Is there access to the other side of the ducts? Such as in an attic or crawlspace. If there is access it may be possible if the space is not too tight. If they are covered on both top and bottom then something will have to be cut.
Greetings,
Thanks for having me on the forum. We are in a situation where the insulation on multiple duct boots/cans became moldy due to a leak. Problem is, removing the entire cans from between the home's floors would be a massive undertaking and to be honest, out of our budget. I've heard conflicting information on whether it is possible to rip out the moldy insulation on the duct cans and replace it with new insulation. This is sort of the final step in getting the home back to being mold-free. Does anyone have any experience on how to go about this without ripping out the sheetrock?
Is there access to the other side of the ducts? Such as in an attic or crawlspace. If there is access it may be possible if the space is not too tight. If they are covered on both top and bottom then something will have to be cut.
*********
https://www.hvac20.com/ High efficiency equipment alone does not provide home comfort and efficiency. HVAC2.0 is a process for finding the real needs of the house and the occupants. Offer the customer a menu of work to address their problems and give them a probability of success.
Find contractors with specialized training in combustion analysis, residential system performance, air flow, and duct optimization https://www.myhomecomfort.org/
Thanks for the response. Apologies for the delay! We've been working on the water damage remediation and it's been a little overwhelming. I'm just trying to check back in.
So we removed and replaced the boots/cans that we could easily get to through the attic. The remaining cans are in between floors and unfortunately can not be accessed from above. The thing is: these remaining cans never actually got wet. Mold just grew on the interior fabric/insulation lining of them (the part of the can that you see when you remove the register). Couldn't we rip out this exposed, moldy layer, leave the cans themselves in place, and glue new, clean foam insulation for the cans' interior (i.e. above the registers)? I really appreciate the help here! It's been a nightmare trying to restore the place
I've never needed to to that. The boots can probably be reinsulated. You'll need some spray adhesive to hold the insulation.
I suggest you should have the cooling system checked with attention being given to the blower speed in addition to the usual refrigeration testing. You may also need to check for air leaks into the space with the boots. Infiltration may be a continuous supply of humidity that contributes to the problem.
*********
https://www.hvac20.com/ High efficiency equipment alone does not provide home comfort and efficiency. HVAC2.0 is a process for finding the real needs of the house and the occupants. Offer the customer a menu of work to address their problems and give them a probability of success.
Find contractors with specialized training in combustion analysis, residential system performance, air flow, and duct optimization https://www.myhomecomfort.org/