Householders Information to Ductwork Sealing

⭐ Do You Want Ductwork Sealing?

A house’s ductwork usually 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 a vital position in distributing heat or cool air all through the home and holding 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 needs to be maintained, as leaky ductwork could cause a spike in utility payments, extreme use of assets, and undesirable noise.

This text will define 3 ways to ensure a duct system doesn’t leak, which can allow you to lower your expenses and keep comfy.

⭐ Issues Brought on by Unsealed Ducts

As you may think about, all types of issues come up when you have air leaking out of your ductwork.

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

Simply keep in mind, there IS a solution to seal up all of the leaks!

🔧 Holding Soiled Air Out

On the availability facet of your HVAC system, the air is being compelled outwards via the air ducts.

However on the return facet, the air is being compelled again in in the direction of the fan which may such mud and grime 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 solution to forestall this mud from increase prematurely.

🔧 Decrease Vitality Payments

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

On a leaky ductwork system, you may count on a number of this conditioned air gained’t make it again into the residing area 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.

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

Higher Air High quality

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

It is 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 operating the furnace within the winter but in addition the air-con in the summertime.

Each techniques use the blower fan, which strikes air via 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 accountable 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 doable.

This can be 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 cut back the effectivity of your air conditioner or warmth pump.

⭐ Small Duct Leaks Typically Go Un-Observed

That is very true in an older house, or one you’ve lived in for a very long time.

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

Clients often fall into one among 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 situation: Just a few staples have popped out of a chunk 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 transferring far 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 operating.

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

Typically talking, there are 3 ways to seal leaky ductwork.

The primary one is fast and straightforward 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 choice from the corporate Aeroseal, which they’ll solely do.

That is the best solution to seal ducts, however it’s also 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 just a few totally different corporations, and you actually do wish to get the highest quality tape for the job.

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

This stands for Underwriters Laboratory and means this product has been accredited 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 can be referred to as duct seal.

As with something, there’s a good manner and a not-so-nice solution to apply these things.

If you’d 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 facet 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 might 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 all over for those who’re not cautious.

Aeroseal Duct Sealing

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

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

The most important benefit of Aeroseal is it might probably seal up any leak by injecting a liquid rubber sealant all through all the ductwork system.

That is executed at one single level, saving you the trouble 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 considering, didn’t I simply checklist duct tape as the primary choice when contemplating learn how to seal up leaky ductwork?

And you’ll 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 encourage 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 on account of temperature fluctuations all through the day and night time.

Additionally, since common duct tape has been round for fairly some time within the house enchancment trade, 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 at any time when 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 affordable and best when you have entry to all of the ducts in your home.

Whereas Aeroseal can get to each leak within the ductwork system, however it might probably solely be executed by a licensed skilled from the corporate.

Keep in mind to take precautions, too, reminiscent of not putting in versatile ducts, utilizing a very good air filter, overlaying any tiny gaps, putting in energy-efficient home equipment, and making certain all of your vents are open.

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

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