Any HVAC/Duct experts around?

[Cell]

I have an electrical short from a mouse in my wall. Unfortunately, both the wire and the dead mouse are stuck between/behind a duct running vertically from my basement to the 2nd floor and a load bearing corner. I have an HVAC tech coming tomorrow to move the duct, but I'm wondering how this is best accomplished.

Will I need to strip the sheetrock from ceiling to floor? Alternatively, can a small section of the duct be spliced out and patched?

The mouse/wire is pretty much directly in the middle of the hole in the picture, tucked all the way back in the crack.

Any advice or insight is appreciated.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

He's going to give you a price on doing it right, or ask him to give you a price with the least labor involved. Hopefully he will but some of them say do it right or don't do it. I'm in HVAC for over 25 years and we try to do what the customer ask 99% of the time . Hopefully they are that way

 

[Cell]

He's going to give you a price on doing it right, or ask him to give you a price with the least labor involved. Hopefully he will but some of them say do it right or don't do it. I'm in HVAC for over 25 years and we try to do what the customer ask 99% of the time . Hopefully they are that way

What does doing it right entail? Stripping the wall and pulling the entire section out?

Or what would you do in this situation?

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

What does doing it right entail? Stripping the wall and pulling the entire section out?

Or what would you do in this situation?

If they've been in business long enough after you guys introduce each other and you show them what you're doing they'll listen to you ask you 20 questions and then give you options period doing it right is just removing a section but it may involve removing sheetrock plaster whatever is in the front of it and replacing that section period if they tell you all they got to replace all the ducting . I wouldn't even go with them. They can replace a section sections possible

Now if there's access to the ducting from a different way, you got to let him know because most of the time they don't want to do much work. Bummer

 

[Cell]

The only other access would be from above, but it splits off into 2 floor vents to the room above, or below, which is the furnace room. I was wondering if maybe he could unsecure it from the bottom in the basement and slide the entire section down behind the drywall, but I assume it's bolted somewhere up top and perhaps along the run. No clue though.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

The only other access would be from above, but it splits off into 2 floor vents to the room above, or below, which is the furnace room. I was wondering if maybe he could unsecure it from the bottom in the basement and slide the entire section down behind the drywall, but I assume it's bolted somewhere up top and perhaps along the run. No clue though.

Hard to say because when you build a house everything has to be fastened and ducting is fasten every 4 ft so who knows

 

[Cell]

Electrician: "Customers always thinks a mouse may have chewed on some wires...but it's never a mouse".

Me: "...."

Electrician: "This time, I think it's a mouse."

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Hard to say because when you build a house everything has to be fastened and ducting is fasten every 4 ft so who knows

And most HVAC companies will tell you remove the sheetrock have someone remove it have it ready for them to replace the ducting and then they'll start the job but some will do that

 

[Cell]

Yeah, I was planning on removing a small section of the drywall with clearance above and below before he arrived hoping he would just splice out a section of the duct, but then I started wondering if he was going to want the whole wall removed so I've been waiting. It should take just a few minutes to cut out the sheetrock either way.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Yeah, I was planning on removing a small section of the drywall with clearance above and below before he arrived hoping he would just splice out a section of the duct, but then I started wondering if he was going to want the whole wall removed so I've been waiting. It should take just a few minutes to cut out the sheetrock either way.

The more you have done for them, the better the price.

 

[Cell]

HVAC tech spliced out a 2 ft section, got the mouse out, but there isn't enough slack in the dang wire to splice it, so it needs to be accessed from around the corner...behind my tank. So now I have to move my tank temporarily...UGH.