Seal Your Ductwork

In most homes, the ductwork is out of sight and out of mind. But taking a few minutes to think about the ductwork in your home may save you money and increase your comfort. 

Every connection in ductwork is a potential source of leakage. If your home has any stuffy rooms or chilly spaces, it could be a sign that your ducts are leaking.  Here are some facts about leaky ductwork:

It is estimated that 30% of conditioned air leaks out of the ducts of a typical home.

Ducts accumulate 40 pounds of house dust per year. Sealing them will drastically reduce dust circulating in your home.

Typically, ductwork is not sealed when installed.

You might find loose fasteners and disconnected pieces in the sealing process. It’s a great opportunity to correct for these.

Duct tape is not the material to use to seal ducts.

Duct mastic is a flexible sealant that expands and contracts with temperature changes.

Metal-backed aluminum sealing tape is the easiest material to use to seal metal ductwork.

The most important places to seal are disconnected ducts, connections between a duct and vent, and edges and seams in the furnace or central air unit.

The hardest part of sealing ductwork is getting access to the ducts. A professional should get the job done in a day or two.

If the ducts in your home are leaking, you should know about it and get them fixed. You can’t afford to lose all that high-cost energy year after year.

If you’d like to buy an energy-efficient home, I can help. Give me a call today.

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Links:

Duct mastic

http://oikos.com/library/ducts/index.html