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 Mobile ViewAIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION ASBESTOS-FREE INSULATION MATERIALS ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings ASBESTOS ROOFING / SIDING DUST DIAGNOSE & FIX AIR CONDITIONER / HEAT PUMP DIAGNOSE & FIX HEATING PROBLEMS-BOILER DIAGNOSE & FIX HEATING PROBLEMS-FURNACE DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS ASBESTOS HVAC DUCTS DUCT & AIR HANDLER ODORS DUCT DAMAGE, MECHANICAL DUCT INSULATION - Asbestos Paper DUCT ROUTING & SUPPORT DUST CONTAMINATION FROM HVAC? BALANCING AIR DUCT FLOW FIBERGLASS DUCT, RIGID CONSTRUCTION FIBERGLASS HVAC DUCTS FIRE DAMPERS in DUCTWORK FLOOD DAMAGE in DUCT WORK GOODMAN GRAY FLEXDUCT INCREASING RETURN AIR LEAKY DUCT CONNECTIONS LOCATION OF REGISTERS & DUCTS MOLD in AIR HANDLERS & DUCT WORK NOISES in DUCT SYSTEM ODORS in AIR HANDLERS & DUCT WORK OWENS CORNING FLEXDUCT OWL FLEXDUCT RETURN AIR REGISTERS & DUCTS SOUNDPROOFING for DUCTWORK SUPPLY DUCTS & REGISTERS TRANSITE PIPE AIR DUCTS UNDERSIZED RETURN DUCTS UNSAFE DUCT OPENINGS VIBRATION DAMPENERS WATER & ICE IN DUCT WORK WET CORRODED DUCT WORK ZONE DAMPER CONTROLS ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY FURNACES WARM AIR HEATING SYSTEMS More Information |
This article shows how to recognize asbestos materials in heating and air conditioning ducts, vibration dampers, chimneys, and flues, and it identifies potential asbestos fiber release or carbon monoxide hazards in buildings where certain asbestos and cement-asbestos transite pipe materials are used for ducts or for heating appliance chimneys and vents. InspectAPedia offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/Contact.htm.This is part of our article series that describes the inspection of residential air conditioning systems (A/C systems) to inform home buyers, owners, and home inspectors of common cooling system defects. Asbestos in or on HVAC ducts (air ducts or heating and cooling ductwork) is a possible hazard for which we provide links to separate documents. Contact us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution. © Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. Readers should also see:
Asbestos Materials on or in the Air Conditioning or Heating System Duct Work
If readers return to the first chapter or view the A/C chapter index, the major components of an air conditioning system are described, sketches and photographs are provided, and common defects for each component are listed along with visual or other clues that may suggest a problem or probable failure of A/C components. Asbestos - Ductwork Safety Recommendation
TRANSITE and SONNO-DUCT Air Conditioning or Heating Duct Material Warnings: asbestos fiber release and carbon monoxide hazards
Caution: Down flow furnace in building with concrete slab and with perimeter duct work raises questions: what is the duct work made of ? Is asbestos material found right in the air pathway in a building? If so there are higher risks of airborne asbestos contamination in that building than otherwise. Transite chimney Carbon Monoxide Hazards: where used for chimneys in buildings, transite pipe may form a very serious, potentially fatal carbon monoxide hazard due to chimney blockage. We explain how and why the carbon monoxide poisoning hazard develops in our article at Transite Pipes, Chimneys & Flues. Transite Duct Asbestos Hazards: if used for air ducts transite pipe may be a an asbestos hazard, particularly where the ducts become softened by water exposure (such as air ducts located in floor slabs), potentially releasing asbestos fibers into the building air. see TRANSITE PIPE AIR DUCTS for details. Sonno Duct (spun composition material) may have absorbed water, collapsed, and be blocking the duct line and potentially inviting a termite infestation or a mold contamination problem in the building. More identification photographs of transite pipe in buildings can be found at Asbestos Transite Chimneys & Flues and at TRANSITE PIPE AIR DUCTS ASBESTOS RISKS - on Heating and Cooling Ducts
Asbestos heating system insulation is also a potential economic risk as future buyers may be concerned about this material. Disposal costs for this material are increasing. Depending on condition and location of asbestos material, treatment ranges from doing nothing to complete removal. Removal could involve significant costs. You should obtain proper technical information and health and safety guidelines before attempting to do anything with this material. It is the breathing of fibers when this material is disturbed, not it's mere presence, which is considered a health risk. When the material is not found in living areas in poor condition treatment is not usually an emergency and you have ample time to become informed, obtain estimates, and select a course of action. [Offline text files of additional advice for insertion into home inspection reports where asbestos material is observed: If the asbestos-suspect material seen in a building is confirmed as actual asbestos or an asbestos-containing product, depending on its condition and location, treatment ranges from doing nothing to complete removal. Professional asbestos removal would involve significant costs and is the recommended course of action where asbestos materials are damaged, friable, in a location subject to damage, in an occupied space, and/or in an unoccupied location where asbestos debris is likely to be carried into occupied space by human traffic or by the operation of heating and cooling equipment. A number of asbestos treatment options are available where asbestos material is found in a building. Choice of treatment can make a big difference in possible costs of handling the material. You should obtain proper technical information and health and safety guidelines before attempting to do anything with this material. Asbestos Warning: incomplete removal, amateur workmanship on the Air Conditioning or Heating SystemThe following is an example of building or home inspection report language when the inspector detects evidence of improper, incomplete, or amateur "asbestos remediation" efforts in a building. Amateur removal of asbestos from a building can create very serious health and cost concerns because of the possibility that the amateur cross-contaminated other building areas with asbestos debris and also because of the possibility that the asbestos products that were removed were disposed of improperly. we have on occasion found "removed" asbestos insulation simply disposed of by dumping it on the same property or stuffing it into a crawl space or attic. Improper/Incomplete Asbestos Duct Insulation or Pipe Wrap Removal: Caution: When we observe that a considerable amount of this insulating material has been removed leaving scraps or remainders and without cleaning and sealing of the exposed ducts or piping, we issue the following warning: Asbestos duct or piping insulation removal has not followed approved methods and procedures: we saw that HVAC duct work or piping has not been cleaned nor sealed, and that the suspect material has been left in some places - details not found when materials were removed by trained professionals. Unprofessional removal of controversial materials in a building may raise health, legal, or marketing concerns for future property owners. You should attempt to obtain documentation regarding who did what to the property regarding this topic. Additional testing to assure that no hazards or legal issues remain, may involve significant expense. expense; possible, hazardous materials. Questions & Answers regarding this article. Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website. AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS For more information about fiberglass as an indoor air quality concern see:
For more information about asbestos as an indoor air quality concern with focus on easy ways to identify asbestos materials in buildings, see:
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