You can’t see your ducts unless you go up in your attic, and even then, most of your ductwork is hidden behind insulation. You may trust that your ducts are fine as long as you can feel air coming out of your vents, but did you know that undetected duct problems can reduce your HVAC system’s performance by up to 30 percent? Ducts often develop leaks over time, and when they do, you’re essentially paying to heat or cool your attic as well as reducing your indoor air quality.

How Duct Leaks Cost You

The typical duct system is a mix of rigid and flexible ducts. Generally, large metal ducts carry the air away from your central air handler and then branch off into flexible ducts leading to each vent in your home. Ducts of all types are usually installed in sections that are a few feet long and sealed together.

These seals or joints often separate over time and allow air to leak in or out. In rare cases in new HVAC installation, a contractor may even forget to join two sections. In addition, the flexible sections are at risk of being punctured by work done in the attic, rodents, or simply from rubbing up against something.

These leaks send the air you just paid to heat or cool into your attic instead of your living spaces. This forces your HVAC system to work longer to reach your desired temperature and increases your energy use. In addition, leaky ducts can affect your air balance by reducing the airflow to a certain section of your home. This often results in still higher energy use as you adjust your thermostat when you feel uncomfortable in the area that isn’t getting adequate airflow.

Air Duct Repair

To make sure you don’t have leaky ducts, it’s a good idea to schedule a duct inspection every few years. A visual inspection can help spot obvious problems and is a good start, but the best way to ensure your ducts are in top shape is to have a blower door test performed. This test measures the airflow through your ducts and can detect even small leaks in hidden areas.

Duct repair is simple in theory — it just involves placing a seal over the leaks. This is potentially a do-it-yourself project, but you may not be able to or want to crawl through all areas of your attic to perform the job completely. If a lot of leaks were found, you may want to consider replacing your ducts. If you do opt to replace them, you can also choose to use insulated ducts to further reduce heat loss and improve your energy savings.

For more information on air duct repair and replacement in the Carencro, LA, area, contact us today.