How ducts get rusty. Debris buildup in your duct work over time and along with the changes in climate and levels of humidity; can cause mold and mildew to form inside the ducts, causing the ducts to get rusty, and eventually, break apart. If you have performed maintenance on your HVAC system but are still having problems, you could be in need of air duct repair. In a typical system, the fan or blower circulates air from the occupied space through the air filter, return grills, return ducting, heating or cooling coils, and through supply ducting into the occupied space.