Duct Sealing: Keep the Cool Air Flowing When Summer’s at its Hottest

Duct Sealing: Keep the Cool Air Flowing When Summer’s at its Hottest

Poor duct work sealing might be causing all kinds of problems in your home without you even knowing about it. If your home was built in the 1980s or earlier, the duct work was probably never sealed properly to begin with. Energy conservation wasn’t a big concern and duct work was often connected with hex head screws that just kept the runs from coming apart.

Improper duct sealing can reduce the efficiency of a heating and cooling system up to 20 percent. Sealing and insulating duct runs increases efficiency and reduces energy bills while also helping to eliminate hot and cold spots in the home. Conditioned air that ends up somewhere other than flowing through the vents can cost you. Sealing your ducts will allow your air conditioner to operate less which will extend its lifetime as well.

Duct sealing energy saving tips needs to start where the registers meet the walls and ceiling. This is one of the most common places for leaks to occur. It doesn’t do any good to get the cold air to the register just to have it cool the inside of the walls there. Other major areas to check are in open attic spaces. When you find a leak, don’t use duct tape to seal it up; this is a temporary fix that will eventually come loose due to changing temperatures flexing the ducts. Instead use mastic sealant or metal tape.

Lost efficiency is not the only reason to fix your ductwork. If you have leaks that let air out, they also let air in. The air that gets pulled in is usually from the attic or the runs between the walls. This can be full of all kinds of particles from household pet dander, to pest control chemicals and insulation to the feces of dust mites – the number one cause of indoor allergies.

For more expert advice about how duct sealing can help you have a more comfortable and cost effective summer, contact us at Air-Tro, Inc. We’ve been keeping Pasadena area residents comfortable all year round since 1969.