The average home loses 20 percent of its cooled and heated air through leaks, holes and poor connections in its ducts, according to the federal Energy Star program. That’s a lot of wasted energy, not to mention a lot of wasted money on energy bills.

Sealing your ducts can pay for itself over time through lower cooling and heating costs.

If you have high cooling and heating bills, rooms that just don’t cool down or warm up as well as other rooms, or are stuffy and uncomfortable, you may have poorly performing ducts. Ducts located in an attic, garage or crawl space may also contribute to poor energy efficiency.

• Examine your ductwork to reveal any air leaks. Check the connections to registers and vents at places they connect with ceilings, walls and floors. Look for any ducts that are in disrepair or disconnected.
• Seal leaks with mastic-type sealant or metal tape.
• Insulate ducts in areas that do not receive cooled or heated areas, such as an attic, garage or crawl space. Use duct insulation with an R-value of 8 or higher.
• Some homeowners prefer to hire an HVAC professional for duct improvement work, including repairs of ductwork. This contractor will guard against backdrafting from gas or oil-burning appliances, in which combustible gases such as carbon dioxide enter the living space instead of being properly vented outside. After ducts are sealed, the contractor should do a combustion safety test.

Sealing your ducts will help you use less energy, reducing the amount of air pollution generated by your home. It will also reduce the amount of money you spend on cooling and heating your home.

You’ll be more comfortable in every room in your house with properly working ducts. And if you have family members with allergies or asthma, you’ll be glad to know that sealing your ducts cuts down on irritants and allergens that can enter your living space.

For more expert advice about ductwork and other home-comfort topics, contact us at Powers Heating & Air. We serve Fayette & Coweta Counties including Newnan, Sharpsburg, Senoia, Tyrone, Fayetteville and Peachtree City providing HVAC service to residential and commercial customers.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about sealing your ducts and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Powers Heating & Air serves Peachtree, GA and the surrounding areas.  Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!