Fiberglass safety
#1
06-24-01, 05:12 PM
I just had central heat and air put in and the loose fiberglass insulation from the attic came through the holes in the ceiling.
According to an article on your site, "Some observers contend that fiberglass particles can cause cancer if inhaled..."
Do any observcrs say it doesn't cause cause cancer?
I don't know how to get rid of all of the particles that have gathered everywhere and I haven't been wearing a dust mask while trying to clean it up. Some of it was in large pieces I could see, but it's surely around here unseen, too.
Might it come through the vents now that they're installed?
What's the safest thing to do?
According to an article on your site, "Some observers contend that fiberglass particles can cause cancer if inhaled..."
Do any observcrs say it doesn't cause cause cancer?
I don't know how to get rid of all of the particles that have gathered everywhere and I haven't been wearing a dust mask while trying to clean it up. Some of it was in large pieces I could see, but it's surely around here unseen, too.
Might it come through the vents now that they're installed?
What's the safest thing to do?
#2
06-24-01, 09:02 PM
Admin Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 1998
Location: The Shake and Bake State USA
Posts: 9,927
Upvotes: 0
Received 6 Upvotes
on
5 Posts
Hello Sondra
Your first paragraph concerns me and caught my attention.
Your last sentence I can answer easily, "Don't Inhale".
Those HOLES in the CEILING wouldn't mean the furnace is in a closet, which I suspect.
I think your referring to the air vents in the ceiling when you state holes. If they are air vents they should have a screen in them and should be rectangular and not round.
If the above is correct, there should not be any blockage of these air vents. If there is, either the furnace installers need to return and clear the vents or you may have to do it.
If the furnace is in a closet, not only will there be vents in the ceiling, but also down low at the base inside the closet in the walls. These also must be cleared of any insulation etc. Neither upper nor lower vents should have any blockage or restrictions.
Best method is to cover your nose and mouth with a painters paper mask, remove the insulation from the vents by going into the attic. You can vacuum up any insulation dust particles and toss the vac bag.
The chances of you getting cancer from the insulation dust in your home is small to nil. Lots of scare tactics and very few actual cases of cancer for the single one time event. If you worked with it daily, yes, your chances would be at extremely high risk.
Regards & Good Luck
Forum Moderator
Tom_Bartco
Energy Conservation Consultant & Natural Gas Appliance Diagnostics Technician.
Your first paragraph concerns me and caught my attention.
Your last sentence I can answer easily, "Don't Inhale".
Those HOLES in the CEILING wouldn't mean the furnace is in a closet, which I suspect.
I think your referring to the air vents in the ceiling when you state holes. If they are air vents they should have a screen in them and should be rectangular and not round.
If the above is correct, there should not be any blockage of these air vents. If there is, either the furnace installers need to return and clear the vents or you may have to do it.
If the furnace is in a closet, not only will there be vents in the ceiling, but also down low at the base inside the closet in the walls. These also must be cleared of any insulation etc. Neither upper nor lower vents should have any blockage or restrictions.
Best method is to cover your nose and mouth with a painters paper mask, remove the insulation from the vents by going into the attic. You can vacuum up any insulation dust particles and toss the vac bag.
The chances of you getting cancer from the insulation dust in your home is small to nil. Lots of scare tactics and very few actual cases of cancer for the single one time event. If you worked with it daily, yes, your chances would be at extremely high risk.
Regards & Good Luck
Forum Moderator
Tom_Bartco
Energy Conservation Consultant & Natural Gas Appliance Diagnostics Technician.
#3
06-24-01, 09:16 PM
Tom
Thanks for the quick reply.
When I said holes in the ceiling, I meant the installers made holes in the ceiling of each room where they later installed the vents, and lots of pieces of the fiberglass came out. The installers cleaned up most of it the next day, and some was left that I cleaned up (sans dust mask).
If you think the dust left over isn't much to worry about, I won't let my paranoia run too far away with me. I guess it's not worse than living near a freeway or sitting at my monitor and other things I could spend my time worrying about.
Thanks for the quick reply.
When I said holes in the ceiling, I meant the installers made holes in the ceiling of each room where they later installed the vents, and lots of pieces of the fiberglass came out. The installers cleaned up most of it the next day, and some was left that I cleaned up (sans dust mask).
If you think the dust left over isn't much to worry about, I won't let my paranoia run too far away with me. I guess it's not worse than living near a freeway or sitting at my monitor and other things I could spend my time worrying about.
