Ducts are used in the HVAC system to circulate conditioned air throughout the home with a forced-air heating and cooling system. According to the Energy Star Website, however, about 30 percent of the air that moves through the duct system in a typical house is lost due to holes, leaks, and inadequately connected ducts. The result is higher energy bills and difficulty keeping the house comfortable, no matter how the thermostat is set.
How do I know that my home has poorly performing ducts?
Few signs that show leaky air ducts:
Abnormally high energy bills during winter & summer season.
You find some rooms that are difficult to heat or cool.
If you are dealing with stuffy, uncomfortable rooms in your home.
Your ductwork runs through basements, crawlspaces, garages, or attics.
You find tangled, loose, collapsed, or kinked flexible ducts.
Benefits Of Duct Sealing
A properly sealed & well-designed duct system can make your home energy-efficient and feel more comfortable & safer.
Comfort
Duct Sealing can solve common comfort problems such as rooms that are always too cold, too hot, or just too stuffy. To ensure that air is evenly dispersed throughout the home, a properly working duct system is required and can help too. A properly working duct system will help in removing inconsistent cooling/heating issues.
Indoor Air Quality
Insulation particles and dust can penetrate your duct system through household and garden chemicals fumes, leading to asthma and allergy health problems. Sealing off air leaks in the duct system reduces the risk of pollutants entering ducts and circulating through your home, thus improving indoor air quality.
Safety
Gas appliances such as water heaters, gas-fired furnaces, boilers, or clothes dryers usually vent (exhaust) combustion gases (like carbon monoxide) in your home through their ventilation systems. Leaky ductwork in your HVAC system may cause “backdrafting,” where these combustion compounds are drawn back into the living space rather than being released to the outdoors. By sealing leaks, you can mitigate this risk.
Save Money
Did you know that around 20-40 percent of your heating and cooling bills come from leaky air ducts? Yes, If insulation is fitted poorly in your homes, then it saps more energy than you realize, leaving you upset & confused with the high energy bills. Sealing air ducts will lower utility bills by allowing you better control of the energy usage in your home.
Protect The Environment
Energy used in our houses usually comes from burning fossil fuels at power plants, contributing to acid rain, global warming, and smog. Simply put, the lesser we use energy, the lesser the pollution release. By sealing ducts and reducing the amount of energy necessary to heat or cool your home comfortably, you can reduce the amount of air pollution generated.
Simple Steps To Improving Duct Performance
Repairing duct systems can be pretty tricky because they are often concealed in attics, walls, ceilings, and basements. But few things can improve duct performance in your home.
Some homeowners choose DIY on duct sealing.
Start by sealing air leaks and insulating all the ducts you can access (such as those in unfinished basements, attics, crawlspaces, and garages).
Duct tape is not long-lasting so avoid using them. Also, ensure that the connections at vents and registers are well-sealed to meet the floors, walls, and ceiling because these are some locations where you can find leaks and disconnected ductwork.
Choose HVAC Technician
While HVAC airflow problems have many causes, you can mitigate almost all them with regular preventive HVAC maintenance.
Here are some of the tasks your HVAC technician can perform to improve the HVAC airflow and duct performance in your space:
Perform HVAC airflow measurements and tests to determine the severity of the problem.
Clean or replace air filters
Clean the fan blades
Inspect and Adjust Engines
Inspect your pipelines for blockages or leaks
clean coils
Inspect your HVAC project and recommend modifications
The result is, if you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above of HVAC duct problems, have the system serviced before experiencing the last sign – system failure. Most HVAC contractors also repair ductwork.
