Mold in HVAC ducts

Get a second opinion. some of these guys are full of shite.

How does he know it is mold? Did he send it to a lab?

Where are you located?

This guy is right. My wife panicked about mold in our last house. It was just dust from an old house. Had it tested.

$6,800 for new ductwork is ridiculously high. Buy the ducts and do it yourself with the help of YouTube.
I added ductwork to a bathroom that didn’t have it previously once and it was simple. I even had to cut a hole into the system to access the air supply. I’m a DIYer and with youtube’s help I was finished in about an hour. Spend a day in your attic doing this yourself while it’s still cool out.

$6,800 for duct work is crazy high.

What does your husband have to say about this?

I work in the HVAC industry. The UV lights will not kill the existing mold in your ductwork. Inorder for the lights to kill mold, the light has to reach the mold. $6800 for metal ductwork is about right, as there is a lot more labor involved on metal ductwork as opposed to flex duct. If you do have mold, that means even if they fix the duct, it will come back if you don't find out why you are having humidity issues. One of the most important aspects of a HVAC system is to control humidity. Sounds like you either have a incorrectly sized system or you have airflow issues. You may also look into adding a whole house dehumidifier.

Latest and probably the greatest HVAC company rip off. You have officially been conned. Spray some Lysol in the ductwork and call it fixed.

I’m tired of seeing ductwork designed for the northeast used in the south. Flex duct. Toss it out every so many years.

Manual J to size your system. Manual D for duct work.

Hardpipe insulation has to be replaced after time too. Price isnt worth it America is one of the last places that still uses ductwork. Minisplits with multiple heads is the way to go and is way more efficient.

You'd better get a second opinion before doing anything to make sure it really is mold and not just some guy trying to make a fast buck. Once that house has black mold on its record, you might have a problem selling it. They list it on the mandatory disclosure form for a reason and you don't want to have to check that box saying you've ever had work done that is considered mold remediation when you might not even have mold in the first place.

Also, if it is mold, that shite's been blown all through your house. A mold remediation professional can tell you if it is mold in the first place, find out where it's at if it is, why you have it, and how you're gonna get rid of it. Many HVAC/R engineers also are licensed to do mold remediation, as mold is a humidity issue and humidity control is a huge part of HVAC work, so mold remediation and real competent HVAC work go hand in hand. They're not cheap, though. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide if you want to spend that money to find out why your house is sick.

Don't take Johnny Ductwork's word that his special lightbulb is going to solve your problem. He's Johnny Ductwork. All he wants to do is sell you new duct and every product he can install in that duct that won't do shite to identify and solve your core humidity issues (which is what mold problems indicate). Now, that humidity might be a whole-house problem or it might just be a leaky ductwork in the winter problem. The mold remediation specialist/HVAC engineer (PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER, not a tech) can tell you exactly what kind of humidity issue you're having. I guarantee you that Johnny Ductwork's going to tell you it's leaky duct, but hey, that's what makes his kids real happy at Christmas.

Finally, does that $6500 bill for ductwork include tasteful professional photography of him fricking you in the arse so you can fondly remember it for years to come? If he's going to supply hard wrapped mastic sealed duct to every register, MAYBE. The extent of the rigid ductwork makes a big difference on whether or not that price is good, but that number seems high if your house is normal sized and has decent access and room to perform the work in the attic. It still doesn't help you if the ductwork isn't the source of your problem, though.