Aluminum Foil Works Wonders

[Troy Farmer]

I did this duplex last week and found the duct work to be quite odd, I thought at first they were popping jiffy pop popcorn I then soon realized that the whole entire duct system was wrapped with of all things aluminum foil. it was a very extensive wrap.

I found out why it was wrapped today, it turns out the owner was trying to hide the fact that the entire system was rusting through and their were holes everywhere. So let this be a good lesson if it looks weird and smells like popcorn there must be something wrong. I wonder if the owner owned stock in aluminum foil, ya think??. Or better yet here is a thought could they have had a growing operation in the ducting?? Or could it have been aliens taking over?? when it comes down to it its just freakin wierd.

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

Cheap azz homeowner...didn't even use the good stuff !!!

[Troy Farmer]

Actually there were several empty Reynolds as well.
but not to rain on your parade it wasn't heavy duty..

[Russel Ray]

I had the same situation with this ol' octopus.

[Troy Farmer]

Russ yours looks like the insulated version though??
mine was just over metal

[Steven C. Waskewicz]

Nice of them to leave the box, for identification...

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by tfarmer

Russ yours looks like the insulated version though??
mine was just over metal

That octopus is from 1938 and was still going strong. It had been "insulated" by the homeowner using fiberglass batts from Home Depot and then covered with aluminum foil. He did disclose that he started doing it because the metal ducts were leaking and he didn't have the money to replace the whole system.

This is the house that it was in, built by the seller in 1938. When I did the inspection, he was downsizing because, at the age of 93, he could no longer navigate all the stairs in the house. That house was also my first basement inspection. Including the basement, it had four stories and, due to its age, took me forever to inspect. Wood, brick, basement, steep roof--have never had another inspection like that one!

Add to that that the house was out in Alpine and I did the inspection during tourist season, so it took three hours to drive out there and five hours to drive back. I charge extra, a lot extra, to go to Alpine during tourist season when all the Phoenix visitors increase San Diego County's population by another million or so. I've already seen lots of Zonie license plates here, so tourist season must be starting earlier this year.