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One of your most frustrating summer experiences might be that your home feels warm and uncomfortable even though your air conditioner is running nonstop. Sometimes, the issue may involve your air conditioner, but at other times, it may be something in your attic or hidden behind your walls or ceilings. Leaky air ducts are among the most commonly overlooked causes of energy loss in homes.
What Is Ductwork?
Your ductwork is the delivery system for your heating and cooling system. It runs behind your walls, under your floors, and sometimes through your ceilings. It effectively carries conditioned air from your HVAC system to the different rooms in your house. It then returns the air to your HVAC system to be cooled again.
A standard ducting system includes supply ducts that deliver the cold air and return ducts to pull the air back into your system. It also includes registers, vents, seals, and connections. With proper sealing and insulation, air flows efficiently through your ducting to your rooms. Unfortunately, if leaks develop, they can disrupt this natural airflow.
Understanding Leaky Air Ducts
Leaky air ducts occur when your ducting system develops cracks, gaps, or loose connections. These openings allow the conditioned air from your ducting to escape before it ever reaches your living space. Leaks most commonly develop behind your walls or in your attic, crawl space, or basement. Because most ductwork is hidden, these leaks can go unnoticed for a long time.
As the cooled air travels through your ducting and escapes through these holes, it becomes much harder to maintain the desired temperature. Your HVAC system will run continuously, trying to reach your desired temperature setting, significantly increasing your utility bills.
As the cool air escapes through the gaps, it naturally pulls in hot air from your wall and floor cavities. Humidity and excessive dust typically accompany this air. This can degrade your indoor air quality and make you uncomfortable. What’s more, even small leaks in your ducting can reduce airflow.
Key Signs You Have Leaky Ductwork
Because your ducting is hidden, you may not notice leaks until they start to cause trouble. You need to understand the key signs of a leak so you can respond quickly to remedy the issue. One of the most common signs to look out for is having some rooms that are consistently warmer than others.
You might also notice weak airflow from your vents and excessive dust on surfaces in your home. Your HVAC system may run longer than usual, and your energy bills may be higher than normal. If you are experiencing any of these issues, you may have an underlying ductwork issue that should be assessed by one of our professional technicians.
How Leaky Air Ducts Affect Energy Efficiency
Leaky ductwork can have a big impact on your home’s energy efficiency. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that between 20% and 30% of conditioned air can be lost through leaks in a typical ducting setup. Because your HVAC system is constantly working to compensate for a loss of conditioned air, it will run longer to maintain comfort. This leads to higher energy usage and increased energy bills for you. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how efficient your air conditioning system is. If it’s constantly losing a large share of the air it produces, it will struggle to keep your home comfortable.
Leaky Air Ducts and Your Indoor Comfort
Apart from your energy bill, leaky ductwork can significantly affect your indoor comfort. It will lead to uneven cooling, and you’ll likely struggle with humidity issues as your home feels sticky and uncomfortable, pulling excess moisture from your walls. It’s also common to experience reduced airflow from your vents, which can lead to stagnant air and general stuffy conditions.
How Leaky Air Ducts Affect Air Quality
Leaky ductwork does more than affect your home’s temperature. It can also impact your air quality. Gaps in your ducting allow dust, insulation particles, and debris from your attic or crawl space to enter. Also, the excess humidity from those crevices can promote mold growth.
Mold spores, pollen, and other contaminants in your ducting system can circulate throughout your home and aggravate your allergy or asthma symptoms. As more dust from your wall cavities enters your ducting, you’ll notice that you’ll need to clean the surfaces in your home more often. If you have faulty ductwork, you’re more likely to experience flare-ups of asthma, allergy, or other respiratory symptoms.
What Causes Leaky Ducts?
There are several reasons why you may develop leaky ductwork in your home. One of the most common is poorly installed ducting. If the installers didn’t seal your ducting properly, it can develop leaks early in its lifespan. Another reason it may develop leaks is due to aging ducting material. Ducting deteriorates over time, especially in extreme temperature conditions.
The metal’s natural expansion and contraction can loosen joints, leading to gaps in your ducting. As your HVAC system runs, it vibrates, which can loosen connections over time. Also, many duct leaks result from physical damage to the ductwork. This is more likely to happen in areas where your ductwork is exposed, like your crawl space or attic. Pests and even the shifting structure of your home can also impact the integrity of your ducting.
How We Find & Repair Ductwork Leaks
If you suspect you have a ductwork leak in your home, contact our HVAC technicians. We’ll use a few different tactics to determine where your leaks are. These may include a visual inspection, duct blower test, and smoke testing. Once we locate all your ducting leaks, we can repair and seal them.
Using a specialized tape or mastic sealant, we can close up gaps and leaks in your ducting. We can reconnect disconnected ducts and properly secure them so that they don’t disconnect again. If your ductwork is severely damaged, we can replace it with new ducting. Taking the time to have one of our professionals seal your ductwork has many great benefits. These include lower energy bills, enhanced indoor comfort, better air quality, and a longer HVAC lifespan.
Get Professional Duct Sealing Services in Birmingham, AL
Wilbur’s Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing provides professional duct sealing services for Birmingham, AL, and the surrounding communities. We can also assist with all your duct cleaning, replacement, and installation needs.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced HVAC technicians.
