Oh my, that nasty smell could drive anyone out of their house! Doubt it could be a rodent in your HVAC air ducts? Unfortunately, a rodent dies in air conditioning system is a problem many homeowners face. Okay, let’s talk about how to get rid of dead animal smell coming from air vents.
How Do I Know the Bad Odor Is a Dead Rodent?
If you suspect that there is a dead rodent somewhere in your home, look for the following signs. It may be like a rancid odor that was not there before, or an odor that resembles the smell of rotten cabbage or a general smell of rot.
But when you run your home HVAC system, the odor encompasses the entire house at once, making the air unbearable. If the source of the odor is in the heating and cooling ductwork, you can’t help but smell it, oh sorry.
Is the odor of a dead animal from HVAC system toxic to humans?
Rotting bodies can release some methane and sulfur dioxide, which in small doses are not dangerous to humans. Sulfur dioxide can irritate respiratory organs and mucous membranes, but a small animal such as a squirrel, mouse or rat in HVAC ductwork cannot release dangerous amounts of these gases to humans.
If you dispose of the dead rodent reasonably quickly, no harm will come to your health. It is still worth opening the windows to ventilate when the dead body has been located in HVAC ducts.
Trust your nose to spot the problem in heating and cooling system
Well, since you have to smell that foul odor anyway, let’s turn it to your advantage. The human nose is sensitive enough to detect the point at which the odor is strongest. If you need to, stand on a chair or stepladder to locate the worst spot.
Still, you have two alternatives on how to detect a dead animal inside the ducts without using your own nose. Let me say right away that if you don’t like extra expense, you won’t like these.
First, consider buying a special decomposed gas detector that can make it easier for you to find a dead body in your HVAC ductwork. For a large cottage, this can really help!
Second, you can hire a HVAC technician who can do everything for you completely. Usually, HVAC professionals have just such a gas detection device. But they will have to work with their own hands too. Read the post to the end before you decide how best to get rid of the dead rodents odor.
What to Do about Dead Animals in My HVAC Ductwork
So, here’s our plan to save the indoor air quality of your home. With some precautions, you’ll have to remove the dead body from the ductwork, clean it up, and fix any leaks in your HVAC system. It’s also possible that the animal originally got into your attic, and you’ll be relevant to the topic Animals in the Attic. So, follow the step-by-step guide below.
Prepare the supplies you need to get rid of a dead animal in ductwork
When the location of the dead rat in HVAC ductwork (or mouse, whatever) is found, bring the supplies you will need soon to that room. For the sake of brevity, here’s a quick list:
- disposable gloves, better 2 pairs;
- thick plastic bag or two;
- sanitizer,
- rags,
- wire hanger,
- screwdriver (to open vent cover if necessary).
Take the dead carcass out of the HVAC ducts
When you’re all set, open the vent cover where the foul smell is strongest. You may need a screwdriver, but it depends on how your air ducts are arranged. Perhaps the dead rodent is in a hard to reach area of the air duct. Then you will need a hook, which can be made from a wire hanger, for example. But you may also have something more handy in your toolbox.
So, you definitely don’t want to touch a decaying body with your bare hands. You will also need a thick-walled plastic bag where you will remove the dead animal from HVAC system. Make sure your plastic bag is free of holes and damage, or just get two. That way you’ll be sure to keep the foul smell inside.
After removing the dead rodent, you will have to clean and disinfect the vent system. After Covid times, we all know how to use a sanitizer, but small animals can have worse things, including insects and parasites. Seriously, calling HVAC professional guys to help isn’t such a bad idea, I guess.
The situation is complicated by the fact that dried blood and other bodily fluids may be left behind after dead animals. All pieces of the dead rodent should be thoroughly cleaned out of the HVAC system and the body spot simply flooded with sanitizer.
All HVAC air ducts must be disinfected
The next step after you get rid of the carcass is to disinfect all the HVAC ducts. Yes, before the animal died, it had been living inside your heating and cooling system for some time.
You don’t want to take on this with your bare hands. If the first pair of gloves you used to pick up the dead animal has already gone to the trash, get a second pair. Anything that has come in contact with a dead body should either be discarded or sanitized.
