Your HVAC ducts may be working silently, but that doesn't mean they're working efficiently. Ductwork problems are so common that in the average Indiana home, between 20 to 40 percent of conditioned air never reaches the home's living spaces. If your ducts aren't working as they should be, you may notice:
- Energy bills that seem excessively high
- Uneven temperatures throughout your home
- Rooms that feel stuffy or seem excessively dusty
Generally speaking, two things reduce ductwork efficiency: heat conduction and leaks. When ducts aren't insulated, heat conduction warms up cool air from your A/C and cools heated air. Leaks allow conditioned air to escape the ducts and let in unconditioned air. A visual inspection of your ducts will help you spot common ductwork problems, including:
- No insulation – If the ducts in your unfinished attic or basement, garage or crawlspaces aren't insulated, they're wasting energy. Just adding insulation can lower your energy bills.
- Leaks and damage – Inspect your ducts for joints, seams and small cracks that haven't been properly sealed. Also check for holes and dents. Loose duct tape is another indication of leaks. Sealing duct leaks with mastic sealant or metal-backed tape improves your ductwork's efficiency.
- Dead-end ducts – Ducts not connected to a register or vent will waste energy and cause uneven heating and cooling. If you're having trouble conditioning a particular room, a dead-end duct may be the cause.
- Lack of return ducts – Return ducts draw heated or cooled air back into the system, reducing the amount of energy required to maintain the temperature you want. Without the help of sufficient return ducts, your HVAC system is less efficient.
- Flexible air ducts (flex) – These ducts are made of mylar, wire and insulation, allowing them to bend easily. If you find these in your system, examine them for kinks and sharp turns, which impede airflow.
While you can take care of basic duct sealing by yourself, resolving other ductwork problems may require professional redesign and retrofitting. To get your ducts working at top efficiency, please contact us at Hartman Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning. Since 1963, Fort Wayne area residents have relied on us for quality HVAC care.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in New Haven, Indiana and surrounding Fort Wayne area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about ductwork and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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