How Sealing Ducts Figures in Energy Savings

After your air conditioner or furnace have respectively cooled or heated the air flowing through the system, the supply air ducts channel the conditioned air to your living spaces. Any deficiencies in sealing, design, and insulation of ducts will be apparent in temperature discomfort and inflated energy bills. Learn the ins and outs of duct sealing so you can stop losing valuable dollars to wasted energy.

Better Comfort and Savings

Air ducts are typically fabricated using thin sheet metal, and are linked and sealed together to form a network of tubes. One might think that such an apparently simple system with no moving parts would be a no-brainer when it comes to duct design and installation. However, poor duct design and sealing techniques may leave many homeowners facing high energy bills.

The following are benefits of properly sealing air ducts, whether older ducts or new installations:

• Tightly sealed ducts help to balance air distribution and temperatures throughout the home.

• Contaminated air from combustion appliances, or polluted outdoor air will not enter the living spaces via leaks in the ductwork.

• Properly sealed ducts reduce the load placed on your HVAC system. If there is a leak in the system through which air escapes, your system will have to work harder to distribute quality air through the system. Well-sealed ducts, therefore, also prevent wear and tear on your system.

• Almost one-third of air that flows through the duct system is wasted due to damaged ducts. Since well-sealed ducts prevent valuable air from escaping, your air conditioner will be more efficient.

Sealing Air Ducts

Your HVAC contractor should be accomplished in duct sealing according to the standards set by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America’s (ACCA) Manual D, which is an observation required by residential building codes. Your HVAC contractor will inspect visible ductwork, but a little more work will be required to inspect ductwork in less accessible areas.

Duct sealing is a very important aspect of HVAC repair and maintenance services. For questions about sealing air ducts or any other HVAC service for your Fairfax area home, call Brennan’s Heating & Air Conditioning at (703)763-0399. We’ve proudly served Northern Virginia businesses and homeowners for more than 30 years.

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