Make a thorough inspection of all the HVAC ducts from the inside. You may find rodent droppings, dried blood or other traces of the animal’s presence. A dead animal in ductwork can become a source of contagion, spreading harmful diseases with conditioned air throughout your home.
Thoroughly clean everything you can and do not spare the sanitizer. However, you don’t necessarily have to handle all of this yourself, sometimes just a call to a professionally certified HVAC company is enough to get a general cleaning by professional hands.
Figure out how the animal got into the duct work
When you inspect your heating and cooling ductwork, you may find places where rodents have damaged insulation, wiring, or the ducts. Be sure to find the rodent’s entry points! Thoroughly seal all rodent entry points so that this horror never happens again.
An animal trapped in a HVAC ductwork maze can cause a lot of trouble. You may need to repair or replace some parts of the system. There are many building materials available now that are beyond the reach of mice and rats.
If you choose to hire a HVAC company to remove the smell of a dead animal, these same guys can immediately calculate how much this unanticipated repair will cost you. No one likes unexpected expenses, but the good news is that HVAC technicians usually have enough parts on hand to get it over with right away.
HVAC Ductwork Holes Must Be Plugged
To prevent new rodents from entering, it’s important to seal all entry points in your HVAC ductwork. But there is a second reason why all leaky ducts should be repaired.
HVAC ductwork damage prevents system from working efficiently. Because of leaks, the equipment will try to handle more air volume than it is designed for. This can cause the unit to overheat and use more energy, which of course will reduce its energy efficiency. Here’s a related post for you: Air Duct Replacement Costs vs Repair.
At the slightest doubt, contact a HVAC technician, because a small repair will be cheaper than replacing the equipment if it fails. In home estimate, the pros can determine if the HVAC requirements are violated. By the way, it is not superfluous to perform maintenance services at once.
To cheer you up a bit, here’s a video on how to deal with a lot of small duct leaks the modern way. Here’s this video by This Old House:
FAQ How To Get Rid of A Dead Animal Smell from Air Vents
Why do my vents smell like dead animal?
It is possible that your nose is not failing you and a rodent really has died inside your heating and cooling ducts. Hire an HVAC company or here’s a DIY plan: Find the place where the odor is strongest.
Find the place where the odor is strongest.
Open the nearest vent and look inside.
If that’s inconvenient, take a video inside the vent using a flashlight.
If you find a dead rodent, assess whether it is feasible to remove it.
Prepare a wire hook or stick to reach the body.
With a gloved hand, place the carcass in a heavy plastic bag.
Clean and disinfect not only the find site but also the entire system.
Locate the rodent entry point and repair it, if possible.
Check for damaged vent, equipment or wiring.
Consult with HVAC companies on the best replacement system if damage is extensive.
Why is there a bad smell coming from my vents?
There are several reasons for the bad smell coming from the ventilation, for example, mold has formed there, or some small animals have settled there, or maybe one of them died inside of the vent. If the smell resembles rotten cabbage or something putrid, then most likely you have to get rid of a dead rodent in your ventilation.
Whatever it is, don’t use your vents just yet or you risk spreading the bad odor throughout your home with the conditioned air. Take a sniff of where the smell is strongest and investigate. It may be the body of a deceased animal that is the cause of the bad odor coming from the vent.
At the slightest suspicion that there is an animal inside the vent system, call the HVAC professional guys immediately. You may save the rodent’s life and save yourself a lot of money and effort. A live or dead rat in your ventilation system is a risk of system damage and costly repairs.
How do you know if an animal is in a vent?
Perhaps you’ve heard a strange scratching noise in the walls or ceiling before, and now there’s a nasty odor coming from the vents? Unfortunately, sometimes the vent becomes a trap for small animals and they die inside. If this happens, be sure to consult a HVAC technician on how to remove the body from the vent and whether your system now requires maintenance services.
How long does it take for a dead animal to stop smelling?
A dead mouse, rat, or other small animal can emit decomposing body odor for up to 10 weeks, 6 of which it will be quite strong. This is exactly when you should call a HVAC technician to deal with the problem.