What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “healthy home”? Maybe you imagine a clean home complete with high performance windows and doors. Perhaps you think about energy efficient heating and cooling equipment which only sips energy throughout the year. You might even picture high quality insulation inside the walls. But there’s one thing you might be forgetting — properly sealed and insulated ductwork.
Many homeowners spend years living in their homes before ever thinking about the condition of their ductwork. Out of sight and out of mind, it simply never makes it onto that “home maintenance” checklist. Did you know your ductwork likely contains leaks which not only let outside contaminants enter but also drive up your energy bills?
Where Can Duct Leaks Occur?
Air ducts often develop leaks at duct connections — especially when they are poorly installed. This is because duct connections can expand and contract with temperature changes. Leaks are also common at areas where ducts attach to registers and areas where vents lead into or out of the home.
While some leaks are large and obvious, many are small and nearly impossible to detect. A home efficiency expert can help you pinpoint exactly where all of the leaks are in your ductwork.
What Are the Dangers of Leaky Ductwork?
Simply put, air duct leaks are bad news for your home health. All year long, heated and cooled air seeps right out of these leaks and into your crawlspace or attic. This wastes up to 30% of the energy your HVAC equipment uses and forces your furnace and air conditioner to work even harder to keep your home comfortable. That, in turn, means high utility bills from month to month — not to mention reduced comfort throughout your home.
Leaks also pull dust, dirt, mold spores, and other contaminants into your ductwork. Those contaminants are then circulated throughout your home, harming your indoor air quality (IAQ). You may not see these harmful particulates in your indoor air, but you’ll definitely notice allergy and asthma symptoms like skin irritation, coughing, sneezing, and wheezing.
What Can I Do about Duct Leaks?
Fortunately, there’s a simple solution for pesky leaks in ductwork. As Healthy Home Specialists, we recommend a multi-step process.
Find leaks with a home energy assessment
Our team will use a theatrical smoke machine along with a Duct Blaster to find any and all air leaks in your ductwork. We can do this as a standalone test or with a comprehensive home energy audit, which will find any additional home performance upgrades your home will benefit from.
Seal duct leaks
Using the advanced Aeroseal process, we’ll eliminate duct leaks from the inside out.
Insulate for greater efficiency
For an even more efficient HVAC system, it’s crucial to have your ductwork professionally insulated. Insulation prevents heat loss during the heating season and keeps heat from seeping into your ductwork during the cooling season.
Get more from your forced air heating and cooling systems. Call 914-242-9733 or contact us to learn more about duct sealing and insulation!
