Duct Sealing: How You’re Bound To Benefit

Duct Sealing: How You’re Bound To Benefit

In homes with a forced-air heating or cooling system, the ductwork serves as the vital pathway by which conditioned air travels outward from your furnace or air conditioner to all points in your home. Because all of the conditioned air used to keep your home comfortable must travel through the ductwork, there is an ongoing possibility of air and energy loss that will reduce the effectiveness of your system. As much as 20 percent of the air that flows through the duct network can be lost to leaks. If you have ductwork sections running through unconditioned areas of your house, such as uninsulated rooms or crawl spaces, the energy loss can quickly increase to as much as 60 percent.

To reduce these costly losses, make sure your ductwork is adequately sealed and insulated. A good seal will reduce air and energy losses at the joints where sections connect, and adequate insulation will prevent energy loss through the relatively thin metal of the ductwork itself. Duct sealing will also help keep you and your family safer; for example, a well-sealed ductwork system is less likely to pull exhaust gases such as carbon monoxide back into your home’s living spaces.

Check exposed ductwork in areas such as attics, basements, walls and garages. Remember that all sections of ductwork should fit tightly together, especially at elbows and branches. Check for and seal holes, cracks or gaps anywhere in the system. Seal connections with mastic, a sealant specially made for ducts, or metal tape. Make sure ducts are firmly connected to vents and registers where conditioned air enters your home.

Rigid fiberglass board insulation should be used for ducts with regular, rectangular shapes, and fiberglass roll insulation should be used for round ducts or ducts with unusual shapes.

Since 1969, Air-Tro Inc. has provided HVAC design, installation, repair and maintenance for customers in the greater Los Angeles area. Contact us today for more information on how duct sealing saves energy and money and how stopping ductwork leaks can make your home safer and more comfortable.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about ductwork and other HVAC topics, visit our website.

Air-Tro Inc. services the greater Los Angeles area as well as the metro areas of Riverside and San Bernardino County.