water in my floor heating ducts?

Question

I have a 1977 mobile home in a park. When I went to vacuum out the dust of ducts before turning on heat, I discovered 2 inches water in bathroom duct. I checked and bedroom has some and living room as well,,but the kitchen duct is just moist, no actual standing water. I figure I could shop vac out, but where on earth could it come from? My bathroom had tub replaced 2 years ago, and then last august toilet had to be replaced along with floor due to water damage from toilet leaking. Could it be toilet leaking gets into that duct that runs along bottom of mobile? I have no money to have repair man come out again, any ideas?

Let me mention I don't have air conditioning and this is first time in 16 years of living here this has ever happened..and I'd love to have a handy boyfriend but those are a rare thing nowadays.

Answer 1

Most likely, the water is from the toilet problem...either from a leak or from overflowing.
The water from there ran down the bathroom vent. I doubt it was from the tub replacement since you mention this is the first time youve experienced this problem.
(Some furnaces have a humidifier installed, and they will occasionally need repair, but you don't find those systems on mobile homes, especially not those dating back to the '70's)

Are the vents at the perimeter of the room or right down the center of the mobile home? I'd be willing to guess that they are right down the center (since this is a 1977 model). Back in 1977 the industry was still producing more low end homes than high quality models, on average.

My suggestion is get the existing water out. This can be done by 'shop-vacking' as you mention, or by putting a hole in the vent, from underneath, and allow it to drain out the bottom. If you decide to go this route, then an opening will have to be made in the underbelly, and the insulation pulled back from the duct. I would temporarily tape it open. Then, either using an ice pick, punch or drill bit, put a hole into the bottom of the vent duct. The larger the hole, the quicker it will drain. Once the water has drained out, you can patch the hole with a piece of metal tape. Then pull the insulation back in place, and seal up the underbelly.

Whichever method you choose will work just fine... and once the water is gone, you can check the vents a few days later to see if it has returned. You might find a small amount that trickled back to the low spot, that you missed, if shop-vacuuming was the method of removal. I'll add here too, that if you do have the vents down the center, then the shop vac is the easier method. With perimeter vents, then you could have some water out in the flexible hose running from the main trunk to the perimet vents... in this case, those would need to be disconnected at the trunk, and allowed to drain....you wouldnt be able to reach them or the main trunk, with a typical shop vac hose, from the perimeter vent.

Since you are in a park, there is probably a 'handyman' that the park uses... you should be able to 'borrow' that person for this little project, hehehe.

Oh, just to be thorough....no manufacturer runs the plumbing lines thru the ventilation, so it is very hard to picture how a leak under the home could get water into the ductwork. It would be more likely to see the underbelly holding water inside it, if there were a leak under the home, and the underbelly would sag between the cross beams of the steel frame. A quick five minute look under the home can rule out any leaks there.

Have Fun

Answer 2

Water In Heating Ducts

Answer 3

The uninsulated condensation sound like a good possibility if you do air conditioning. If it is uninsulated the savings on heating this winter would pay for the cost of insulation unless you live in a very mild climate. If you found the water are you capable of installing your own insulation. They have free handbooks at hardware stores to tell you how. Most of the cost of insulating would be labor. Got a handy boyfriend.

Answer 4

Your duct is not insulated, the duct runs in an unheated area.

Moisture from the air is condensing on the cool metal and cannot escape. Forming a pool.

You need to insulate !!!!