Small white flakes coming from my duct work in the ceiling ?

[Jerrymfrese]

We bought a 2018 27ft “Flying Cloud” “New”. We have been on the road for about 2 months. Every time we turn our Heat Pump or air conditioning on, small white flakes come flying out of the duct work. (As you know the duct work and vents are in the ceiling).
The airstream store we bought it from says this normal and it will quit. (It has been 2 months, it is still coming out ! You have to cover your food, coffee etc.
Has Anyone else experienced this ?
What is it and did it ever quit?
These are small white flakes not small styrofoam balls. The reason I bring this up is that is what the airstream store ask me.
ANY THOUGHTS??
Thanks for any help.

[rowiebowie]

First, welcome to the forum!

As to your problem, are you hearing any rubbing of your blower fan when it's running? I ask because the only thing I can figure is contact between the blower and surrounding insulation (possibly styrofoam) is shaving off the little pieces you're seeing.
.

[Jerrymfrese]

Thank You for your thoughts. One thing that puzzles me is the store that I purchased the new airstream from said that this is typical. I will continue to try to get this figured out with the airstream techs.
Thanks again.

[DSteed]

Originally Posted by Jerrymfrese

We bought a 2018 27ft “Flying Cloud” “New”. We have been on the road for about 2 months. Every time we turn our Heat Pump or air conditioning on, small white flakes come flying out of the duct work. (As you know the duct work and vents are in the ceiling).
The airstream store we bought it from says this normal and it will quit. (It has been 2 months, it is still coming out ! You have to cover your food, coffee etc.
Has Anyone else experienced this ?
What is it and did it ever quit?
These are small white flakes not small styrofoam balls. The reason I bring this up is that is what the airstream store ask me.
ANY THOUGHTS??
Thanks for any help.

Huh, small white flakes?????
2018 Flying Cloud:::: 10 years younger then my Little 27 fbt, Special edition Safari code name (Journey).....
Jealousy::::[emoji854]

Ok we were discussing what? Oh White flakes coming out of air vents.....the type that is extremely quiet .... unlike my Turbo prop Roof air.. (Jealousy again.)

Ok, here is the real answer on the snow flakes... they are actually small white flowers, better know as Edelweiss.
They are soft and white and have a slight smell of garlic.

The good news is they will disappear as soon as your three year warranty expires. (Jealousy)for the last time.

My last thought is to step up to a 30 foot Classic in early 2021, and then all your problems will be resolved.

[emoji15]

[Jekerrville]

Try to trap a bit of the flakes and see if it is metal. The air plenum is made of aluminum foil coated insulation. Sometimes the foil will break into very small pieces and go airborne. The Polyisocyanurate foam facing will dry out and flake and cause little flakes to come out of vents.

This type of insulation is NOT recomended for air handling, but that does not preclude its use when in a big damn hurry to get the vehicle out the door.

Just a guess.

[Tomzstream]

I started a similar thread a year or so ago. Our 2016 23ft FB Serenity started doing this after we had the AC replaced under warranty. It is almost a plasticized dust and the consensus was it was indeed the duct channel material that had been roughed up a bit. We bought an air purifier to ensure that the finer particles did not get in our lungs, but the larger particles just settled out quickly. It did pretty much resolve itself after a couple of uses. More a nuisance than anything else. It was worst in the rear, which in our trailer was over the dinette.

[DSteed]

Ok, I was trying to be funny.... hope you get rid of the Flakes...[emoji854]

[3wd67rg]

Could be worse I suppose, could be asbestos. But then maybe 30 years from now they will tell us us this is just like that.

[Jerrymfrese]

Your thoughts make sense, most of the white flakes are very fine dust, so fine that When you try to sweep them of the sofa into a dust pan they disintegrate. Every once in a while a larger piece come out. Larger meaning a shy 1/8 of an inch.
Thank you for your thoughts.

[smithcreek]

Is there ductwork anywhere in the system that is some kind of pvc or other white plastic pipe? Any time I've cut pvc pipe with a chop saw the shavings pick up a static charge that makes them stick to the piece of pipe you just cut. You need to blow them off the pipe with compressed air or they will stay on/in the pipe until something makes them come off like turning on the AC or furnace.

[DSteed]

Originally Posted by Jerrymfrese

Your thoughts make sense, most of the white flakes are very fine dust, so fine that When you try to sweep them of the sofa into a dust pan they disintegrate. Every once in a while a larger piece come out. Larger meaning a shy 1/8 of an inch.
Thank you for your thoughts.

I wonder if you could take a shop vac and try vacuuming the vent closet to air unit while it is running.?
You could also remove the vents and try vacuuming the entire system.

Did you ever say you could hear any strange noise while it is doing this ?

Worth a try, but while your under warranty, call Jackson Center and see what they think it could be and if it is going to be a problem.

It is a new unit and should not be doing this, sooo do not listen to some one saying this is normal. As much as we pay for our silver bullets these type things make you upset, and rightly so.

Just my serious thoughts, good luck.

ps did you ever check to see if they flakes were small flowers.
[emoji854]

[Jerrymfrese]

Originally Posted by DSteed

I wonder if you could take a shop vac and try vacuuming the vent closet to air unit while it is running.?
You could also remove the vents and try vacuuming the entire system.

Did you ever say you could hear any strange noise while it is doing this ?

Worth a try, but while your under warranty, call Jackson Center and see what they think it could be and if it is going to be a problem.

It is a new unit and should not be doing this, sooo do not listen to some one saying this is normal. As much as we pay for our silver bullets these type things make you upset, and rightly so.

Just my serious thoughts, good luck.

ps did you ever check to see if they flakes were small flowers.
[emoji854]

Thank you for your thoughts. I will stay on this until it is fixed.

[Alces2]

Welcome! We also picked up new trailer this spring. We had exactly the same thing happening. Still not sure what it is but can tell you that it has seemingly stopped. Though we also haven’t been running the AC the last few trips so will keep eye on this next Spring. Please update if you find the source.

[FarFetched]

Didn't happen with our 2018 Int'l 27FBQ at all, and regardless, 2 months is way too long for that to work itself out. Sounds like the dealer is hoping the warranty will expire before you insist on them finding the problem. I'd push back hard on that.

[smithcreek]

As I said before, it's just some shavings from cut plastic left in the ductwork. Don't lose sleep over it.

[Tim A.]

Different thread, same subject: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f44/...st-189576.html

If your shavings look like those in that thread, they are most probably just cuttings from drilling through plastic.

Tim

[Overstreet]

Huh? Not typical for my 2018 Classic.

The vacuum idea is worth a try. We used to protect air-handlers by taping filter media over return air vents. You could do otherwise at the diffusers blowing over the food. But that is only a temporary fix.

[brick1]

Not normal. Except for the International Cocain Edition. Maybe contact Jackson Center or the DEA?
brick