Tight Ducts are Important for Keeping Heat in Your Home

If you find it difficult to keep your home comfortable during the winter months, the culprit may be your HVAC system’s ductwork. If it’s in poor condition, up to a third of the furnace’s output can be lost through leaks and disconnected or damaged areas. When you have tight ducts, you’ll enjoy:

• Enhanced comfort. You’ll see an improvement in the amount of conditioned air arriving at the registers, and fewer temperature inconsistencies between different rooms.
• Energy savings. Curbing air losses in the ducts boosts your HVAC system’s energy efficiency year round, so you’ll pay lower heating and cooling costs.
• Better air quality. Tight ductwork keeps allergens and contaminants from entering your air supply from unconditioned areas. It also reduces the risk of accidental carbon monoxide exposure from a backdrafting gas furnace or water heater.

What’s Involved in Tightening Up the Ducts?

To make sure your ductwork is in good shape, it’s vital to fix any damage and deficiencies then seal and insulate the runs. Many homeowners choose to hire an HVAC professional to handle this chore, since it’s often difficult to access ducts that need attention in an attic, crawl space or garage.

The first step a pro takes is performing a thorough inspection, which is essential to determine if it’s feasible to repair the ducts or they should be replaced. Here’s an overview of what’s usually involved in tightening up the ducts:

• Testing for leakage. After sealing the supply and return registers, an HVAC technician uses a calibrated fan and digital gauge to pressurize the ducts and measure how much and where air leakage is occurring.
• Making necessary repairs. Damaged areas are repaired or replaced, disconnected sections fixed, leaky seams are mended, and sagging runs supported so the duct system can distribute air efficiently.
• Duct sealing. The seams, joints and connections at the registers are properly sealed using fiberglass mesh, mastic and foil-backed tape.
• Installing insulation. The ducts are wrapped in R-8 insulation to curb heat conduction energy losses.

To learn whether tight ducts can make a difference in your Orlando area home, contact us at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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