Home’s ductwork is vital for comfort, health, and safety. When it comes to keeping the home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, the ductwork will be doing the heavy lifting. Ductwork is the piping and connective tissue that connects from the furnace to every room in the house.
The setup of the ductwork might seem simple enough, but it’s actually a bit more complicated than it might seem.
Large percentage of homeowners
A large percentage of homeowners have leaks in their ductwork right now and don’t even realize it
For example, each room will require different-sized ducts connecting it to the furnace, depending on the size of the room. This can lead to a lot of little corners, curves, bends, and places where the ductwork could become leaky.
A large percentage of homeowners have leaks in their ductwork right now and don’t even realize it. Even the most minor leaks can cause issues that they would want to resolve immediately.
What are the Signs of Leaky Air Ducts?
Here are some of the most common signs of leaky air ducts in the home:
- They may notice cold or hot air coming from registers in different rooms.
- They may hear whistling or other noises coming from their ducts.
- The energy bills may be higher than expected.
- They may have dust or dirt buildup in the home.
- They may have more respiratory problems, such as allergies or asthma. Indoor air quality can be negatively impacted by leaky air ducts.
Benefits of Sealing Leaky Air Ducts
Leaky air ducts not only compromise the efficiency of the HVAC system but can also adversely impact the quality of air inside the home.
Duct sealing helps the quality and efficiency of moving conditioned air throughout the home. Sealing these ducts is essential for optimal home comfort, health, and energy consumption while lowering the utility bills.
1. Improve Indoor Air Quality
Leaks in ducts can allow unfiltered air, dust, pollen, and other allergens into the home. This can lead to respiratory problems and aggravate allergies and asthma symptoms. Sealing leaky air ducts can help to improve the home’s indoor air quality by preventing these contaminants from entering the home.
2. Sealing Leaks Improves Energy Efficiency, Heating, and Cooling
In addition, sealing leaky air ducts can help to improve the home’s energy efficiency. When air leaks out of the ducts, the HVAC system has to work harder to heat or cool the home.
3. Ultimately, Reduce the Energy Bills and Utilities
Improving energy efficiency will help to reduce energy consumption and save money on bills. If they are concerned about the quality of the air in the home, sealing leaky air ducts is a good place to start. This simple and effective home improvement can help improve health and save money.
At the end of the day, a properly sealed duct system is going to improve the home’s air quality, energy efficiency in circulating the heated or conditioned air, and utility costs.
Duct Sealing Methods
There are a few different duct sealing methods they can use if they have leaky ducts. In order to bring them up to speed on how they can fix the leaky ductwork in how best suits them, let’s go through a few of the most popular options on the market:
1. Duct Sealing Tape or Duct Tape
HVAC duct sealing tape comes on a roll and can be found in every hardware store
One of the ways they can seal leaky ductwork is with HVAC duct sealing tape. Also known as aluminum foil tape, HVAC duct sealing tape comes on a roll and can be found in every hardware store. This method for sealing leaky ducts can be less time-consuming and messy, but doesn’t tend to stack up with other duct sealing methods in terms of performance and longevity.
If they have ducts that get dirty or oily commonly, duct sealing tape is likely to fail. However, if they insist on using this option for whatever reason, the best bet is to go with either foil tape, butyl tape, or any other kind of duct sealing tape which is marked with the UL logo.
This logo stands for “Underwriters Laboratories.” It signifies the tape is suitable for residential use on ductwork. Never try to seal the ducts with regular duct tape. It’s not fire- or smoke-rated and will not hold up for very long.
2. Duct Mastic Sealant
While tape can be a quicker and easier fix, it tends to be more expensive and less durable in the long run. A better option is to use mastic air duct sealant. This is a gooey substance that hardens after applying to the ducts. Water-based mastic duct sealant is the best option because it cleans up easier and will hold up for a long time.
Water-based mastic duct bond is the best option because it cleans up easier and will hold up for a long time
When using mastic duct sealant on their own, they can apply it with a simple paintbrush. They may also use a caulk gun to apply the duct mastic, though it’s unnecessary. Remember not to get duct mastic sealant confused with regular “duct seal.”
Duct seal is for sealing the outside of the home around electrical wires and other tiny gaps. It is not made for use on the leaky ductwork. Depending on the size of the leak, they may need to combine the liquid mastic with another product, such as fiberglass mesh tape. This applies to gaps bigger than ¼ of an inch.
3. Aeroseal
While it’s true that mastic for ductwork is the best DIY choice for durability and cost-effectiveness, sealing ducts with mastic themselves can be tricky. Especially in those hard-to-reach areas, it can be nearly impossible to use mastic sealing for ducts on the own when there are hidden leaks behind drywall. That’s where Aeroseal comes in.
Aeroseal uses a patented technology to pressurize the duct system while identifying and sealing every single leak in it. The duct sealing technology has actually been called “one of the best scientific and technological accomplishments since this department was first established” by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Aeroseal can completely remove the mess and struggle from mastic sealing ducts on its own.
Here’s an overview of how Aeroseal technicians can quickly analyzing and work on sealing air ducts from the inside:
- First, the technician will block all of the registers and vents in order to pressurize the system.
- Once pressurized, they’ll use a computer to analyze the data. This helps them identify all the leaks, cracks, and holes in the ductwork.
- Next, the technician will measure the current leakage. This will later give them a before-and-after comparison of the air duct leakage.
- Once this is done, they will begin distributing their mastic sealant for ducts throughout the air vents and ducts. The technology used is so precise that they only use the exact amount of sealant needed, making cleanup a breeze.
Immediate improvement in air quality
Aeroseal’s customers will notice an immediate improvement in their air quality
Once finished, the Aeroseal technician will re-measure the ductwork to see what the leakage percentage is. That way, they can compare the amount of air flowing through the system, before and after they seal the system.
Rooms that weren’t getting enough air before should be balanced and well-circulated. Aeroseal’s customers will notice an immediate improvement in their air quality. They’ll notice an improvement in the smell and purity of the air is better too.
Since the leaks in the ductwork have been fixed, dust and dirty air can’t get into the pipes and spread throughout the house. Now, all it will take to maintain perfect indoor air quality is a good air filter, which they won’t have to change as often because there won’t be as much dirt and dust getting through.
Can Seal Leaky Air Ducts Themselves?
Yes, they can seal leaky air ducts themselves using duct sealing tape or mastic duct sealant. However, it is important to do a thorough job to ensure that all the leaks are sealed. If they are not comfortable sealing the ducts themselves, hire a professional.
Struggling with Leaky Air Ducts? Let Aeroseal Seal the Air Ducts and Leaky Ductwork for the Best Results
A few different ways to seal the leaks in the ducts
While it’s true there are a few different ways they can try to seal the leaks in the ducts, letting the pros handle it is the best decision they can make. There are bound to be small cracks and leaks in places they can’t reach on their own. So, the pressurized system like the one Aeroseal uses is the only surefire way to get the best results.
Want to improve the indoor air quality, save money on heating and cooling, and make sure every room is getting the exact amount of warm or cool air that it needs?
