bill. You can still use the cheap filters if you like but just make sure they are changed on a regular basis. No one likes a clogged filter, especially your furnace.
Your air duct cleaning company should be able to help you with both of these potential energy hogs. If they are not able to help then you probably chose the wrong company. If that is the case you can make these suggestions to your service provider or even handle the work yourself.
Birds Nesting In Your Exhaust Ducts
Birds nesting in your exhaust ducts, particularly the issue of bird in dryer vents are a fairly common occurrence in the Toronto area. Every exhaust vent leading to the outside of your home needs to have some kind of bird screening for dryer vent either over it or inside it to protect your systems and your home.
There is a new type of exhaust ventilation duct cover on the market that we have had a lot of success with, especially when dealing with the challenge of how to remove birds from exhaust vent and this is a really good idea.
It is made of heavy duty plastic so it will not rust, and it can be easily opened by any human who can reach it. This will allow for cleaning of those exhaust systems at any time in the future. Additionally, it serves as an effective solution for addressing the issue of bird in air duct.
Being able to open it in this way is good because most exterior exhaust grills are caulked in place, or screwed to a brick wall with plugs. That’s ok when they are there, but once you remove it, as we normally have to do to clean out the pipe, it is just that much harder to re-install. But these new screens make it so easy!
Birds nesting in your exhaust systems can cause huge problems for your home ducts. Sometimes you can hear them chirping while you are inside the home, and you know at that point you will be having some kind of problem. Bird nests really stink, too. They piss and shit inside your pipes and you just do not want to have this in your house. Bird nest in kitchen exhaust and bathroom fan vent can exacerbate these issues.
The nests can also block your venting systems, and this is not a good thing either. Check all the exhaust openings on your home. For your own good and that of your family, you need to make sure these are all protected with some kind of screen to keep birds out of vent.
These cages we’re talking about are easily visible but they look good. Some vents have screening inside them, and the screen cannot easily be seen from the outside. Be careful when installing screening inside your own air vents. Do not use a window screen, especially on a dryer exhaust vent. A window screen is too fine. You should be using 1/4″ chicken wire. This is way less likely to get clogged with lint.
If you have birds in your exhaust vents already, you could try to remove them yourself, but this is not always easy to do without the special equipment that we use to remove birds nest from vents.
We have been to a customer’s home recently who had a previous duct cleaner in to remove a bird’s nest. He took one out and they thought that was good, but the homeowner later discovered that she still had a problem.
She called us this time, and when we arrived we found two additional nests in that same pipe. We had to remove the custom screen he had sold her. It was a total custom job and he really didn’t do a bad job installing the screen… only he didn’t clean out the pipe properly. And he obviously did not check the air flow through the pipe once he thought he was done cleaning it. That’s what happens when your air duct cleaner shows up in his Honda Civic with only a shop vac. He borrowed a coat hanger from the homeowner and borrowed a ladder from the neighbor.
This happens many, many times. In some cases we are the 3rd or 4th company that some home owners call in to their dryer ducts cleaning. One lady spent well over $1000 on other duct cleaners before she finally got us there, and of course, we cleaned her dryer duct system perfectly!
It is strange that none of the other guys even brought a ladder even though she did mention on the phone that her exhaust vent is on the 2nd floor. Hmmm… and nobody else used an air snake, either.
We have said it many times, and this still applies… we are the problem solvers when it comes who to call to get rid of birds in dryer vent. You will not save money by calling the cheapest company you can find.
Our pricing is reasonable but is not guaranteed to be the cheapest out there. We will do the job right or we will come back and do it again for free. If you need this problem solved, contact us first!
Also read : 3 Reasons for Routine Dryer Vent Cleaning
Is this MY Washroom?
What you can’t see, can definitely hurt you.
This is a typical washroom exhaust duct, which has not been duct cleaned for years.
The air won’t exhaust properly, causing the washroom to smell and the duct motor, duct housing and duct exhaust run will get clogged!!!
If you want to save money and have your exhaust ducts work efficiently, call City Duct Cleaning for a professional cleaning.
If you live in a condo, you may find that your washroom exhaust is actually served by the laundry exhaust fan. If this is the case, then the entire system will be cleaned all at once. But if your system is not configured that way, it is still cost-effective to also have us clean out your dryer vent system at the same time while our equipment is there.
It is not relevant what floor you live on. To clean these systems we use a portable electric vacuum system and also use compressed air. We run an air hose from our truck up to whatever floor you live on, that way we will be cleaning your system with high pressure air from the truck… way better than you could get from any portable system.
Watch this video to learn more about bathroom cleaning and maintenance problems you could encounter if your ventilation fan gets a little dusty. Sometimes all you need is a good cleaning to improve the longevity of your bathroom appliances and if that’s the case, then what you waiting for?
Cleaning your washroom exhaust fan regularly would definitely help with the overall indoor air quality of your home. But it might be a good idea to remove the cover and vacuum the fan and the housing before trying to blow the thing.
Also, if you can remove the fan, usually this is fairly simple and requires taking one or two screws, then you can clean off the blades of the fan and stick your blower inside the now exposed exhaust duct. That pipe leads directly outside.
Once you get everything cleaned out and put back together, run the fan and check its operation and check for new noises.
The final step would be to leave the fan on, then go outside and make sure that the flappers on the exterior vent are open. If they are, then you’re good to go.
Cleaning of your washroom exhaust fans normally takes only about 10 minutes and should be done about every 3-4 months. And whenever the bathroom grill looks dirty, take it down and wash it!
The same procedure basically applies whether you are in a house or a condo.
If you are not able to do this yourself or just don’t feel like it, you can ask for this service to be added for a minimal cost the next time you get your air ducts cleaned.
Also Read : Sources of Indoor Air Pollution: Outdoor Air
