black inside airvents???

12-04-2008, 05:39 PM	#1
sflamedic Member   Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 71	black inside airvents??? I live in south Florida and am helping my dad paint inside his house. When we took off the covers for the air vents we noticed that the fiberglass is black. Is the normal with age or is it a problem? If it is a problem what wouldwe need to do to fix it? Thanks

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12-04-2008, 05:52 PM	#2
yuri Hvac Pro   Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Winnipeg, Canada Posts: 6,609	black inside airvents??? It may be dust and it may be mold if it is very humid where you are. I was in Orlando and it was very humid there. If you want to be sure take a piece of it to an environmental or air quality testing lab to find out what it really is. Mold is horrible and very bad for some people's health.

12-04-2008, 06:49 PM	#3
hvaclover Member     Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Suburbs of Detroit Mi Posts: 3,702	black inside airvents??? Test kits available at HD and Lowes. __________________ Just slow, not stupid.

12-04-2008, 09:56 PM	#4
Winchester What can I find here?     Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 188	black inside airvents??? Fiberglass in an air vent? Not sure about that one, but in the case of some of my cold air returns, the installer had painted the areas black. I guess this helps hide the install (ranging colors behind the grille) between the inner wall, studs, and sheetrock.

12-05-2008, 08:27 AM	#5
bluefitness Member   Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 252	black inside airvents??? Quote: Originally Posted by sflamedic I live in south Florida and am helping my dad paint inside his house. When we took off the covers for the air vents we noticed that the fiberglass is black. Is the normal with age or is it a problem? If it is a problem what wouldwe need to do to fix it? Thanks Did it look discolored (not really black), or did it look like black fiberglass mat? If it is the latter, this is a more expensive boot/insulation designed to prevent mold/mildew growth. It is very common in Florida. Here is a picture of lined duct board: They make boots with this fiberglass matting on it as well.