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 position in distributing heat or cool air all through the home and preserving you, the home-owner, comfy year-round.

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

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

This text will define 3 ways to ensure a duct system doesn’t leak, which can enable you get monetary savings and keep comfy.

⭐ Issues Brought on by Unsealed Ducts

As you possibly can think about, all kinds of issues come up if in case you have air leaking out of your ductwork.

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

Simply bear in mind, there IS a approach to seal up all of the leaks!

🔧 Maintaining Soiled Air Out

On the provision aspect of your HVAC system, the air is being compelled outwards by 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 dust particles inwards.

No duct system is resistant to mud, however utilizing aluminum foil tape or some form of air duct sealing technique is an excellent approach to stop this mud from build up prematurely.

🔧 Decrease Power Payments

Pressured air heating and cooling techniques 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 lots of this conditioned air gained’t make it again into the dwelling house in your house, which is a waste of power utilization.

⭐ Advantages of Sealed Ducts

Improved HVAC Effectivity

Air duct sealing can have a really optimistic 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.

Might you think about your furnace not placing out sufficient warmth on a chilly night time merely due to some mud and dust build up inside your ducts?

Higher Air High quality

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

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

The very best recommendation I at all times give clients is to easily change your furnace air filter each 3 months of run time, that means not simply operating the furnace within the winter but in addition the air-con in the summertime.

Each techniques use the blower fan, which strikes air by the air ducts nearly year-round.

Cleaner Evaporator Coil

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

Your evaporator coil is answerable 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 position and needs to be saved as clear as potential.

This can be a large deal as a result of cleansing a unclean evaporator coil is an costly and time-consuming job, to not point out the truth that a unclean 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 dwelling, or one you have got lived in for a very long time.

Any time I change a furnace or air handler in a buyer’s dwelling, I at all times seal any gaps within the sheet steel transition I made, plus gaps in every other accessible ducts I can attain.

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

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

The outdated 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 home-owner can hear is smack, smack, smack each time the blower fan is operating.

Fixing this massive air leak includes opening the ceiling for entry and stapling the pan again into its unique 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 techniques that want it.

⭐ Duct Sealing Strategies: Three Methods To Cease Air Leaks

Usually 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 accomplished.

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

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

Tin Tape, NOT Duct Tape

Choice 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 firms, and you actually do need to get the highest quality tape for the job.

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

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

My suggestion is Nashua tin tape.

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

Mastic Duct Sealant

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

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

If you’d like your HVAC system ducts to have a pleasant take care of making use of mastic duct sealant, I might advocate 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 way in which round, take away the tape, and you should have an ideal ring with good, easy edges.

Alternatively, you 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 in every single place if you happen to’re not cautious.

Aeroseal Duct Sealing

Choice quantity three for duct sealing includes calling an organization known as Aeroseal.

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

The largest 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 accomplished at one single level, saving you the effort of eradicating drywall, trying to find leaky ducts, and making repairs your self.

Yow will discover them on-line for extra info by looking Aeroseal Duct Sealing.

🛑 Watch out for Duct Tape

I do know what you’re pondering, didn’t I simply record duct tape as the primary choice when contemplating the way to 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 relating to sealing ducts.

First off, please, I encourage 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 steel ductwork in a matter of days attributable to temperature fluctuations all through the day and night time.

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

There are rumors this tape can include asbestos, which is a well being hazard when breathed in, so put on a face masks each time coping with outdated 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 drawbacks.

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

Sealing your ducts with tin tape or mastic is the most cost effective and best if in case you have entry to all of the ducts in your own home.

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

Bear in mind to take precautions, too, equivalent to not putting in versatile ducts, utilizing a superb air filter, protecting any tiny gaps, putting in energy-efficient home equipment, and making certain all of your vents are open.

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

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