At Home Comfort Experts, we are in and out of a lot of homes. We see dozens and dozens of furnaces and air conditioners, and thousands of feet of ductwork.
Ductwork is one of the most ignored areas of your heating and cooling system. In many homes, we find ductwork systems that are installed or maintained improperly. The result? Wasted energy.
You Could Be Losing 30% of What You Pay For
Did you know that in a typical house, about 20% to 30% of the air that is moving through the ducts is lost due to leaks, holes, and poor connections? When you consider that HALF of your energy bills go to heating and cooling your home, that’s a lot of money to be wasting. Ducts that run through unconditioned spaces, such as attics, crawl spaces, and unheated basements and garages, are the biggest energy wasters.
Related Read: Vacationing? Set Your Thermostat for Savings and Comfort
Symptoms of Faulty Ductwork
Faulty ductwork, and the energy loss that accompanies it, will make your home uncomfortable. Here are symptoms of bad ductwork you should look for in your home.:
● High utility bills all year long
● Stuffy rooms that never seem to feel comfortable
● Flexible ducts that are kinked or tangled
● Ducts that are located in attics, crawl spaces, or the garage
● Rooms that are hot in the summer months and cold in the winter months
Problem Areas to Look for in Your Home’s Ductwork
So, how do you know where your home is losing energy? Look for gaps where individual sections of your ductwork are connected to each other. Check for holes in the tubing. Also, check the connections at vents and registers where they meet the floors, walls, and ceiling. These are all common spots for leaks and disconnected ductwork. Seal any that you find with mastic tape.
Related Read: 7 Heating and Cooling & Plumbing Myths – Busted!
Don’t Use Duct Tape
You would think that duct tape, simply by the nature of its name, would be the tape of choice for sealing ducts. You would be wrong. Actually, duct tape, despite its name, does not seal ducts well. After a few months, it will lose its grip and air will leak around it. Mastic tape or foil tape are designed to seal ducts does a much better job.