We all take our air ducts for granted. But without them our cooling and heating units would be unable to bring our houses to comfortable temperatures. Improperly designed, failing or dirty ducts may be costing you money and affecting your comfort and resulting in higher energy bills. To help you, we have compiled a list of the six most common duct problems.
1. Improperly designed duct system.
According to the National Comfort Institute, the average duct system in U.S. is only 57% efficient due to several of the problems listed. However, an inadequate duct system is the single greatest problem. An improperly designed and installed duct system cannot supply and return the required airflow to heat and cool your house effectively or efficiently even if your equipment is sized correctly and functioning properly.
2. Leaking ductwork.
The average home loses about 20-40% of the air that circulates through its ducts, causing major inefficiency in your heating or cooling system. By getting your ducts sealed you will lose less air, which allows your rooms to be brought to a comfortable temperature with less work from your heating or cooling unit. Also, leaks can allow outside pollutants to enter your home through your ducts, negatively affecting your indoor air quality.
3. Loose or poorly sealed registers and grills.
If your registers are not sealed or not sealed well at the duct connection, air can escape your ducts before it ever reaches your rooms. This causes a loss of air that you have already paid to heat or cool and causes your HVAC system to work harder to make up for anything that was lost due to the poor seals.
4. Twisted, kinked, crushed, or torn insulated flexible plastic air ducts.
Flexible plastic air ducts are now common in many homes and are often found in your attic. If you have insulated flexible ductwork, check to make sure that is not kinked, crushed, torn or twisted. These restrictions in airflow cause your system to work harder to move air throughout your house.
5. Air ducts that are not insulated or not fully insulated.
Your temperature-controlled air escapes your HVAC system through more than leaks. Ducts that are not insulated or not insulated properly allow for loss of heated air in the winter and cooled air in the summer. Properly insulating your ducts will improve the overall efficiency of your system.
6. Dirty air ducts.
The EPA estimates that the air quality inside your home may be up to 100 times worse than the air outside. This problem is compounded when you have ducts that have not been cleaned for some time. The dust, pollutants and germs in your ducts recirculate into your home whenever your system is running. You can greatly improve your indoor air quality by getting your ducts cleaned.
Air ducts are the roadways by which your heated or cooled air reaches you. You can improve your system’s efficiency and your comfort by a complete airflow evaluation. Pippin Brothers is here to help you. We use innovative equipment to thoroughly and accurately diagnose any airflow problems in your home.