The air ducts in your home should bring warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer; but if your ducts aren’t sealed correctly about 20% of the air that leaves your furnace and air conditioner never makes it to its destination due to leaks, holes, and bad connections.This keeps utility bills high and comfort low. A well-sealed duct system can keep your home comfortable, safe, and more energy efficient.
The older the home, the more likely it is that the ductwork is compromised, but it can also happen in newer homes. If you suspect your ductwork may need to be sealed, you can do a quick check for yourself by visually inspecting all ductwork that is easily accessible, including exposed ducts in garages, unfinished basements, attics, and crawlspaces.
If you find evidence of leaks, call a contractor who specializes in heating and cooling; most repair ductwork. You could try to repair the leaks yourself, but you probably won’t be able to get to the ductwork inside the walls and ceilings to seal them, negating any savings you’d realize by doing it yourself. Professionals will do the job correctly and thoroughly.
Sealed ducts can have a huge impact:
- Indoor Comfort: Think about those winter nights when your Porland, Oregon area home feels cold, no matter how high you turn up the furnace. Think about 20% of the heat being produced escaping through the attic or walls to the outside. Now think about how warm you’d be if 20% of that heat was coming through your ducts to you instead.
- Indoor Air Quality: Asthma and allergies can be aggravated by fumes from garden and household chemicals, as well as any insulation particles and dust that can enter the duct system through gaps and leaks. Sealed ducts can prevent this.
- Energy Efficiency: If 20% of the air in your home is leaking out, your furnace and air conditioner have to work 20% harder to produce any desired comfort level in your home. If you save 20% of your utility bills every month, duct sealing pays for itself quickly.
- Environmentally Friendly: Cutting the amount of fuel you’re burning by 20% every month means quite a significant reduction in the amount of pollution your Portland home is generating.
- Safety: All combustion appliances– such as furnaces, clothes dryers, and water heaters–produce toxic carbon monoxide; generally this is ventilated outside the home. If your ductwork has holes, carbon monoxide can make its way back into your home. Sealing your ducts can keep carbon monoxide outside where it belongs.
Duct sealing is beneficial in many ways to any Portland area homeowner who has ducts that have developed leaks, holes, or bad connections. If you would like to improve the comfort, air quality, and energy efficiency of your home, check your ducts and call a professional Portland Heating & Cooling contractor to have them sealed.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_improvement.hm_improvement_ducts