Owners Information to Ductwork Sealing

⭐ Do You Want Ductwork Sealing?

A house’s ductwork sometimes isn’t the very first thing most owners consider when coping with the mechanical system of their home.

However this community of provide and return air ducts performs an important position in distributing heat or cool air all through the home and retaining you, the house owner, comfy year-round.

Regardless 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 must 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 verify a duct system doesn’t leak, which is able to assist you to get monetary savings and keep comfy.

⭐ Issues Attributable to Unsealed Ducts

As you may think about, all kinds of issues come up 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 option to seal up all of the leaks!

🔧 Protecting Soiled Air Out

On the provision aspect of your HVAC system, the air is being pressured outwards by the air ducts.

However on the return aspect, the air is being pressured again in in the direction of the fan which may such mud and filth particles inwards.

No duct system is proof against mud, however utilizing aluminum foil tape or some type of air duct sealing technique is an excellent option to forestall this mud from build up prematurely.

🔧 Decrease Power Payments

Pressured air heating and cooling techniques use sources like electrical energy, pure fuel, propane, or oil to create cool or heat air.

On a leaky ductwork system, you may anticipate loads of this conditioned air received’t make it again into the dwelling house in your house, which is a waste of vitality utilization.

⭐ Advantages of Sealed Ducts

Improved HVAC Effectivity

Air duct sealing can have a really constructive impact on the effectivity of your HVAC system.

When an air duct system is put in correctly with tight joints and no leaks, your entire system runs smoother and lasts longer.

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

Higher Air High quality

On HVAC techniques with tight duct sealing, you may wager 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 all the time give prospects is to easily change your furnace air filter each 3 months of run time, that means not simply working the furnace within the winter but additionally the air-con in the summertime.

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

Cleaner Evaporator Coil

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

Your evaporator coil is chargeable 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 an important position and must be saved as clear as potential.

It is a big deal as a result of cleansing a grimy evaporator coil is an costly and time-consuming job, to not point out the truth that a grimy coil will scale back the effectivity of your air conditioner or warmth pump.

⭐ Small Duct Leaks Usually Go Un-Seen

That is very true in an older dwelling, or one you may have lived in for a very long time.

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

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

Image this state of affairs: Just a few staples have popped out of a bit of thermopan return air duct, that means there’s now a flap that’s not connected 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 connected, and all of the house owner can hear is smack, smack, smack each time the blower fan is working.

Fixing this massive air leak entails opening the ceiling for entry and stapling the pan again into its authentic 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 executed.

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

That is the simplest option to seal ducts, however it is usually the costliest and time-consuming.

Tin Tape, NOT Duct Tape

Possibility 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 fashion of tin/foil tape is manufactured by a couple of completely different corporations, and you actually do need to get the very best quality tape for the job.

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

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

My suggestion is Nashua tin tape.

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

Mastic Duct Sealant

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

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

If you would like your HVAC system ducts to have a pleasant take care of making use of mastic duct sealant, I’d suggest 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 best way round, take away the tape, and you’ll 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.

It is a paste and may get far and wide in the event you’re not cautious.

Aeroseal Duct Sealing

Possibility quantity three for duct sealing entails calling an organization referred to as Aeroseal.

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

The largest benefit of Aeroseal is it could possibly seal up any leak by injecting a liquid rubber sealant all through your entire ductwork system.

That is executed at one single level, saving you the effort of eradicating drywall, trying to find leaky ducts, and making repairs your self.

You’ll find them on-line for extra info by looking out Aeroseal Duct Sealing.

🛑 Watch out for Duct Tape

I do know what you’re considering, didn’t I simply record duct tape as the primary possibility when contemplating the best way to seal up leaky ductwork?

And you’d be right, 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 urge you, do NOT use the basic 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 because of 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 trade, please take warning when eradicating any outdated tape from present ductwork.

There are rumors this tape can comprise asbestos, which is a well being hazard when breathed in, so put on a face masks every 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 downsides.

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

Sealing your ducts with tin tape or mastic is the most affordable and best 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 executed by a licensed skilled from the corporate.

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

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

Wish to study extra about your property’s HVAC system? Be happy to take a look at our different HVAC articles!