air ducts

[Mrbobcat]

I've got an old house and notice when I come in the door lately, the cold air duct smells really funny. Kind of a musty smell. I went to the basement and noticed a section is kind of rusty, mostly around where they connect and theres a white residue all around it. My dad says thats normal for old houses, but I never noticed that bad smell before. I tried to vacuum around and inside where I could reach, but I never had a professional cleaning done the 9 years I've been here. Think I should have a cleaning done or try to replace the rusty sections? I hope its not mold inside, but probably is a little. Keep in mind I have no money right now as I just got my LPN license and have'nt found a job yet. I can't live with the odor though and don't want to get sick if its mold...

[Renegade68]

Get an estimate of what it'll cost to have the ducts cleaned.

Clean everything you can at the handler with bleach.

[wnxmaximus]

check for mold as well. if it is mold it could be a serious health risk, especially if it is black mold. take caution, hopefully it is just the age, but dont neglect to get things checked out.

[joemomma]

Sounds like mold is causing the smell. The white residue could either be oxidation on the metal (galvanized steel or aluminum), or it could also be mold. You can get a mold test kit at Lowe's or Home Depot for a few bucks. Mold is nasty stuff and can (as I imagine you are aware) make you real nasty sick, permanently. You have homeowner's insurance? If so, they might cover the remediation costs.

[Mrbobcat]

Those duct cleaning places want like $500 to clean it. Seems pretty steep to me and they have to drill a bunch of holes in the ductwork. My dad says their old house always had a funny smell from the cold air ducts in the summer. This is the first time I noticed it here. I know its not right. I was thinking of trying to disconnect the rusty section and hope thats where the only bad area thats making the odor is. I'm not sure how they come apart or go together though. I would think a plumber could fix it for a lot less than a cleaning, but who knows now with what the last guy charged for my other leak. I did'nt think about insurance maybe covering it. They did help with the tub leak costs, but not enough to pay for the hole in the ceiling.