Owners Information to Ductwork Sealing

⭐ Do You Want Ductwork Sealing?

A house’s ductwork sometimes isn’t the very first thing most householders consider when coping with the mechanical system of their home.

However this community of provide and return air ducts performs a vital function in distributing heat or cool air all through the home and retaining you, the house owner, comfy year-round.

Irrespective of the local weather, all houses in America use some mixture of heating and cooling methods, both predominantly cooling within the south or heating up north.

This duct system needs to be maintained, as leaky ductwork could cause a spike in utility payments, extreme use of sources, and undesirable noise.

This text will define 3 ways to verify a duct system doesn’t leak, which can assist you to lower your expenses and keep comfy.

⭐ Issues Attributable to Unsealed Ducts

As you possibly can think about, all types of issues come up when you’ve got air leaking out of your ductwork.

These can come within the type of small leaks, huge leaks, or hidden leaks.

Simply keep in mind, there IS a strategy to seal up all of the leaks!

🔧 Protecting Soiled Air Out

On the provision aspect of your HVAC system, the air is being compelled outwards by means of the air ducts.

However on the return aspect, the air is being compelled again in in the direction of the fan which might such mud and grime particles inwards.

No duct system is proof against mud, however utilizing aluminum foil tape or some form of air duct sealing technique is an excellent strategy to stop this mud from increase prematurely.

🔧 Decrease Power Payments

Pressured air heating and cooling methods use sources like electrical energy, pure gasoline, propane, or oil to create cool or heat air.

On a leaky ductwork system, you possibly can anticipate loads of this conditioned air gained’t make it again into the residing area in your house, which is a waste of power utilization.

⭐ Advantages of Sealed Ducts

Improved HVAC Effectivity

Air duct sealing can have a really constructive impact on the effectivity of your HVAC system.

When an air duct system is put in correctly with tight joints and no leaks, all the system runs smoother and lasts longer.

May you think about your furnace not placing out sufficient warmth on a chilly evening merely due to some mud and grime increase inside your ducts?

Higher Air High quality

On HVAC methods with tight duct sealing, you possibly can guess that constructing’s indoor air high quality is healthier than common.

It is because, from day 1, there hasn’t been any alternative for contamination within the HVAC system.

One of the best recommendation I at all times give clients is to easily change your furnace air filter each 3 months of run time, which means not simply working the furnace within the winter but additionally the air-con in the summertime.

Each methods use the blower fan, which strikes air by means of the air ducts virtually year-round.

Cleaner Evaporator Coil

Stemming from higher indoor air high quality, the HVAC system’s evaporator coil can even accumulate much less mud and lint over an extended time period.

Your evaporator coil is liable for creating conditioned air in your house.

Whether or not it’s cool air out of your air conditioner or heat air out of your warmth pump, it performs a vital function and needs to be stored as clear as potential.

This can be a enormous deal as a result of cleansing a grimy evaporator coil is an costly and time-consuming job, to not point out the truth that a grimy coil will cut back the effectivity of your air conditioner or warmth pump.

⭐ Small Duct Leaks Usually Go Un-Observed

That is very true in an older house, or one you’ve got lived in for a very long time.

Any time I exchange a furnace or air handler in a buyer’s house, I at all times seal any gaps within the sheet metallic transition I made, plus gaps in some other accessible ducts I can attain.

Prospects often fall into one in all two classes, they’re both amazed on the quantity of air coming from their vents, or they’re not proud of new noises coming from their ducts.

Image this state of affairs: Just a few staples have popped out of a bit of thermopan return air duct, which means there may be now a flap that’s not hooked up to something on three sides.

The previous furnace moved much less air in order that flap waved a bit however didn’t make any noise.

Now with a brand new furnace shifting rather more air, this flap is repeatedly hitting the joist the place it was initially hooked up, and all of the house owner can hear is smack, smack, smack each time the blower fan is working.

Fixing this massive air leak includes opening the ceiling for entry and stapling the pan again into its authentic place.

Now that instance is on the acute finish of the spectrum, nonetheless, it illustrates the necessity to apply air duct sealing strategies to HVAC methods that want it.

