Think of your HVAC system as your home’s heart and the ductwork as your home’s lungs. Studies show that duct leaks account for 20-60% of all air exchange in homes. When conditioned air escapes through duct leaks, unconditioned air is drawn into the home. In Southwest Florida, air conditioners typically need replaced after 10-12 years but the most homeowners fail to consider ductwork.
Why is my home’s Ductwork important? Homeowners often purchase an energy efficient air conditioning system but do not analyze current ductwork. Add to this that many A/C contractors are untrained or don’t even mention ductwork, and your home’s “lungs” go unchecked! If you are constantly replacing your air conditioner, your ducts are rectangular in shape or they are over 20 years old, chances are you have significant duct leaks.
How can my Ductwork
be inspected? A visual inspection will only help when the ducts are noticeably damaged, separated, or in some cases, severely damaged by rodents. Since we can’t “see” air, leaks can be present even on duct systems that look OK. Sophisticated Blower Door Testing can measure the severity of the ductwork leaks, so the leaks are pin-pointed to each location. In some cases, our Blower Door Test proves that only simple repairs are needed to take care of duct leaks. We use Mastic adhesive as a permanent method of duct repair, which is applied in a thick coat over air leaks. Once dried and cured, the repairs give your duct system a lifetime, permanent seal.
To schedule a Blower Door Test or an HVAC Annual Maintenance, click here.
The goal of the FL Green Team is to provide members of the Southwest Florida community with information to make their home more energy efficiency, comfortable and healthy through education, energy upgrades and innovative testing. Please click here to learn more about our company and services.