Most homes use a network of air ducts to deliver cooled and heated air throughout the rooms. These ducts are disguised from view in most places behind plaster, drywall, and floorboards. However, just because the ducts are out of sight doesn’t mean they are protected from suffering damage. Wear, moisture, corrosion, and poor duct construction can easily result in the ducts develops air leaks. This is a significant problem, and if you detect that it’s occurring, you must schedule duct sealing from professionals right away.
(No, you can’t seal the ducts on your own using duct tape. Despite the name, duct tape is almost useless when it comes to actual ducts. Professionals have the tools that will do the job.)
Why duct sealing is beneficial
- It prevents energy waste: The U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR program has found that the ductwork in a home can lose up to 30% of the air inside it to leaks. That is a great deal of air that you pay to heat or cool that never even reaches the rooms… and this adds up to needlessly elevated energy bills.
- It alleviates strain on the HVAC system: Your air conditioner already does a great deal of work during the summers in Florida. If the AC is losing around a third of its cooling power from duct leaks, it will need to stay on longer to effectively lower the temperature. All this extra stress will make the system age faster and experience more breakdowns. This applies to your heater as well.
- It prevents a decline in indoor air quality: Duct leaks open up on areas of the house that often contain dust and other debris (attic, spaces between walls, etc.). All these contaminants will infiltrate the ventilation system and end up blown out into your living spaces. Sealing the ducts will protect your household air quality.
Southeast Air & Heat offers duct testing and duct sealing in Orlando, FL. If you suspect you have damaged ductwork, don’t delay, call us today!
