Few people probably notice the air duct system in their home, and with good reason. The air ducts are designed to be inconspicuous, hidden away in the ceilings or between floors.
You do feel their effects, though, in the way they work to cool you down during a hot Corpus Christi July or keep you warm during a cold spell like the one we had in February. You’re likely also feeling the effects of your air ducts in your bank statement, in the form of unnecessarily high utility bills.
According to the experts at Energy Star, the average home loses 20 percent of its air-conditioned or heated air through leaks in its air ducts. That means that roughly 20 percent of your cooling and heating bill is going towards cooling or heating the outside air instead of your house. In addition to the wasted energy, these leaks can cause dust problems in your home. This can cause respiratory problems for family members, especially those with allergies and asthma.
The fix is not a simple matter of applying a roll of duct tape. Despite the “duct” in its name, the ubiquitous gray tape isn’t actually suited for sealing the ducts in your home. The tape is not designed to last the many years your duct system will be in place. Instead, metal-backed tape, duct mastic or another specialized duct sealant should be used. Duct sealing also requires that you first find and identify all leaks, a task that often requires special training and equipment, such as manometers, flow hoods, and blower doors.
Because of the equipment and training required, it is recommended that duct sealing be done by the local Corpus Christi experts. Professional duct sealing is usually a money-saving investment thanks to the long-term energy savings — and lower utility bills.
To learn more about duct sealing and how it can save you energy, contact CCAC today. We are here to help and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Mathews CCAC Air Conditioning and Heating services Corpus Christi, TX. To get started, check out our website.