When they discuss home energy savings, they’re typically referring to conventionally constructed homes. However, many Americans live in mobile homes — nearly 10 million to be exact.
Mobile home residents deal with many of the same energy and climate control issues as traditional residents, with often even more challenges due to smaller size and exposure to the elements. Many of these challenges arise from a hidden culprit — air duct leakage.
Mobile Home Air Duct Leakage
Experts in the field say duct leakage is a huge problem for mobile home owners
Experts in the field say duct leakage is a huge problem for mobile home owners. The construction methods used to assemble these air duct systems — the moving process, the way they are connected at their final destination, and their innate overall design — makes mobile home ductwork particularly susceptible to duct leakage.
Additionally, once the ductwork is installed, it often becomes vulnerable to damage in a variety of different ways.
Wasted energy and uncomfortable homes
Because the ductwork on most mobile homes is located underneath the home, it is common for mice and other rodents to chew through it. It’s also more easily exposed to mold and mildew. Many ductwork tubes are typically made of just aluminum foil and insulation, with no other defense against mold growth.
One expert tells them traditional homes leak 10 to 30 percent on average, and that he often finds the ductwork in supposedly sustainable mobile homes to leak 50 percent or more. That’s half of all the conditioned air escaping, resulting in wasted energy and uncomfortable homes.
The Cost of Replacing the Mobile Home Duct
The cost of mobile home ductwork is very expensive and is simply not an option for many mobile homeowners.
There are two main reasons why mobile home duct replacement is so pricey:
1. Specific Installation and Construction Methods of Mobile Home Ductwork Systems
Branches of ductwork have to be sized differently in order to pump the same amount of air into each room
First, installing and replacing ductwork in a mobile home takes a lot of specific engineering. Each room will have different branches of ductwork going into them, each of different sizes. This is because it only takes a certain amount of hot air to heat each room, depending on how big it is.
Because the HVAC system of a home pushes air out at the same rate of pressure, the branches of ductwork have to be sized differently in order to pump the same amount of air into each room.
2. Ductwork Hidden in Insulation Located Underneath the Mobile Home
Secondly, because the ductwork and insulation in a mobile home are located underneath it, it takes extra time and effort to remove and replace the insulation in a mobile home. Both of these factors significantly add to the cost of mobile home ductwork replacement. The average cost to replace the ductwork in a home per linear foot is $35 to $55.
When they extrapolate that out to a typical single-wide mobile home with a length of 60 feet, the cost is usually going to be anywhere from $2,100 to $3,300. That’s enough money to buy another vehicle for most people! But wait, it gets worse. The average cost to replace mobile home ductwork on a 110-foot-long double-wide trailer is anywhere from $3,860 to $6,060.
Mobile Home Duct Leakage Without Replacing the Duct System
Aeroseal, a climate tech company with dealers across the globe, has developed a highly effective
They’ve discussed the cost inefficiency of replacing mobile home ductwork, as well as the challenge of reaching areas where access to the ductwork is not available. So what can mobile homeowners do?
The answer lies in sealing duct leakage from the inside out. Aeroseal, a climate tech company with dealers across the globe, has developed a highly effective, and non-destructive way of sealing duct leakage.
Aeroseal’s technology pressurizes the ducts, and distributes its proprietary, non-toxic sealant all throughout the ductwork, bringing leakage nearly to zero. This results in consistent, comfortable temperatures in every room and saved energy
Aeroseal duct sealing experience
Two recent customers reached out to them about their Aeroseal duct sealing experience. Both say that Aeroseal’s procedure made a huge difference in both their indoor comfort and their energy bill.
Both are now saving $100/month or more on heating (their entire winter energy bills averaged about $250 a month before duct sealing). This is a lot of savings for anyone, but it was particularly appreciated by these two homeowners who are both on fixed incomes.
Aeroseal mobile home duct
Rooms that never got enough heat were now as warm and cozy as the rest of the home
One of the mobile homeowners suffered from allergies. She says that since the Aeroseal mobile home duct repair work was done, her symptoms have seriously diminished. She says her eyes are no longer red and sore, and her constant indoor sneezing has all but disappeared.
Rooms that never got enough heat were now as warm and cozy as the rest of the home. They can now even feel the heat blowing out of registers that were previously low-performing.
Do they Need Mobile Home Duct Work? Contact Aeroseal
Mobile homeowners don’t have to suffer any longer — and duct sealing these homes with Aeroseal is proving to be one of the best investments mobile homeowners can make.
Aeroseal gets the job done for manufactured homes, mobile homes, and traditional homes. If the duct system for the mobile home feels like it’s not performing as well as it should be, or the energy bills are off the charts.
