Third clogged blower motor this month, and I finally took the duct apart

Out on a house in Akron last week, the unit was humming but dead. Opened the access panel and there it was, a pillow of lint wrapped around the shaft like a burrito. I cleared it, but then it hit me that I've been doing this exact fix since March. So I popped the whole duct run off and found a bird's nest about 8 feet in. The homeowner told me they haven't had birds in the attic, but the evidence said otherwise. I ended up refusing to put it back until I sealed the vent cover with some new mesh. Cost them an extra $60 for parts and labor, but they were cool about it. How often do you guys actually dig into the duct vs just clearing the motor?

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joel_martinez27d ago

Man, at this point you're not an HVAC tech, you're a bird concierge. They probably think you're just their new property manager with that fancy mesh upgrade. But yeah, digging into the duct is rare for me unless the motor keeps dying or airflow feels like a dying hamster. Most of the time I just clear the motor and hope the universe sorts it out, which is basically ignoring the smoke alarm until the house burns down. You did the right thing though. Birds will absolutely rebuild, and that $60 is the cheapest therapy you'll ever get as a tech.