Suspect Your Ductwork Is Ancient? How to Tell
Whether it’s hot and humid or cold and dry, old ductwork may be costing you energy dollars each month. Ducting systems wear out over time and develops leaks that flow into your attic, crawlspaces, walls and basement, or else have ineffective or degraded insulation.
Signs Your Duct System Is Leaking:
- Increased heating and cooling bills
- Excessive dust buildup in a short time
- More flies and other pests inside the home
- One or more rooms becoming hard to heat/cool
HVAC equipment that seems to be operating longer and harder than it used to
A thorough Inspection of the duct system running through walls and ceilings takes a HVAC professional who will know if your ductwork needs repairs or replacement. Ducting systems may deteriorate within the first 10 years of a home’s construction if cheap materials or poor workmanship were used during construction.
Ineffective Sealant or Tape Allows Ductwork Leaks
Despite its name, standard duct tape is not the connecting material that should be used for duct sections. It deteriorates over time with the frequent temperature changes in the ducts. Mastic sealant and special metal tape, along with screws at duct connections, are the preferred way to seal and connect ducts. The most common places for leaks to occur because of duct tape failure include:
- Connections to vents in the floor or ceiling
- Joints that lead to individual rooms
- Seams that hold sections together
When to Replace the Ductwork
You can spot leaking joints and seams by streaks of dust on the ductwork around the leak. Inspection may also find sections that have kinks inhibiting or stopping airflow. Holes and cracks form within kinks as well. Ducting systems with disconnected sections, cracks, holes and kinks will need replacing because the deterioration has progressed beyond sealing.
Duct systems that are too small for your home may also be a problem. Older homes with narrow systems will have improper air flow, which will require duct replacement.
HVAC professionals will inspect your home’s ducting system and evaluate the extent of leakage from your home. Hire an HVAC service with premier dealer standard to get the best service and products possible. Contact us at NisAir Air Conditioning & Heating to schedule an inspection of your Florida home’s ducting system.
