[boondocks95]

Duct tape inside ducts?

My ductwork is old and needs replaced but for now I need to patch a few small holes on the INSIDE of the ducts underneath a couple registers. There is no sign of rodents so I have no idea how this occurred. Maybe someone tried to clean them and rolled the plastic? I want to patch the holes because insulation is leaking thru and I worry about air quality. I just want to make sure the duct tape isn't flammable

 

[beenthere]

If your talking about the duct tape that is woven. Its flammable.

The foil tape isn't.

 

[joecaption]

No way is the tape going to burn unless the house is on fire.
Use foil tape, not duct tape.

 

[boondocks95]

Well drats. I picked up some black duct tape today. What stores carry foil tape? The holes are not all the way thru the duct its just tears in the plastic above the insulation.

If the duct tape won't catch fire what's the reason for using foil tape instead?

 

[jimn]

Foil tape looks neater and will bond for a very long time. The glue on duct tape eventually fails and it falls of. On a dryer duct it last less than a year. Duct tape should be left in the store or used to wrap mail boxes to the post when the snow plow knocks it into the neighbors yard. Of course depending where you live, this may be a fix until the weather turns warm enough to venture a repair or it may be a permanent fix. That and Halloween costumes are the only uses I found for duct tape. One more , it occasionally gives a comedian some subject material .

 

[boondocks95]

I'm finding more and more holes. It's really concerning me at this point as I have a two year old in the home. There are no holes from the outside in. I guess it is possible a mouse family made a hole on the inside of all of them? They're super old so maybe just wear.

Most importantly, is this a major health concern as far as air quality and fiberglass fibers coming into our home? Asbestos, etc? Heck, replacing them couod carry asbestos risk. The home was built in 1967. No idea if these are tge original ducts or not. My husband has replaced the one in the babies room already. I really just want to leave this house as its got so many needed repairs.

*Sigh* Homeownership I guess! Here is a pic of the one I just vacuumed out. A big tear!

 

[ZZZZZ]

What stores carry foil tape?

Any home center or hardware store should have foil tape. I even bought some at Big Lots recently. :smile:

 

[ChuckF.]

The only thing plastic duct tape is good for is for high-school kids to make prom dresses and suits of.

 

[boondocks95]

Most of the flexduct in my home has some tears in the inner liner, exposing fiberglass near the vents. I noticed them when cleaning this week. I am planning to put some foil tape over the tears for now. The tears have been there since the spring and no sign of rodents (at least not now).

I'm mainly interested in knowing if this is a major air quality issue since fiberglass fibers could be blowing in the house? They look to have been this way for a long time, so I assume the fibers that were going to blow in already have.

We are going to replace them, maybe one at a time. We already did one summer.

 

[joecaption]

We can not see what your seeing without some pictures.
If there really that bad it's hard to imagine why you have not replaced them long ago.

 

[boondocks95]

I didn't realize they were thus bad until yesterday when I went to clean them. To be honest, I'm also dealing with a mold issue that will likely cost quite a bit and I don't think I can afford both right now.

It looks like they've been this way a while. The metal coil is rusted in one of them. I can't imagine what the main trunk looks like. *Sigh*

I was hoping we could hold off or at least for one at a time. The first pic is one of the worst ones.

 

[Jnaas2]

I replaced all the flex in a house a little while back and it looked like swiss cheese, the mice had made so many holes in it. It would be interesting to see what it looks like in the crawl space

 

[boondocks95]

I looked myself this summer and it looked great. No holes on the outside. Guess I'll send in the cavalry to be sure!

 

[boondocks95]

My main concern is are we going to get really sick from this and need to get it fixed pronto? Or do we have some time.

 

[beenthere]

Merged threads.

 

[boondocks95]

Thanks for combining the threads.

After reading some about fiberglass hazards I'm panicked. I want to scoop my child up and leave until its fixed but convincing my better half it needs fixed will prove difficult.

 

[beenthere]

Is your main trunk line. Or is it fiberglass duct board?

 

[boondocks95]

I'm guessing ductboard. I'm pretty sure anyhow.

 

[beenthere]

Then no reason to be paranoid about the fiberglass of the flex. Duct board can release fiberglass.

Just fix or replace it as you have time.

 

[Bob Sanders]

That's mice/rats. You can clearly see that it is not ripped or worn but rather eaten.

You can patch those holes but if you don't take care of the mouse problem it's just going to happen again.