Is Leaky Ductwork Costing You Money?
When you think about your home’s heating and air conditioning system, what components come to mind? The HVAC equipment itself is obviously important, but how much thought do you give to the ductwork? The same way your heart needs veins and arteries to carry blood around your body, your heating and cooling equipment needs ductwork to carry conditioned air to every room in your home.
That’s why leaky ductwork can be detrimental to system efficiency and cause your bills to skyrocket. Just how wasteful are ductwork leaks and how do they develop? Could you benefit from having your ductwork sealed? Let’s find out.
If you need ductwork repair in New Jersey, call Arctic Air Conditioning at 732-455-9110 or fill out the form in the sidebar!
How Wasteful Are Ductwork Leaks?
The average ductwork installation loses 20 percent of the air passing through it because of leaks. That means for every $10 you spend on heating and air conditioning, $2 is wasted on conditioned air that escapes into unoccupied areas. The result is potentially hundreds of wasted energy dollars every year.
What Causes Leaky Ductwork?
A number of problems can cause ductwork to leak. A few examples include:
- Unsealed joints
- Torn or kinked flexible ductwork
- Disconnected ducts
- A leaky filter slot
- Leaky registers and grilles
How to Spot Ductwork Leaks
It can be difficult to know whether you’re paying more for heating and cooling because the ductwork is leaking. To find out for sure, watch for these signs:
- Ductwork is located in unconditioned spaces, such as the attic, garage or crawlspace. If leaks occur in duct runs spanning these areas, the greater temperature difference could put substantial strain on your HVAC equipment and raise your bills significantly.
- It’s difficult to keep different rooms the same temperature. Imagine ductwork leaking a substantial amount of conditioned air on the way to one end of your home. The rooms located there never reach the target temperature because the air loses so much energy before exiting the registers, and the thermostat is located on the other end of the house.
- The temperature of air coming from some registers is nice and hot or very cold while others feel lukewarm. The vents that expel air closer the room temperature are likely connected to ductwork with multiple leaks between the HVAC equipment and the register.
- Some rooms are consistently uncomfortable due to excess humidity, dust, and odd smells. After all, in addition to letting conditioned air escape, leaky ductwork also introduces moisture, pollutants, and fumes from unconditioned spaces to the indoor air. This makes some rooms uncomfortable and can even create health hazards.
- You have found visible signs of leaks in the ductwork. While exploring exposed duct runs may require you to climb into the attic, venture into the crawlspace or explore the garage, it may be worth it to find indisputable evidence that your ducts are leaking. There’s no better motivation to contact a professional for assistance than fining tangled, torn, kinked, or disconnected ducts in your home.
Improve the Energy-Efficiency of Your Ductwork
If you’re ready to save money and improve home comfort, it’s time to alter the ductwork in your home. A quality job requires the tools and expertise that only professionals can provide, so give the experts at Arctic Air Conditioning a call at 732-455-9110 or contact us online to get the ductwork sealing process started.
We’re proud to service all of New Jersey, including:
- Monmouth County
- Middlesex County
- Mercer County
- Ocean County
