If your ductwork is leaking, you're losing money. You spend your money on fuel to cool or heat your home and, before it reaches your indoor space, leaks in ductwork allows some of that cooled or heated air to escape – which means your money is escapes, too.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a typical home can lose around 20 percent of the conditioned air through leaks in ducts before it ever reaches the home's interior. That equates to a waste of around 20 cents of every dollar spent for energy.
Sealing ductwork is a simple way to stop that loss and make sure your energy dollars are put to full use. There are numerous areas where ducts can leak; some are obvious, others are hidden. A qualified heating and air technician can spot those leaks, repair them and put you on the way to better energy savings in both summer and winter. Here are some of the areas where sealing ductwork can save energy:
- Joints: Sheet metal duct sections have joints. These are subject to expansion and contraction during the heating and cooling process. After a few years, these sealed joints can become loose and fail.
- Flexible Ducts: There are places in your home that may have flexible ducts. These can easily tear, become kinked, tangled, collapsed, or loose where they connect to other duct pieces.
- Air Registers: Ducts end at wall, floor or ceiling registers. If the connection is not airtight, your air can spill into the wall cavity, attic or crawl space. Even the slightest leaks in these areas can cost you in lost energy.
- Wall Chases and Attics: Wall chases and attics are two areas where leaks can occur for years and never be detected without professional inspection.
Before winter comes, have your ducts checked. Ductwork sealing can stop the leaks in your fuel expenses and increase your energy savings.
For more information, contact the expert staff at Rodenhiser. We have the tools, equipment and expertise to find and seal even hidden leaks in your ducts. When you have questions about saving energy, call us; we can help.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about ductwork sealing and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Solutions Guide.
Rodenhiser Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning serves the Route 495/128 area of Massachusetts. Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!
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