Occasionally, when servicing a client’s ventilation system, our team finds cables inside the air ducts. This is becoming fairly commonplace since the ducts provide an out-of-sight location for the tendrils of lengthy cords. However, is this a clever hack or can it cause hidden damage?
The Issue with Running Cables Inside the Air Ducts
Air ducts are meant as a conduit for air, not wires. Inserting cables inside the ductwork may even violate building codes.
The reason we don’t advise this is because a technician can damage the cables during an air duct cleaning. This could render your phone line, Internet, and cable television out of service. When we clean ventilation shafts, we use a commercial rotary brush. The brush spins rapidly in a single direction. This can tangle, twist, mangle, and shred the cords, causing serious damage—both to the cables and the rotary brush. Continue Reading →