It’s easy to take your home’s ductwork for granted—after all, it’s out of sight and seems to do a good job delivering heat and air conditioning to your rooms. But did you know that a typical house loses about 20 percent of its conditioned air before it ever gets delivered? Many homes’ ductwork has holes, bad connection points, or other spots where air leaks out. Don’t pay money to heat and cool your attic. Have your ducts sealed and enjoy long-term reductions in your utility bills.
There are a number of clues that point to leaking ducts. You may have noticed stuffy rooms, dusty rooms, or rooms that are difficult to keep cool. Perhaps your utility bills are excessively high. Your ducts may appear kinked or dented, or maybe they’re inaccessible and haven’t been examined in years. Your air registers and grilles could be loose or ill-fitting
. If any of these things apply in your home, a professional can test the ducts and look for leaks.
A quality professional should inspect every inch of your ducts, and replace damaged sections where necessary. He should seal all connection points and leaks with metal tape, an aerosol sealant or mastic. Grilles and registers should be sealed and secured. Careful attention should be paid to combustion appliances to ensure that dangerous carbon monoxide back-drafting cannot occur. Ducts located in unfinished spaces such as basements and attics should be insulated to maximize energy efficiency. Finally, an airflow test should be performed after sealing, to make sure the work was done correctly.
With the right tools and patience, you can perform some of these steps yourself. At minimum, tightly secure and seal all leakage spots, connection points, grilles and registers. You can wrap attic and basement ducts in insulation for added benefits. Any steps you can take to seal your ductwork will go a long way toward improving the air quality in your home and reducing your energy bills.
To learn more about ductwork’s role in your HVAC system, or to have your ducts sealed professionally, contact Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning. We’ve been part of the Twin Cities community since 1974.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about having your ducts sealed and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning services Minnesota’s Twin Cities. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!