Leaky Ducts Can Drive Up Your Heating & AC Costs

Does any of the following ring a bell:

• Certain rooms do not heat or cool as well as other areas of your home.
• Your energy bills seem high, maybe even crazy high.
• You have excessive dust issues in your home.

If so, the problem might not be your heating or cooling system, but the duct work that delivers conditioned air to your living spaces.  A Department of Energy report states that a typical duct system loses 25-30% of the air put out by your air conditioner or furnace. Beyond the obvious comfort issues this creates, you also end up paying more to heat and cool your home since your comfort systems have to work that much harder to deliver the desired temperature settings.

How to Fix the Problem

At Comfort Air, we can precisely measure the amount of air leakage and where it’s coming from.  But before you call us in, you might want to visually inspect your ductwork first.

It may take some climbing around with a flashlight, but try to follow each duct out from the furnace/air handler to the room it serves. If your ducts aren’t insulated, you’ll be able to spot  gaps, holes, drooping sections, damaged/crushed areas or disconnected ducts.

On the other hand, just because gaps are not visible doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Turn the fan to “on” at your thermostat and put a tissue near each duct joint in your attic.  If the tissue moves, air is leaking.

If your ductwork is insulated, look for dirty spots on the insulation. That’s another telltale sign indicating a leak.  In this instance, the insulation is serving as a filter catching particles in the air, which is what causes the stain.  At Comfort Air, we can remove the insulation, repair the leaking ductwork with duct sealant and reinsulate it for you.

Since as much as 30% of the efficiency of your system is a result of your duct work, overlooking duct improvements can affect your comfort and cost you money—even with a new HVAC system.

Don’t feel like you’re getting the full benefit of what your heating and cooling systems have to offer?  Then contact Comfort Air today and we’ll inspect your entire system for you, including the duct work, and recommend (as appropriate) any improvements certain to increase your family’s comfort OR decrease your monthly energy costs.