Some very common problems we find with this type of duct work is rusting out, collapsing, and large voids.

air ducts in concrete

Rusting Out

When the metal duct work sits in the concrete for 10-30 years, water starts to penetrate it though cracks and crevices. This leads to the metal starting to rust and decay. Eventually the metal is gone and the sand or dirt below the duct work starts getting sucked in and blow out of the vents and into the rooms of the basement.

Collapsing

In the past, duct work made out of a cardboard or a paper type material was used. It looks very similar to the the cylinder tubes you can purchase from the big box stores used to pour concrete for a fence post. Anyway, after many years water seeps in and permeates this material causing it to expand and warp. After this cycle has occurred many times, the walls and ceiling of this duct work starts to collapse and fall in on itself. This adds restriction to the air space and causes a lack of air pressure in some areas of the basement. We have worked on a job where this was happening in the basement of a church in Bountiful, Utah. We were pulling larges chunks of this duct work out of the vents to try and improve the airflow.

Large Voids

In both of the previous situations you can be left with large voids in the duct work due to the deterioration of the material used. Once these large voids are present, there is nothing stopping the material on the outside of the duct (sand, dirt, gravel, bugs, etc….) from entering the duct work and getting blown out of the vents and into the finished space. This turns out to be a particularly bad problem because of the lack of cost effective solutions. The sand and dirt will just keep coming and coming. The ducts can be cleaned, but there is not way to effectively remove all of the dirt and sand below the duct work since there is an unlimited supply. The only effective solution is to jack hammer up the floors and replace the old duct work with a pvc type duct that will not rust or deteriorate as easily. There is one other solution and that is to run new duct work through the ceiling and walls if there is room for it.

I understand that in some cases installing a down-flow furnace is the best solution but I think that too many engineers and contractors don’t understand the long-term problems associated with this style of ductwork encased in concrete. Just this past week we were called out to help a client in Salt Lake City, Utah who was complaining of a bad odor coming from the ductwork and wanted the air ducts cleaned. Here HVAC system consisted 2 furnaces installed in the basement. One was an up-flow furnace that services the main floor while the other was a down-flow furnace that services the basement with ductwork in the concrete.

After the initial inspection it became obvious that the very bad odor was coming from the down-flow ductwork in the concrete and it seems to be strongest at the furnace itself. This was a challenge since the furnace covers that box that distribute air to all of the ductwork. After callling in an HVAC tech and having the furnace removed we ran our video inspection camera down each duct line and found water in each of them. The odor definitely seemed to be coming from the water. We suspected a possible sewage pipe leak/break that may have allowed this stinky water to get into the ductwork. Next a plumber was called in to check the lines and it was verified that one of the drain line under the concrete slab had ruptured and was leaking sewer water and fumes into the ductwork in the concrete. This is going to be very expensive to have the foundation dug up, pipes repaired, air ducts cleanedand everything put back together.

This is just one more example of the crazy problems with find with down-flow furnaces and ductwork run in the concrete.

Home appliances require care & maintenance to operate safely and efficiently. Too often, homeowners neglect their dryers when it comes to cleanings and inspections, even though they may be one of the busiest appliances in the home. The lack of proper maintenance leads to dangerous safety hazards in dryers and dryer vents. Records show that almost 400 people die each year from dryer vent fires in residential structures. Dryer vent fires are easily prevented when homeowners keep on the proper maintenance.

Most dryer vent fires are caused by either trapped lint, improper installation, or non-metal venting pipe. The key to preventing fires in your own home is knowing all the facts about how they can start. The old saying about an “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is certainly appropriate when it comes to preventing a fire in your home or business.

Trapped lint. The lint trap inside of your dryer does not catch all of the lint that is produced during a normal dryer cycle. Unfortunately, some of the lint gets past those small holes in the screen and makes it into the back of the dryer and to the dryer vent pipe. The lint in the back of the dryer is bad news since the dryer is the source of considerable heat and can cause that lint to easily ignite. If the lint makes it past the dryer and into the vent it can become lodges in their and begin to build a dam. This process usually takes months to accumulate enough debris to completely restrict the air flow, but when it does, you have a very dangerous situation on your hands. This dam blocks the hot airflow from dryer and causes the dryer to begin to heat up out of control. This can easily lead to dryer motor failure, and a dryer fire.

