5 Common Ductwork Problems

Ductwork isn’t something you probably think about most days. But without them, our cooling and heating systems wouldn’t be able to bring our homes conditioned air that keeps us at a comfortable, consistent temperature. If you have problems with your ductwork, it’s costing you more with fluctuating temperatures. It’s also costing you money on your energy bills each month. Here’s a list of the most common ductwork problems we see and what you can do to make improvements.

1. Improper design

If a system isn’t designed properly for conditioned air to flow throughout the home, energy efficiency plummets. If it isn’t installed correctly, it can’t provide and return the proper airflow to heat and cool your house. That can impact your effectiveness, your efficiency, and even your health as it changes the indoor air quality.

2. Leaks

The average home loses up to 40 percent of the air that circulates throughout the ductwork through leaks in the system. And if air leaks where it isn’t supposed to be, it isn’t properly conditioning your rooms to a comfortable temperature in the most effective way. Leaks can also allow outside pollution to circulate throughout your ductwork, impacting your overall indoor air quality.

3. Poorly sealed registers

If your registers aren’t sealed well with the duct connections, air can escape before it reaches the intended locations. This makes your HVAC equipment work harder to make up for the air lost due to poor seals.

4. Poor insulation

Depending on how your ductwork is installed, it needs adequate insulation to keep conditioned air within the system and delivered to its proper location. Ducts that aren’t insulated properly allow for loss of heated and cooled air outside of its intended locations. Properly insulating your ducts will improve the working condition of your overall system.

5. Dirty air ducts

The EPA estimates that air quality in some homes can be as much as 100 times dirtier than outside air. This problem is compounded when your ducts aren’t cleaned on a regular basis. Dust, pollutants, and germs inside your ducts continually recirculate every time your HVAC equipment operates. You can greatly improve your indoor air simply by having your ducts cleaned.

Have a problem keeping your rooms at a constant and proper temperature? Your ductwork may be the problem. Schedule an airflow evaluation today to determine how to improve the airflow problems in your home.