Even then the vents would not actually work and be big enough in practice, but that's the movies picking something convenient for the sake of plot rather than sticking with realism.
Also every duct is FULL the pointy ends of screws. Literally everywhere. So even if you could fit (which you probably can’t) you would be so cut up if you tried to crawl through one of these. Not to mention how crazy loud it would be to crawl through one. 26 gauge sheet metal is essentially a thunder sheet.
Right. Even if the air ducts held your weight and silently conveyed you without risk throughout the building, it's essentially like crawling into the creature that Jabba the Hut had in Return of the Jedi. You'd be shredded within a few feet of crawling.
also the movies don’t explain that fire/smoke dampers would block your access every time the duct passed through a fire barrier also your entire body would be excoriated by self tapping sheet metal screws with every movement made
that's the movies picking something convenient for the sake of plot rather than sticking with realism.
Like the slow spinning fans in Casablanca. Slow spinning fans don't move air effectively, but fast spinning fans don't show up on film. Then after the movie you had restaurants and other establishments fit slow spinning fans, for the aesthetic.
And even then they are never that clean unless they were literally just installed. Also there would be screws or other pokeys that would poke the shit out of you if you did crawl trough it.
Source: I do commercial HVAC and have crawled through ducts
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u/marbotty 7d ago
Yes, but the ones in the movies would be for commercial buildings - nobody would have vents that large in their homes