8 Reasons to Seal Your Air Ducts

The air ducts running throughout your house play a critical role in your quality of life. They ensure conditioned air produced by your heating and cooling system gets circulated in all the rooms in your home. Additionally, ducts ensure the air circulating in your building is free of any debris. However, if your air ducts develop holes or cracks, they can’t do the job perfectly. Cracks in your ducts allow contaminants such as mold, mildew, or pollen to mix with your conditioned air. Leaks can go unnoticed in air ducts that are hidden behind walls and other areas that are not often accessed. Here are eight reasons why duct sealing is essential in your home.

1. Improve HVAC Efficiency

Leaky ducts lead to significant loss of heated or cooled air from your heating system or air conditioner. As a result, your system has to work harder as it tries to compensate for these effects. The additional cycles mean your HVAC consumes more energy. In fact, the holes or leaks in your air ducts can reduce the efficiency of your cooling and heating unit by up to 20% to 30%.

Duct sealing prevents infiltration of air through these leaks. This way, your HVAC unit will work less while cooling or heating your building. It will operate more efficiently because it doesn’t need to make up for the energy loss.

2. Better Indoor Air Quality

If there are any leaks in your return ducts, contaminants can find their way into your ductwork. Crawlspaces, basements, and attics where ducts run contain high levels of airborne contaminants such as dirt, dust, mold, and allergens. These particles build up in your duct system and get into your living space together with the conditioned air. Breathing in these contaminants can lead to adverse health consequences like headaches, fatigue, nausea, skin irritation, coughing, sneezing, and itchy throat, eyes, and nose. If there are asthma and allergy sufferers in your household, they may have more frequent attacks.

Sealing your air ducts helps to significantly improve indoor air quality by reducing the contaminant levels in your space. In homes with individuals suffering from asthma or allergies, duct sealing will help to reduce their symptoms and improve health. There will also be reduced cleaning needs in your living space because of less dirt and dust settling on different surfaces.

3. HVAC System Protection

Duct leaks can significantly impact your heating and cooling system. As the system works extra hard to compensate for the air loss through the leaks in the ductwork, it runs more frequently, increasing wear and tear. Over time, excessive wear and tear can contribute to early malfunctioning, system breakdowns, and the need to replace your equipment earlier.

You’ll save a lot of money on HVAC system costs through air duct sealing. Reducing the operation time of your equipment means there will be less wear and tear. Also, there will be fewer chances of a system breakdown and unexpected repairs. When a system operates properly without added stress, it will likely last longer.

4. Better Comfort Control and Airflow

Sealing your ductwork also helps to improve airflow and indoor comfort. When there are holes in your ducts, conditioned air meant for your living space escapes into unintended areas such as your attic. There is less airflow through your vents, and your indoor space doesn’t reach the right temperatures.

Duct sealing eliminates any leaks in your system, allowing it to deliver the right temperatures you need in your home. You’ll no longer need to constantly adjust your thermostat to ensure your indoors attains the right temperatures. Also, every room will feel comfortable whether you are in the bedroom, watching room, or cooking in the kitchen.

5. Lower Energy Bills

You will pay more for your energy bills when you have leaky air ducts in your home. This is because it will be running more in order to maintain the set temperature of your thermostat. Also, since ducts run through areas that don’t require conditioned air, you will basically be paying to heat these areas if there are leaks in your ductwork.

Sealing your air ducts will conserve your home’s cooling and heating energy. With more conditioned air making its way into your indoor space, your system won’t have to keep cycling, lowering your utility bills.

6. Cleaner Evaporator Coil

When dust and dirt get into your air ducts through leaky areas, they can quickly accumulate in your equipment’s evaporator coil. A combination of moisture and dirt in the evaporator coil also creates a favorable environment for microbes. Microbial growth makes the air in your home smelly, and it’s unhealthy to breathe for you and your family.

Although air filters can block most of these harmful particles from reaching your evaporator coil, not all filters are entirely effective. Also, if the air filter isn’t correctly situated in the return duct, a significant amount of air will pass around it and reach the coil.

7. Identify Other Ductwork Problems

When you hire an experienced professional to seal your air ducts, they will start by thoroughly inspecting your entire system. In addition to leaks, airflow issues, and loose connections, an expert can identify other issues, such as bent, sagging, or disconnected, as well as pest infestations. In some extreme cases, you may have undersized or poorly designed ductwork.

These ductwork issues lead to various HVAC problems and also compromise your home’s comfort. For instance, your HVAC system’s effectiveness may be limited due to too much heat gain during the hot months and excess heat loss when temperatures drop. Apart from sealing the existing ducts, our team can recommend repairing or replacing any ductwork components that affect your equipment’s efficiency.

8. Environmental Protection

When your HVAC system works less, it burns fewer fuels, reducing air pollution. By properly sealing the ductwork in your building, you’ll play your part in supporting environmental sustainability and minimizing your carbon footprint.

Your Air Duct Sealing Specialists

Duct sealing is a critical process for any homeowner. In case holes or cracks develop in your ducts, you will incur higher utility costs, and you may have to replace your HVAC system sooner than you expect. You will also experience lower indoor air quality and diminished comfort in your living space. Another downside of these leaks is that they can be so tiny for you to see them. Therefore, it’s essential to involve a professional to inspect your ductwork and seal all the leaky spots.

Whenever you need duct sealing experts, Integrity Heating & Cooling is your go-to company. We have been in operation for more than 35 years and have consistently provided timely and top-notch services to every customer. You can rely on our NATE-certified technicians to inspect your ducts and seal the leaks with mastic. We’ll also seal any gaps behind grills and registers. Our experienced professionals also evaluate the airflow after completing the task. We provide indoor air quality testing, duct sealing, mini splits installation, diagnostic service call, AC and furnace repair, replacement, and maintenance services in Charlotte.

Contact Integrity Heating & Cooling to book the best services with our specialists.