Del and Rebecca Bartlett displaced after Sandusky home chemical contamination
Del Bartlett and Rebecca Bartlett cannot live in their Sandusky home after finding dangerous chemicals inside. They blame the chemical issues on a new air conditioner installation. An odd smell forced the family out during the same week of the purchase.
The couple spent thousands of dollars on the system in July 2025. They had lived in the house for six years prior to the installation. The family noticed problems the evening after technicians put in the unit.
“My wife got sick, started to get chest pain. There was a cough. I could smell something bizarre as soon as I came in,” Del said.
The couple opened windows to air out the residence and left. They turned off the cooling unit and bought air purifiers. The sickness and odor continued upon their return.
The residents conducted multiple tests inside the property. Rebecca said testers found 60 chemicals inside the home along with compounds from the BTEX group.
“There’s a group of chemicals called the BTEX group. It means benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. These things should not be in a residential living room at all,” Rebecca said.
The couple suspects a specific component caused the problem. They believe workers reused 17-year-old tubing original to the Sandusky house.
“The tubing was original to the house, so it was the 17-year-old tubing that was reused, and it just so happens that the old oil and the new oil don’t go together,” Rebecca Bartlett said.
Rebecca Bartlett served in the U.S. Air Force with hazardous materials experience. She spent the past year researching the issue. She contacted Erie County, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and Environmental Consultants of Ohio.
“I have filed a petition with the federal EPA to mandate that when they install these new systems in homes, that they make sure that they are not able to reuse any of the existing infrastructure. That they have to replace everything. And if they replace everything, then this would not have happened,” Rebecca Bartlett said.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency reviews citizen petitions regarding chemical safety rules and industry guidelines. Environmental consulting firms conduct air quality evaluations for private residences and businesses. Local health departments often review environmental complaints.
The Sandusky residents are working with Environmental Consultants of Ohio for a third test. They do not know when the testing will happen.
