With the hot Peachtree City summer quickly approaching, now’s the time to make sure your cooling system is ready to perform at top efficiency. Professional duct maintenance supports your system’s efficiency by helping your air conditioner reliably distribute the air it cools.

Why Duct Sealing Matters

Air leaks in ductwork can develop for many reasons. In some cases, the duct joints weren’t properly connected and sealed during installation. In others, the seals have broken due to aging or being accidentally hit during renovations or other work. Work near the ducts can also cause tears and holes that leak air. In the average home, the duct system leaks between 10 to 12 percent of the air it carries. Some home duct systems leak 20 percent of their air or more.

The air that escapes your ducts never reaches your rooms, so it goes wasted. You’ll end up lowering your A/C thermostat’s temperature to compensate, which raises your cooling bills. In your attic, basement, and crawl space, cold air hitting the hot surfaces (or vice versa in winter) can cause condensation, which encourages mold and rot. Leaks also let contaminants into your air.

During professional duct maintenance, these leaks can be sealed or repaired and the leakage rate brought down to as low as 5 percent. You’ll enjoy benefits such as:

• Lower cooling and heating bills
• More even temperatures around your home
• No more stuffy feeling in your home
• Better indoor air quality
• Less risk of moisture damage

How Duct Sealing Works

Your technician will inspect the ducts for damage and loose connections around the air handler, air registers and vents, and duct joints. Torn and collapsed flex ducts can be replaced and holes in fiberglass or sheet metal ducts can be patched.

Duct joints will be fit firmly, then sealed with mastic or foil-backed tape. A heating and cooling professional has the knowledge necessary to choose the optimal sealing material for each situation and to apply it correctly.

For more information on duct maintenance and other home comfort needs, contact Powers Heating and Air.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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