Without even knowing, you might be sharing your house with some uninvited residents, such as rodents. These critters call your duct work their home. After all, these secluded, dark places provide them with a good cover and a suitable place to nest. However, once in your duct system, they can wreak havoc, such as chewing holes or defecating in the duct. Holes lead to air leakage, and feces help in spawning colonies of mold and bacteria. However, all that nuisance fails in comparison to a dead critter in your HVAC ducts. Here is what you can do about a dead critter in your HVAC ducts.
For many homeowners, cleaning out a dead rodent or squirrel is a nightmare. Therefore, if you don’t have the stomach for such a task, let a professional handle it.
Locating The Source:
Turn off your HVAC system and open up your house’s windows to let the air circulate. In this way, you can pinpoint the source of the smell. After shutting your HVAC system and opening your windows, wait for a while. After the drought has stabilized, follow your nose to the room with the strongest smell. Eventually, you will be able to find the vent that’s emanating the strongest odor; that’s most likely where the dead critter is.
Removing The Carcass:
For this step, you’ll need a screwdriver, torch, pair of gloves, plastic bag, and disinfectant to remove the remains effectively. Using the screwdriver, unhinge the vent and pull it open. Then, using the torchlight, try to locate the dead animal. If it’s hidden from your plain sight, call a professional at this point.. On the contrary, if the animal is sighted yet out of reach, use a bent coat hanger to pull it closer. After that, please pick it up using your gloved hand and pack it in the plastic bag.
Now it’s time to disinfect the proximity. First, use the disinfectant to sterilize the area. If the critter’s location was out of reach, you can use long-handled mops to wipe that area clean.
Taking Additional Precautions:
After you have removed the dead critter, it’s time to ponder over how they got into the ductwork in the first place. Animals often find their way in through leaks. Moreover, they can nibble a few more holes as exit points when they are in the duct. It is important to solve this issue in a timely manner as delaying a solution will lead you to finding another critter inside your air duct., Always contact a professional for an inspection to ensure you get an expert to check your duct.
Conclusion:
The odor of a dead animal is for sure stomach-churning; however, it is important to track it down and remove it as soon as you can. For quality inspection services, you can always rely on Crump A/C And Heating. To learn about how we can thoroughly inspect and take care of your duct, call us today at 281-533-9200.