Duct Sealing: The Hidden Energy Saver

A lot of people choose to ignore problems around their home, as if out of sight means out of mind. There’s hardly a possibility of staying comfortable for any amount of time though when you’re sitting there freezing or sweating and you don’t know why. It’s not normal when the cooling or the heating isn’t ending up where the system was built to take it, and you shouldn’t just sit there and suffer.

Right out the gate, you probably give the evil eye to your AC. Well don’t be so assumptive. There are all kinds of things that can go wrong with your utilities, so it’s best to be more discerning to see what’s really going on. Sure, it could be your filter or your coils. More often than you’d think though, the vents themselves siphon away as much as 20% of your energy.

Why It Happens

These channels hidden away within the walls and attics are the last place you’d think you look, yet you’d be surprised. Sometimes, from the very beginning, the installation wasn’t up to par and things were never sealed right from the get-go. These things can sag, twist, and pull away from the fittings if not given the right support. Then the opposite can happen. Metal ducts expanding and contracting with age as environments alternate between hot and cold. They can even tear or get disconnected during there operation.

Particularly if air that’s too forceful punishes the ducts for too long, it can overstress joints that may not be able to handle it. Then excess moisture could settle in, or it could come from accidental drilling or pests trying to funnel their way through.

Why Sealing Your Ducts Is Worth It

Patch up the pickle you’re in until the AC service professional comes by.

Money

As you keep blasting your system and it keeps just seeping into your crawl space or attic, it’s just going to keep spending electricity. You’ll end up paying through the wazoo, and there’s no reason to throw money away.

Be More Comfortable in Your Home

No reason to turn your front room into a sauna. If you’re bothering to turn the HVAC on, take a couple minutes to actually feel what the machine’s working to give you. Otherwise, certain spots are going to either be so hot you can’t even stand to hang out in there or your toilet could be so cold you can’t even sit down. Keep in mind, pets can’t survive for long in the heat either.

Eliminate Disease

There are all kinds of things floating around from outside that could have accumulated, like pollen and bacteria. You could get sick, and if you have vulnerabilities, it can become really serious. That’s why you need your air circulated properly.

Not Killing Your System

When you’re forcing it to work really hard, it’s going to put itself through hell and you may ruin some of the parts in it, such as the compressor or the motor.

Pin-Pointing It

First of all, just think about where your issues are happening. That may lead you to the damage.

1. Zero in on where ducts run: in your attic, basement, crawl space, or utility closet. Your main targets are going to be the main supply and return lines, though you should check the branch lines.
2. Open up some access panels. Your home might have removable panels near your machine. If your ducts run behind drywall, you may need to cut some small inspection holes. Don’t worry, you’ll patch them back up afterwards.
3. Look for gaps and disconnected parts at seams and joints.
4. Look for dust streaks.
5. Do the smoke test by blowing smoke or incense near the seams to see if it gets sucked in or blown out. Another shrewd method is the paper method where you put a lightweight piece of paper up against a vent. If everything is normal, it should keep fluttering, which may mean air is escaping elsewhere in the system.

Sealing Methods

First, you have some age-old remedies you can apply yourself like mastic for the duct seams and metal foil tape for smaller cracks. This should plug some of your losses if that’s the only problem area. A lot of areas where you may have a problem might be pretty tough to reach. A professional knows how to do that though. They have equipment to apply aerosol and fogging.

When a professional does come by, they have quite sophisticated ways to diagnose it. They have pressure testing devices to see where gaps exist. Then there is thermal imaging, using cameras that detect lapses in temperature.

Other Areas to Seal

As alluded to earlier, a lot of the time, insulation can also be an issue. If you bought cellulose, rock wool, or fiberglass insulation more than ten years ago, they deteriorate over time. You could have entire areas of your wall exposed and air could be passing right through the wall. Your whole home is full of cracks and holes. Even your windows and doorway can have cracks.

Common Mistakes in Duct Sealing

Don’t be careless.

1. A lot of the time, people think duct tape is all you need. That tape will start peeling off eventually, since it’s not designed for temperature changes and airflow pressures inside there.
2. Some leaks are very hard to see since you can’t expose your entire vent all at once. Don’t assume that sealing one spot means there’s no more work to do elsewhere.
3. Clean surfaces before you decide to apply heavy layers of mastic to your ducts. Thick mastic can also restrict airflow, so don’t overdo it.
4. Don’t ignore the instructions. If you’re not confident, get a professional over ASAP.

Maintenance Tips

Just because you sealed them and the professional repaired it doesn’t mean history won’t repeat itself. Take care of your system:

• Don’t ignore issues: always make sure your system isn’t being bludgeoned.
• Cleaning: filters have to be cleaned every couple months, and once a year or two, the internal components need to be looked at.
• Checking after renovations: these can cause new leaks.
• Seasonal inspections: fall and autumn are good times to check for fledgling issues before extreme weather hits. Signs include whizzing, rattling, uneven airflow, and inconsistent room temperatures.