Reasons You Should Get a Duct Cleaning Before Fall
The ductwork that delivers conditioned air throughout your home is a critically-important component of your HVAC system. If there are gaps, leaks and disconnected sections in the ducting, up to 20 percent of your heated or cooled air can be lost. Having the ducts inspected and any deficiencies corrected can bring you significant benefits like:
- Greater comfort year-round. When duct leaks are sealed and the accessible runs are insulated, more conditioned air arrives at the registers, and it’s easier to maintain consistent comfort throughout your home.
- Better air quality. Fixing gaps and cracks in any ductwork that runs through unfinished areas like the attic can help keep contaminants like insects, insulation fibers, rodent nesting materials, pest droppings, and mold spores from getting pulled into your air distribution system.
- Energy savings. If you add up the monthly bills you pay for heating and cooling your home and then consider that as much as one-fifth of what you’re spending is getting wasted, you can easily see how tightening up the ducts can reduce your energy consumption and save you money on your yearly HVAC operating costs.
- Longer equipment lifespan. Curbing the amount of conditioned air that’s being lost through leaks in your ductwork means that the equipment doesn’t have to work harder to compensate, so it’s not subject to unnecessary strain and wear that can shorten its useful lifespan.
How to Make Your Ductwork More Efficient
You can tackle making improvements to the efficiency of your home’s ductwork yourself, or hire an experienced HVAC pro to perform an inspection and complete any necessary tasks such as:
- Using a smoke pencil to identify air leaks around duct joints and seams.
- Fixing loose connections.
- Covering gaps more than 1/4-inch wide with fiberglass mesh, then sealing them with mastic or metal-backed tape.
- Sealing minor, narrow leaks with mastic or tape.
- Wrapping any ducts routed through unconditioned areas with R-6 insulation.
- Sealing gaps around registers with mastic or foam sealant.
To learn more about the benefits of getting the ducts inspected in your Martin, Palm Beach or Indian River County home, contact us today at NisAir.