⭐ Duct Sealing Strategies: Three Methods To Cease Air Leaks

Typically talking, there are 3 ways to seal leaky ductwork.

The primary one is fast and simple however doesn’t look all that nice.

The second takes a little bit of time and care however can have a really skilled look as soon as executed.

And the third is a proprietary choice from the corporate Aeroseal, which they’ll solely do.

That is the best strategy to seal ducts, however it’s also the costliest and time-consuming.

Tin Tape, NOT Duct Tape

Possibility primary when coping with leaky ducts is to easily seize a roll of tin tape or foil tape, relying on the place you reside, and wrap all unsealed duct connections, together with every joint, nook hole, and seam.

This type of tin/foil tape is manufactured by a number of totally different corporations, and you actually do wish to get the highest quality tape for the job.

First off, be sure there’s a UL quantity on the packaging.

This stands for Underwriters Laboratory and means this product has been authorized for duct sealing.

My advice is Nashua tin tape.

It peels off its backing simpler, sticks higher might be squeegeed smoother, and eliminated in a single piece if the necessity arises.

Mastic Duct Sealant

Possibility quantity two is to use a duct sealing paste referred to as Mastic sealant, which will also be referred to as duct seal.

As with something, there’s a good manner and a not-so-nice strategy to apply these items.

In order for you your HVAC system ducts to have a pleasant take care of making use of mastic duct sealant, I might suggest grabbing a roll of painter’s tape and making one full wrap round both aspect of the leaky space.

Then after utilizing a paint brush to use mastic all the best way round, take away the tape, and you should have an ideal ring with good, clean edges.

Alternatively, you possibly can skip the tape and simply paint across the leaky space.

When it dries, you’ll be left with a blotchy gray space however no leaks!

One factor to recollect is to put on gloves when making use of duct mastic.

This can be a paste and may get far and wide if you happen to’re not cautious.

Aeroseal Duct Sealing

Possibility quantity three for duct sealing includes calling an organization referred to as Aeroseal.

They concentrate on sealing ductwork from the within out utilizing a proprietary technique invented specifically for this business.

The most important benefit of Aeroseal is it could possibly seal up any leak by injecting a liquid rubber sealant all through all the ductwork system.

That is executed at one single level, saving you the trouble of eradicating drywall, looking for leaky ducts, and making repairs your self.

You’ll find them on-line for extra data by looking out Aeroseal Duct Sealing.

🛑 Watch out for Duct Tape

I do know what you’re pondering, didn’t I simply checklist duct tape as the primary choice when contemplating how one can seal up leaky ductwork?

And you’ll be appropriate, I did.

Nonetheless, there’s a large distinction between foil tape and common homeowner-quality duct tape, particularly in terms of sealing ducts.

First off, please, I urge you, do NOT use the traditional gray, simple to tear duct tape from the drawer in your dad’s store.

That stuff will fall off metallic ductwork in a matter of days resulting from temperature fluctuations all through the day and evening.

Additionally, since common duct tape has been round for fairly some time within the house enchancment business, please take warning when eradicating any previous tape from current ductwork.

There are rumors this tape can comprise asbestos, which is a well being hazard when breathed in, so put on a face masks at any time when coping with previous tape.

⭐ Conclusion

So the 3 ways of sealing your ductwork are tin tape (not duct tape), mastic duct sealant, and Aeroseal duct sealing.

Every has its personal benefits and downsides.

Nonetheless, this actually is a case of ‘you get what you pay for.’

Sealing your ducts with tin tape or mastic is the most affordable and best when you’ve got entry to all of the ducts in your home.

Whereas Aeroseal can get to each leak within the ductwork system, however it could possibly solely be executed by a licensed skilled from the corporate.

Bear in mind to take precautions, too, reminiscent of not putting in versatile ducts, utilizing an excellent air filter, overlaying any tiny gaps, putting in energy-efficient home equipment, and guaranteeing all of your vents are open.

These strategies, coupled with leak-free ducts, will guarantee your power payments are decrease, your air provide is steadier, and your ducts are cleaner.

Need to be taught extra about your house’s HVAC system? Be happy to take a look at our different HVAC articles!