January 15, 2013
Now that you’ve got an energy-efficient heat pump and air conditioner, you’ll see your utility bills plummet, right?
Maybe not!
It does not matter how energy efficient your HVAC system is if the heated or cooled air isn’t properly transported around your home due to leaks in your air ducts.
These leaks are, in a sense, “leaking money” because your HVAC system needs to run longer to deliver the amount of cooled or heated air to your home to achieve the temperature you want.
To help you save money, we’ll show you the signs of leaky air ducts, how to fix them, and then how to know if you need a professional or not.
Ways to determine you have leaky air ducts include having:
Do you have some parts of your home that never seem to heat or cool properly? You could have a major leak that keeps air from being properly transported to the room.
You might feel paranoid when you dust your home, only to turn around and see it’s dusty again. However, leaky ducts suck in dust, dirt, and other contaminants and blow them out through the vents in your home.
While high utility bills are caused by many factors, if you’ve fixed everything else and the bills continue to be high, your air ducts might be the problem. If your air ducts can’t transport air properly around your home, your heating and cooling system has to work longer, which requires more energy and therefore more money.
If you have noticed these symptoms, check the air ducts that you have access to and get them sealed.
Seal your air ducts by following these simple steps
Turn on your heating system.
Locate your air ducts. You’ll typically find them in attics and crawl spaces.
Feel around your air ducts until you feel where hot is escaping. Look for black marks since these are visual signs of leaks. Make sure to check the connections at vents and registers where they meet the floor, walls, and ceiling.
Seal the leaks with mastic sealant. This is a liquid that is used to join surfaces together while remaining flexible even after it dries. This allows it to move as your ducts expand and contract during hot and cold season respectively. Do NOT use duct tape. Even though it’s called DUCT tape, it won’t be a permanent solution to sealing air ducts.
While we applaud those who want to seal their own air ducts, many of your ducts are hidden in your walls, ceiling, attic, and basement, making it hard for you to locate and seal leaks.
So, if you’ve tried to seal your air ducts, but the signs of air duct leaks persist, you should call a professional duct sealing company.
They will ensure a complete sealing of air ducts in your Florida home by using a special fan before and after sealing. This will locate all the leaks and ensure that all your air ducts are fully repaired.