New HVAC problems — health problems
I recently had my hvac system and all flex duct replaced due to age of unit and mold throughout. I live in a Florida 1930’s home and the ducts are in the crawl space under the house, also we have had a problem with critters making holes in the ducts.
This is what the ac people have done. Replaced unit, redid duct work, removed vent boots which had old moldy broken up duct board. They were scraped, cleaned and relined with duct board. I can still see where the old board was because it came up a few inches higher than the new and there are remnants of old fiberglass visible. The sheet metal plenum which sits on the ground also had old duct board and was cleaned and relined. Both the boot and plenum duct board was sealed with mastic.
I am not in good health and was very concerned about the mold. In my desperation to have this all redone I failed to do research on products and their chemicals. I did get several quotes but failed to educate myself on proper installation.
My problem and question is this. When turned on there was a very bad chemical smell which I was told was the mastic and would dissipate in a week or so, my nose started running, and strange stuff began draining from my eyes, and headaches. This I understand could be caused by an allergy from one or more of the chemicals’ in various products. And I suppose could be tolerated. But, i also started to get chest pain that was only alleviated somewhat by fresh air. After reading articles and blogs on this site it seems that the fiber board should not have been put in the metal boots but rather insulated on outside, due to the fact that the fiber board is susceptible to mold, and has numerous hazardous chemicals, it also restricts the air flow. The plenum sits on the ground so I don’t know how else it could be insulated. I am now (after the fact) aware of the many chemicals in the mastic and the fiberglass duct board.
It has been one week since this was completed; I’m not sure what to do. Does anyone have any suggestions, or knowledge to share on proper insulation or health problems?
I am quite desperate at this point. And response would be helpful.
Thank you
Dee
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Replies
Deidre,
There are several issues here, and most of them are difficult to answer without more information.
We can try to help you with advice on ductwork, but we can't help you with your medical problems. If you still feel sick, by all means see your doctor. Don't accept any medical advice from people on this web site. Most of here are builders, energy nerds, architects, designers, and engineers -- not doctors.
It's hard to understand what type of work was performed on your "vent boots" without a photo. If you can post a photo, that would help.
Dee,
That sounds really frustrating, to have thought you were mitigating a potential hazard and to end up with worse. As Martin indicated, I'm not a doctor, but your health problems worry me and I hope you will see a doctor. Your problems could be related to the new materials, or could also be a result of exposure to mold that was stirred up during the work.
I'll also echo Martin's suggestion to provide a photo if you can.
As a temporary measure, you might be able to tape plastic over the vents in your house so that whatever you are reacting to stays in the ducts. Then you could open the windows and air out the house. If you need heat after that you could perhaps rely on space heaters, just for the time until you get this figured out.
The boots measure 6 x 10 and are made of sheet metal. The duct board was applied with spray adhesive and seams were sealed with mastic. The edges of the duct board were caulked to try to hide the exposed fiberglass. This same method was used for the plenum and return. Flex duct was used to connect all of the boots and return. The boots were supposed to be scraped and cleaned but there were still remnants of fiberglass from the old board.
I guess the question are does:
Were they cleaned properly?
Were they insulated properly?
Does the duct board restrict proper air flow?
Will the duct board get mold again?
Can the duct board be cleaned to prevent mold?
Should the boots have just been replaced,and how? Would that have been cost effective?
Which products could most likely be causing this type of problems? (Mastic, adhesive, duct board) I'm not asking you to be doctors but have heard of others that have had similiar reactions and to which product.
Thank you so much for responding, any thoughts or ideas would be helpful.
Apparently the pictures are too large to attach. I will send them soon.
Thanks. Dee
Deidre,
It's certainly possible that loose fiberglass fibers were circulated after the work was performed on your system. That's not great, but it's probably only a temporary problem. Eventually the fibers will be blown out, and either vacuumed up by you when you clean the house, or trapped in your furnace filter.
It's also possible that you found that the smells emitted by the mastic and caulk were irritating. These problems will also probably be temporary, although it's impossible to predict how different people react to smells.
Q. "Will the duct board get mold again?"
A. If the moisture problem that allowed the mold to grow in the first place was not remedied, then the answer is, "Perhaps."
Q. "Can the duct board be cleaned to prevent mold?"
A. If it is accessible, perhaps. But if you want to reduce or eliminate mold growth, you need to figure out where the moisture is coming from, and find ways to eliminate the moisture problem.