Installation problems. Installing dryers in places such as bathrooms or hallways that are far away from exterior walls can often lead to complications in running the dryer vent. These areas require extended vent pipe runs with more 90 degree bends, which create more places for lint to collect. Extended dryer duct lengths result in more restricted access for technicians who need to perform maintenance as well as a reduction in the air flow. As the airflow slows down the lint falls to the vent floor instead of being propelled out of the vent. The risk of fire damage and accidents increase when duct lengths are extended. Another problem that is common during installation of dryer vent pipe, usually by an untrained professional, is the use of screws or nails to connect 2 vent pipe pieces together. These sharp, pointed objects protrude into the vent interior and start to collect lint and eventually build a dam inside of the pipe. Instead, the pipe pieces should be taped with the proper metallic tape per code in the area.

Non-metal venting materials.Metal is the safest material for dryer ducts because it does not burn easily. Metal ducts retain their shape and stand up to wear and tear over the years, but plastic or foil ducts are more fragile and susceptible to sagging and tearing. Foil ducts come with ridges that lead to lint buildups over time. Metal dryer ducts, on the other hand, are non-flammable and able to contain any fire that might break out so that it doesn’t spread to other parts of your home. They are also smooth and allow lint and debris to flow through them unobstructed to the outside of the home.

Flexible Dryer Vent - Clogged with Lint

Fires rarely happen when the dryer vent is installed correctly, using proper materials, and are kept clean. Lack of cleaning is the No. 1 cause of dryer vent fires in residential structures. Without regular cleanings and inspections, dryer vents develop lint buildups and other conditions that will ultimately lead to overheating inside the appliance.

Our Technicians are professionally trained to perform inspections and cleanings on dyer vents to help keep the dryer running safely, efficiently and to help prevent a dryer fire in your home. On average dryer vents should be professionally inspected and cleaned every 12-18 months.

Call today for a free dryer vent cleaning consultation. 801-686-8303

We back up all of our cleaning services with our Risk-Free Royal Service Money-Back Guarantee!

Dryer Fire - Don't Let This Happen!

When a dryer vent becomes clogged due to birds nests or lint, it creates back pressure on the dryer. The very Hot air that should be flowing out of the vent to the outdoors instead gets stuck in the dryer. This causes the dryer to run much hotter than normal and can lead to a dryer fire. There are on average 15,000 dryer fires each year. The moist hot air that should be exiting the dryer is now stuck in the dryer making it very difficult for the clothes to dry due to the increase in humidity. If the dryer takes 2-3 cycles to dry a load of clothes there is a good chance the dryer vent is clogged.

Even if a dryer fire does not occur, the dryer motor is being worked much harder than it should be and may burn out prematurely. This happened to a home owner last spring in South Jordan, Utah. She didn’t know that the dryer vent was clogged and continued to use her dryer, wondering why the clothes would not dry. After a period of time the dryer motor burned out and quit working. When she had it replaced the appliance technician advised her to have the dryer vent cleaned. She called Royalty Services Group and we discovered that the dryer vent was completely clogged with a lint dam. It was amazing how much lint we removed from the clogged dryer vent. After the cleaning, the dryer vent flowed freely and the dryer was in good shape. Had the vent been cleaned on a regular schedule, she may not have had to replace the dryer motor for many years, saving hundreds of dollars.

As a rule of thumb, home owners should count on having their dryer vent cleaned about every 12-18 months depending on their situation. The longer the dryer vent and the more turns it has to go through to get to the outside – the more frequently it will need to be cleaned. Some may need to be cleaned every 6 months to keep them free flowing.

Here are some signs that the dryer vent may need to be cleaned:

1) Clothes won’t dry in 1 cycle, they require 2-3 cycles to get dry

2) Dryer it hot to the touch – this indicates excess back pressure and built up heat

3) Visual lint build-up at the external vent cover

4) Have to replace the dryer motor

5) Excess lint build-up behind the dryer

These are tell-tale signs that the dryer vent may be clogged and need a good cleaning.

If you have questions about dryer vents give up a call, we are always happy to help.

Our “Royal Service Guarantee” and our level of education and certification set us apart from other cleaners. We strive to be the Best at each of the services we provide and always put the Satisfaction of our clients as the highest priority. Safety is a concern we take very seriously and have been trained in OSHA 10 training as well as Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) certification.

We strive to be the cleaning provider you know you can count on to get the job done right the first time. This allows you to focus your time and effort on other important issues.

Here is our Client Commitment :

1) We commit to being Experts in our Field of Service.

2) We commit to Treating you Honestly, Fairly, and Respectfully.

3) We commit that We Will Do What We Say We Will Do.

4) We commit to back up all of our Service with our Unconditional “Royal Service Guarantee”.

You may find others who will promise to  be the “Cheapest”, but ask yourself which of these 4 principles are you willing to give up to save a few bucks. In general I believe that we do get what we are willing to pay for and quality pays for itself in the long run.

If Royalty Services Group sounds like the type of company you would like work with, give us a call and let’s see how we can help you.

Samson Rollins – Royalty Services Group