Bathroom Fan Duct Replacement
Bird nest removal from a bathroom fan vent duct can be tricky. These ducts are usually made of cheap, flimsy materials. They are only designed to handle clean air, not animals and heavy cleaning processes. They are easy to damage and hard to clean completely. Sometimes it is better to just replace the duct than attempt to clean it.
If the bathroom is on the top floor of the home, the work is usually in the attic. If the bathroom is on a lower level, it usually requires cutting open the ceiling. Replacing the duct is the best option if there are foul odors, it is damaged beyond repair, or is infected with bird mites.
Smelly bird nest in a bathroom fan duct
Brand New Bathroom Fan Ducts Installed
Birds Damage Bathroom Fan Vent ducts
Birds can cause a lot of damage in bathroom fan vent ducting. Bathroom fan ducts are typically made of a thin plastic bag or aluminum foil type material that isn’t designed for sticks and claws and beaks. It also isn’t designed to be cleaned aggressively with tools. Even if the bird nest can be cleaned out, it can be difficult to clean off the bird droppings without tearing the duct.
Birds cause the following damage to bathroom fan vents:
Tear holes in the ducting
Disconnect the ducting from the fan
Dead birds decompose and make the vent smell bad
Bird poop accumulates in the duct and smells bad
Birds or nest material gets in the bathroom fan and breaks the fan
Disconnect the ducting from the outside vent cover – can roam the entire ceiling area or attic
Smelly bathroom fan duct with crusted bird feces
Torn Bathroom Fan Duct in attic
when to replace a bathroom fan duct:
We recommend replacing the bathroom fan duct if the birds have made a significant mess that will be difficult to clean properly.Â
Factors to consider:
- How long have the birds been nesting in the bathroom vent? The longer they have been in there, the more nesting material and droppings there will be. It’s also more likely that the duct is already torn or disconnected from the fan.
- How bad is the smell? Musty nest smells are pretty easy to get rid of, but decomposed dead birds and a large amount of crusted up bird feces can be difficult to eliminate.
- If we attempt to clean the duct and then end up having to replace it anyway, you end up paying more.
- Are there bird mites in the duct?
Our technicians have the experience to assess the situation and provide recommendations on the best way to handle your situation.
Disconnected bathroom fan duct. Bird nest on ceiling.
Plastic bathroom fan duct torn by birds
Benefits of replacing the bathroom fan duct
Complete elimination of foul odors
Complete removal of bacteria and parasites
Peace of mind that your home is sanitary
To read more about how we clean bathroom fan vents, check out our bird removal from a bathroom fan vent service.