Forced-air heating and cooling systems rely on ducts to transport air to your living spaces. However, these ducts can drastically reduce the efficiency of your system if you fail to properly maintain them. If you haven’t done your part to keep your ducts in good condition, check out these three ways you can maintain your ductwork and improve efficiency.
Perform Routine Cleanings
You may not know it, but your ducts could be filthy. While filters catch most airborne particles (dust mites, pet dander, pollen, etc.), some still sneak through and enter your ducts. As more and more particles build up in your ducts they can not only worsen allergies, but can actually cause your system to lose efficiency. This happens because as the particles gather in the ducts, they shrink the opening. Less air pushes through the ducts. This forces your furnace or air-conditioner to use more energy to get the job done.
You can clean parts of your ductwork yourself with your own vacuum. Simply remove the duct covers on the vents around your home, and use the hose on your vacuum to clean as far as you can. This will eliminate some irritants and prevent them from getting into the air, but for a full-cleaning you’ll need to hire a professional.
Seal Gaps and Holes in Ductwork
If you’ve never maintained your ductwork before, you probably have gaps and holes in it. On average, about 20 to 30 percent of the air in a home’s ductwork escapes through these holes and gaps. Like trying to carry water in a bucket with a hole in it, this just isn’t efficient. Air escapes before it reaches your living spaces. This forces your unit to use more power to reach a comfortable temperature.
Duct sealing is a project you can do yourself. Simply purchase some mastic sealant or metal tape from a local hardware store and start closing the gaps. Make sure to check the connections near vents, which commonly have holes or disconnected ductwork. Without the holes and gaps, more air reaches you, which means you can use less energy.
Insulate Ducts in Certain Areas
Another problem with ducts is that they allow air to heat up or cool down before it reaches you. This can be a problem in parts of your home that are not temperature controlled, such as the garage, basement, attic, or crawl space. For example, if you leave this to cause issues, you might need to contact professionals to have some crawl space repair work done. You turn the heat to 72 degrees, but by the time it reaches you, it may have cooled a few degrees. As a result, you turn up the heat to get warmer, which wastes energy and money.
You can fix this problem by insulating ducts in these areas that aren’t temperature controlled. It’s best to use foil-faced fiberglass insulation for this project. Don’t forget to check the R-value, which measures insulation efficeincy. You’ll want to choose an insulation with an R-value of at least R-6. Use metallic foil duct tape to seal the insulation.
Forced-air heating and cooling systems are the most effective ways to heat and cool your home, but they aren’t always the most energy efficient. That’s why it’s important to take extra steps to help improve efficiency, and maintaining your ducts is one major way to do so. If you want to see your energy costs decrease, it’s time to start checking your ducts.
I have difficulty cleaning the ducts , so I have a professional come in once a year to clean them. This post reminded me that it is time for me to make my next appointment.
Both my Mom & I have spent this last Winter with horrible allergies. It finally dawned on us that it has to be what the heat is pushing out the vents. Unfortunately, our vents are in the ceiling (we’re both disabled & can’t get up there.) So, I guess it’s time to get someone in here to clean out the duct work!
We had ducts like these when I lived out west, in a very nice apartment. We always kept them SUPER clean because we were in the Nevada desert, and the dust was everywhere. It was amazing to me to see how much dust collected ina short period of time!
We give our ducts a good cleaning twice a year. Every time we change our smoke alarm batteries, test out our carbon monoxide detector and check on our fire extinguishers…our heating & AC ducts get cleaned out along with our dryer vent.