Spoiled milk in furnace ducts/ system

[RoscoPColtrane]

As a new owner we made the mistake of not completely locking the refrigerator door while on the road, causing milk to spill on the floor and into the furnace ducts. Now we have spoiled milk smell in the trailer and even a little bit outside near the tongue area I’ve noticed. I was thinking I could pour a little bit of vinegar mixed with water into the registers but I don’t want to make a bad situation worse. The other thought I had is that it would eventually dry out completely and just go away on its own. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated. Thanks.

[NH_Bulldog]

Adding more liquid will only make it worse. I think you might get cottage cheese by adding vinegar to milk. You could attack this two ways: one, pull the floor registers and clean in as far as you can and let the rest dry out and hope the smell goes away. Two, go underneath and drop the coroplast bottom to access the ducts and either replace the flex sections or remove, clean and dry then reinstall them.

[RoscoPColtrane]

Originally Posted by NH_Bulldog

Adding more liquid will only make it worse. I think you might get cottage cheese by adding vinegar to milk. You could attack this two ways: one, pull the floor registers and clean in as far as you can and let the rest dry out and hope the smell goes away. Two, go underneath and drop the coroplast bottom to access the ducts and either replace the flex sections or remove, clean and dry then reinstall them.

Good to know, NH_bulldog. I spoke to a few different local service shops and a mobile service provider about the situation today and came to the conclusion that I don’t want to spend the money to have it cleaned out so I am going to do it myself. I intend to do two things: 1) make a side to side cut in the underbelly plastic liner up front near the tongue which is where a pool seems to have settled and now hardened so I want to get that stuff out of there before I have a mold or other problem so I’m just going to spray some water up in there and scrape it and clean it out the best I can then 2) I’m going to make a second side-by-side cut where I’ve located the sheet metal ductwork underneath And make a small puncture in that sheet sheet metal enough for a garden hose then pour water into the three registers from inside and let it drain through the ducts and out the small hole which I will then repair using aluminum repair tape. It’s repairing the seams in the black UB liner I could use some advice on. One suggestion seems to be to use a thin, 1x3 strip of wood and several small flat head wood screws to repair the seam in a sandwich style. Sound reasonable?

[JRTJH]

I think Springdale has only a DARCO underbelly liner (think of a material similar to the blue plastic reinforced tarps only black). The "other material used for belly liners" is COROPLAST (corrugated plastic) so think of a black plastic corrugated cardboard sheet. Both of those materials adhere well to SCRIM tape. You'll need to clean the area you plan to apply the tape with 409 or Fantastic spray or a similar cleaner, let it dry thoroughly, then wipe the area with a rag saturated with rubbing alcohol. That will leave a clean surface to which the SCRIM tape will adhere well. Once the tape is applied, use a hair dryer to warm it and use a paint roller to "press it into place". That will assure a firm bond.

I would recommend the 4" wide SCRIM tape. That will allow for sufficient adhesion on both sides of the cut, even if the tape is applies "slightly off center". Here's one source: https://www.amazon.com/Mobile-Flex-P...s%2C178&sr=8-3

[QCMan]

Have you tried a dryer hose brush? Wrap a soft cloth around it an work it from one vent to the next starting at the last and working toward the heater. Make sure it is on securely so it does not come off in the vent. Apply some of your favorite cleaning solution to it and you should be good to go.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by RoscoPColtrane

Good to know, NH_bulldog. I spoke to a few different local service shops and a mobile service provider about the situation today and came to the conclusion that I don’t want to spend the money to have it cleaned out so I am going to do it myself. I intend to do two things: 1) make a side to side cut in the underbelly plastic liner up front near the tongue which is where a pool seems to have settled and now hardened so I want to get that stuff out of there before I have a mold or other problem so I’m just going to spray some water up in there and scrape it and clean it out the best I can then 2) I’m going to make a second side-by-side cut where I’ve located the sheet metal ductwork underneath And make a small puncture in that sheet sheet metal enough for a garden hose then pour water into the three registers from inside and let it drain through the ducts and out the small hole which I will then repair using aluminum repair tape. It’s repairing the seams in the black UB liner I could use some advice on. One suggestion seems to be to use a thin, 1x3 strip of wood and several small flat head wood screws to repair the seam in a sandwich style. Sound reasonable?

You mentioned "sheet metal duct", in my last 3 5th wheels the ONLY "sheet metal" was the plenum at the furnace, the rest was uninsulated dryer vent type duct, so be VERY careful shoving anything stiff/sharp in the duct.

[Ken / Claudia]

I think going to all that work, I would just buy new ducting and plan on replacing what has milk in it. You will likely do a better job than the factory rerouting and using only enough duct to get it connected. Most who have looked find way too much duct and bends that do not need to be there robbing you of better air flow and heat.

[RoscoPColtrane]

Thanks all, very helpful. So yesterday I opened up the UB liner and started pulling out the rotten caked milk soaked areas and pieces of insulation. I’m pretty sure I got 95 to 99% of it out and then I rinsed it out really good and I have been letting it dry the last two days. The next step is to go to Home Depot to buy some insulation, shove it in there and then use the scrim tape with a hairdryer and a paint roller as was suggested earlier to repair the seam but before I do that I plan to make a small incision in the sheet metal that’s now exposed in one of the ducts or to the Plenum and then rinse out with hot water From the metal ducts from inside and let it drain out the bottom and dry really good before I then repair that hole w aluminum tape and lastly attempt to repair the seam.

[RoscoPColtrane]

Update: so ended up getting the 4” wide SCRIM tape JRTJH suggested. I replaced the milk-infused insulation w new bought at Hm D. Before I stuffed it in, I flushed out the contaminated area from underneath and also the ducts from inside they the registers w hot water and a bit of bleach, which drained thru the am one inch square opening I’d punctured in the sheet metal from underneath. I let all that dry real good then I repaired the hole w aluminum tape and then cleaned the UB cut area w household cleaner and a second pass w alcohol and then used the tape w a hot air gun and a sm paint roller to make sure it had a good smooth strong adherence. It’s like new now. I forgot to mention that I ran my new ozone generator as a final step to ensure I’d taking of any remaining smell and it worked like a charm. No smell and you can barely tell the UB had even been cut. Does anyone need RV rotten milk contamination removal service? I accept Blanton’s as payment.

[JRTJH]

Thanks for the report on your project. It's good to know that members are able to do much of the work needed to keep their RV functional and operational. Now that you've "mastered the spoiled milk cleanup", let's hope that is a skill you'll never need to use again !!!!!

[Ken / Claudia]

Good job, sounds like doing it right was a lot of work, but likely not ever going to be a problem again.