What to do if you find suspected asbestos during DIY

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

1. 1
   Buying an asbestos test kit from a hardware store to collect a sample
2. 2
   Wetting the material so fibers do not become airborne and wiping it off with a wet rag
3. 3
   Encapsulating the suspected material by painting over it with duct mastic
4. 4
   Calling a specialized asbestos remediation company directly instead of an HVAC contractor
5. 5
   Leaving the suspected equipment entirely undisturbed
6. 6
   Making professional abatement a condition of the home sale
7. 7
   Wetting down the insulation and wearing a respirator for DIY removal

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.