Re: Strange particles from air vent and return air duct sealant question

Sounds like those particles are roach turds.  I can't tell you how to seal the 
ducts but you should use mastic.  And if you can, place some boric acid mixed 
with flour in a spot where it won't be carried by the system.

Ed

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, 
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
>
>
>I've got this problem in my house, it is a 1 story with central air
>and gas heating system by Lennox.  The other weekend,  I noticed that
>there are small tiny brownish-reddish color particles all over my
>computer monitor.  My computer monitor sit directly beneath an air
>vent.  Because the monitor is directly beneath the vent and also
>because the color of the monitor is white, therefore, I can easily see
>those tiny particles.
>
> I open the air intake filter door (20 inch X 30 inch), the one that
>is in the wall, took out the air filter and look behind it.  I noticed
>there is a big dead cock roach in it.  I then vacuum it out.    Within
>the next day, the amount of those strange particles which fallen on
>top of my computer monitor has significantly decreased.  It has been
>one week since I got that roach out,  now I only see two or three tiny
>flake like particle each day on top of my monitor.  Before I remove
>the roach from the air return duct, there were a lot of those strange
>particle.  This happens during both air conditioner or heater
>operation.
>
>I just hope that those small particle is the roach's body parts like
>the wings etc...  I also hope that it is not rust blowing from my
>vent.  Could it be possible that rust can be blowing from the vent
>some how?
>
>It is hard to tell if I see those particles blowing out of other vents
>in my house because the only reason I noticed those tiny particles in
>that particular room  is that my white computer monitor sit directly
>beneath the vent and that vent is about 5 feet away.
>
>When I look in that space area behind the air filter, I noticed there
>are some gap/tiny cracks and I want to find ways to seal it so that no
>other insects will crawl into it in the future. 
>
>My questions here are:
>
>1) based on the problems and symptoms I described do you think those
>particles is from that  roach or other insects may be stuck somewhere
>in my AC/heating system or is it rust in my system that is blowing out
>of the vent?
>
>2) How do you seal these area in the air return duct which is behind
>that big air filter on my wall?  What to use (joint compound, caulk,
>foam sealant etc..)
>   a) small gap where the drywall meets the concrete floor
>   b) tiny vertical crack at the corner where two vertical dry wall
>meets. 
>   c) Where the 4x2 wood meet the foam insulation sheathing.
>
>
>
>Thank you very much in advance.
>
>Jack
>
>
>
>