After 10 yrs it happen, got stuck under a small crawlspace

[billygoat22]

12" is about 3" higher than the tightest I've been in. And that crawl door pic is nearly three times the size of some I've done.
smallest gap slid through was 8 3/4" high, smallest hole was 12x12 filter grill. Wonder if I'd still fit 7 yr later?

Had a rough one last year- had to finish an install. attic was just high enough to roll over at the highest point. Felt like had been beaten with 2x4 next day bruised up from lying/rolling/crawling across joists.

One access hole was only about an 1" higher than a crawlspace vent hole and as wide (one cinder block).

Didn't let myself freak while in small spaces, but some times at night laying in bed it unsettles me thinking about some of those holes.

[Artietech]

1st one I was around 16-17 years old running pipe, felt something slide across my legs......no way out...lucky it was just a rat snake.

The only panic attack I had was going up on a roof, about 30ft, when I went back down felt the ladder give way, lucky me I was able to get back on roof and heard both parts of the ladder hit the ground. after 30 min or so got the store manager to hand the ladder back up, put it together....

[hvacvegas]

HotWaterHeat

Why you bust my balls? This was not a normal crawspace, the flex was in the far smallest corner. This was a good long time cust.
Should I have said no to the job? Maybe, but I didn't. The floor joist was a foot from the ground. I am a 36 waist and can still see my little buddy.

I was shareing my service call and wondering if other HVAC techs have had a panic attack or have been stuck in a crawlspace.

I do agree with you, it you have limitations, find another field of work. Getting stuck and haveing a panic attack was an exception.


STUD

Those hippies out on the west coast don't know what it's like for us East coast guys.

They have 3' crawlspaces compared to our 1.5' crawls

[philjafo]

Makes me glad full basements are the norm around here. Still a few dirt floor crawls though, had one a few years ago had a good 2 feet but also a leaking sewer drain.

[poleaxem]

I was in an attic attaching some flex, it was 120 degrees and I had been in there for awhile. I started getting dizzy and felt like I was going to pass out so I started to panic and tried to get out of there as fast as I could in doing so I managed to run roofing nails in my head and back.

[jtrammel]

I go through foundation vents all the time if they are removable and if its closer to where I need to go than the acces door. Arms first live diving into a pool, it gets a little tight right at the hips but a little squirm and in I go. I'm always elected to go on the low ones. Its not that bad just get in, do what you gotta do and get the hell out.

[tjrobb]

Not resi, but y'all would love the 42" high crawl above our third floor offices. Not sure why it was built like this, but it has lights, a bearing floor, and you get 66" high (based on my height) between the concrete joists. Sure beats some of the places I'm hearing described.

[Dennis.Moore]

I got caught in an attempt to wriggle through a small triangle passageway joining two attics.
Long time ago but I felt the same panic. Finally calmed down and was able to back out.

[catmanacman]

if the crawl looks to tight i take my sawsall in wth me .

[jdblack]

I don't know now the heck you fit through a foundation vent. That's nuts. How small are you? What size vent?

I'm 6'0 200lbs and I couldn't imagine fitting through our typical vents.

Sent from my ERIS using Tapatalk 2

[OldSchoolMech]

So if I can't see my little buddy I should change jobs??

[craig1]

One of the biggest rules of entering confined spaces is that your accessway needs to be big enough for not only you, buy the person who is going to rescue you if you become incapacitated.

[tedkidd]

127 hours.

Here's a rule: LEAVE SOMEBODY A NOTE or be prepared to cut your arm off.

[jdblack]

One of the biggest rules of entering confined spaces is that your accessway needs to be big enough for not only you, buy the person who is going to rescue you if you become incapacitated.

Good point. From an osha standpoint alot of crawls would be confined spaces.

Sent from my ERIS using Tapatalk 2

[cajunhvac75]

A few weeks ago we did a big old elevated house here in New Orleans (the chick that founded Coyote Ugly's house...still smoking hot). She had 2 complete split systems (all ductwork, coil and heater, not condenser) under there. I was under that house for 5 full work days...lots of broken glass and bricks and no light except our cords. I've never been claustrophobic before, but every now and then some instinct told me to immediately get the hell out from under there. Very unnerving and the worst week of work of my life. I need a raise.

[jtrammel]

I don't know now the heck you fit through a foundation vent. That's nuts. How small are you? What size vent?

I'm 6'0 200lbs and I couldn't imagine fitting through our typical vents.

Sent from my ERIS using Tapatalk 2

5'8 150lbs size of a concrete block 8x16 i think.

[jdblack]

5'8 150lbs size of a concrete block 8x16 i think.

That's still a tight fit I'm sure.

Sent from my ERIS using Tapatalk 2

[garyed]

You'd think by now there would be some better codes written to keep us from having to deal with these tight crawl spaces in the future. If I were writing the code I would not allow any HVAC duct lower than 3ft. from the ground & no equipment lower than 3ft. from the ground or attic floor & at least 18" clearance on top. Make it be the responsibility of the architects, engineers & builders to make sure there is adequate space for the HVAC system. This would force them to either have a mechanical closet for us to work in or a decent sized crawl or attic space to work in.

[hvacvegas]

You'd think by now there would be some better codes written to keep us from having to deal with these tight crawl spaces in the future. If I were writing the code I would not allow any HVAC duct lower than 3ft. from the ground & no equipment lower than 3ft. from the ground or attic floor & at least 18" clearance on top. Make it be the responsibility of the architects, engineers & builders to make sure there is adequate space for the HVAC system. This would force them to either have a mechanical closet for us to work in or a decent sized crawl or attic space to work in.

Don't forget to add:
"All equitment must be in the envelope". That way it can't be blazing hot in the workspace

[Aerovox]

One time I was in a building where they had a vaulted ceiling but there was still a small attic space above the ceiling. It was so tight that I was crawling on my stomach with my shoulders very snug on either side, not a good feeling. Then they started tearing off the front porch with heavy machinery! Only the front porch was scheduled to be destroyed and I was far from it but being in a tight space and feeling even part of the house being torn down is enough to want out! Got a ton of insulation out of it before they tore the whole thing down though

Then there was the time in the old house where the crawl was covered in some kind of mold on the ground AND heavily invest with these things:



I felt like I was in some kind of alien movie crawling around in a mushroom forest with giant spiders all around me. They had a huge moisture problem and those spiders love moisture (so did the mold!).