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Sunday, October 4, 2009
Duct Sealing Saves You Money30% of your heated or conditioned air could be in your attic or crawl space
Your homes air distribution system is one of the most overlooked yet important systems
in your home. It is responsible for distributing the heating and cooling from your air conditioner to your home, filtering
the air you breathe, and keeping you comfortable year round. Most homeowners never give it a second thought as to how their house stays comfortable, but it is one system that should
be checked yearly. Air duct leakage is a huge
problem when it comes to energy savings. Up to 30% or more of your homes heating and cooling capacity is possibly being wasted.
This also results in your air conditioning system working longer and harder all year long, which results in more air conditioning
breakdowns and ac repairs. Think
about that, you are paying to make your attic or crawlspace comfortable and your air conditioner or heater is working
longer and harder. Most air distribution systems
are run through attics, in basements or in crawlspaces and usually out of site, which most of the time this means out of mind.
Here are some common problems that we find
in our routine inspections:
The most common problem we find is poor workmanship.
Usually when houses are built the installers of the air distribution system did not secure the ductwork properly. This results
in air leakage in both the supply and return ducts. We have seen
complete branch run outs that have been disconnected and blowing in the attic and the homeowner never realized this. If
they are not totally disconnected they usually are not sealed properly, resulting in large amounts of air loss. If ductwork leaks are present on the return side there
is the possibility of dirt, dust and fiberglass particles entering the air system from the attic insulation. We also find that rodents can cause damage and air leakage in your air distribution
system. We have seen situations where holes were chewed through the duct board and flex duct resulting in large air leaks
into the unconditioned area. They seem to like to be as comfortable as the homeowners. I
have also read that it is a way for the rodents to “create a water fountain”. The conditioned air leaking into
the unconditioned attic forms condensation which the rodents need to survive, so they create their own water fountain in the
summer. These problems could go on for years
if not inspected resulting in hundreds of dollars of wasted money going to your utility company. I would recommend having Air
Technology inspect your ductwork when they perform your bi annual tune ups on your air conditioning system. Most of these
problems can be fixed for a relatively small cost, and can really save you on your utility bills. Check out
this months special on our Famous
"27 Point Precision Tune Up"
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