The Importance of Duct Sealing for Your Home
Duct sealing is often overlooked when people decide to upgrade their home energy systems, but it is a critical component of the process. Air ducts create passages for conditioned air from your heating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to distribute from room to room. However, these pathways can have leaks and small gaps at their connections, which allows heated or cooled air to escape before it reaches the right place in your home. Ideally, ducts should work similarly to a straw used in a glass of pop. When several holes are poked into a straw, it can no longer perform its function well.
How can duct sealing help?
When HVAC systems are forced to work overtime to compensate for leaks and gaps, a significant amount of energy is wasted. Unsealed ducts can also cause your home to have poor indoor air quality, uncomfortable rooms, and building durability problems. Additionally, they can cause your HVAC system to be up to 20 percent less efficient. Duct sealing is a process where certified professionals inspect your home and identify and seal the leaks in your duct system.
There are several benefits to having your ducts professionally sealed. Your home can be safer because duct sealing can eliminate several indoor air quality issues. One of the main indoor air quality concerns we address at Ecotelligent Homes is large amounts of dust. If your leaky ducts are connected to dusty attics or dirty crawl spaces, they can pull those pollutants into your home.
Having properly sealed ducts can balance the air temperature in your home because air will be able to reach each room, creating a more comfortable living space. Having properly sealed ducts can also reduce your utility and energy costs because HVAC system won’t have to work so hard. Duct sealing can also help protect the environment by reducing the necessary amount of energy consumption and, in turn, pollution generated.
Avoid temporary fixes for leaky ducts
Booster fans can be added to ducts to help move air throughout the system. While booster fans are often touted as a cheap fix for low airflow at your heating and cooling registers, this so-called solution should be avoided. They cannot fix the underlying problems in your HVAC system and will serve as a bandage until the issue worsens.
The best solution for leaky ducts is to have your ducts sealed in conjunction with installing a new properly sized high-efficiency HVAC system. Before having your ducts sealed, it is recommended that you have professionals conduct a home energy audit so that they can pinpoint the specific areas in your home that need attention and look at your home as an entire system.
Having properly sealed ducts is an important piece of home air quality, comfort, and safety. Ecotelligent Homes has been performing duct sealing and delivering great results for Metro Detroit homeowners since 2009. Using state-of-the-art diagnostic tools to detect problem areas in ductwork, Ecotelligent Home’s trained professionals will ensure your entire home is insulated and ventilated properly.