Blocked/crushed warm air pipe

[Mike800966]

I wonder if anyone has been able to open up a damaged section of warm air pipe, the brown paper like corrugated pipe?.
I suspect mine was damaged in manufacture and crushed but its behind the water tank and then , where its damaged is underneath the gas locker about 1.5m from the nearest vent. A lot of dismantling to get at it- thats why weve never tried properly before!
Just a thought, been looking at drain stents and systems using epoxy resin but I should think this might respond to just balloon pressure or perhaps a modified inner tube section
Any ideas

 

[Landy Andy]

Can you not just release each end, slide out, reshape and slide back? Or are the end connections hidden.
Another possibility is something like a “winbag” but you may need to lengthen the tube.

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[Two on Tour]

If the ducting is not still being obstructed by what crushed it, then I would find a small solid ball that would go down the ducting with slight clearance, something like a ball for a dog.
Drill a hole through the ball and pull a cord through the ball long enough plus some to go the length of the duct. Have enough cord on the other side of the ball in case it gets stuck and you need to pull it back.
Tie a large knot on either side of the ball to locate it in the cord.
I would now use an electrician draw tape to get down from one end of the ducting to the other, tie on the cord and pull it back along the ducting.
Now you can pull the ball along the ducting to open up the crushed area.

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[Reallyretired]

When I had this problem I could access both ends so pulled the duct through with a new length of duct attached. In my case it went under the water tank amongst other obstructions.

 

[Mike800966]

Pipe run is under water tank, removable, under gas locker floor, solid, then under wardrobe.
So perhaps I might be able to get in at wardrobe in as well as the outlets.
Thinking of buying a video attachment for mobile phone, they are very cheap on ebay to see exactly what problem and how far along and then perhaps modifying a piece of cycle inner tube as a stent, screwfix idea looks possible depending on the shape
thanks all
mike

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[TheBig1]

On previous vans I have repaired blown air ducting, by cutting out the bad bit and sleeving with plastic pipe of the right size, like gutter downpipe.

 

[Mike800966]

Thanks all for the interesting ideas. I've now found someone with a pipe video so I will take a closer look.
As I said, I think was crushed when being installed but it would be nice to get the heat all the way along to right by where we sit.
Will report back and thanks again
Mike & Ann

 

[TheBig1]

if it is crushed under the tank, you can use the flat ducting as used in suspended ceilings for fans and adaptors. This would remove the restriction

 

[pappajohn]

You'll probably find it's still being crushed by whatever as it's been laid in the wrong place during construction and trapped

 

[Burgo]

Cut a bike inner tube by the valve. Seal each end, poke it through and inflate it (thinking like a really long stent) to open it back up?

Block one end and blow into the other so it reflates?

Tie a small piece of rag to some string or fishing line. Use a vacuum cleaner to suck it through to the other end. Then tie a lump of cloth a tad smaller than the conduit to the end and pull it through, opening up the conduit as it goes. You can pull it back and forth until its free running?

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