With summer well under way in Northeast Ohio, your A/C has been humming away to keep you and your family comfortable. Unlucky for you, you may be losing conditioned air (and money) through leaky ducts in your home. Air leaking from your ductwork will force your air conditioner to work overtime to meat your household’s demand for cooling.
Preliminary Duct Inspection
One thing you can do is perform a preliminary duct inspection yourself to get a general idea of the condition of your ductwork. Most ductwork is too small for you to actually look inside. Follow these simple steps to get a quick look:
- Remove air register vents
- Using a small digital camera, reach up into each vent and take a photograph down the length of the duct
- Inspect the images and look for potential gaps, tears, or other signs of damage.
- Look for mold, fungus, or signs of rodent droppings and insect infestation
If you see any of these potential problems, contact an HVAC professional for a complete evaluation. During a professional duct inspection, the technician can provide you with a thorough appraisal on sealing and cleaning your ductwork. Methods recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to seal your ductwork include mastic, metal-backed tape and aerosol-based sealant.
Properly sealed ductwork can provide your home with greater energy efficiency while saving you money on your utility bills. You can also sleep safely knowing that a sealed ductwork system can reduce the potential of a dangerous and possibly lethal carbon monoxide backdraft into your living areas.
Clean ductwork will provide you with better indoor air quality through a reduction in dust and other air particulates circulating in your home. One thing you can do to reduce dust and other unwanted particulates from contaminating your system is to keep the air filter changed on a monthly basis.
For more information on having a duct inspection for air leaks and contaminants, contact us at Geisel Heating, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing. We have been proudly serving the Greater Cleveland area for more than 50 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Cleveland, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about duct inspections and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
For those Do it Yourselfers who would rather take control of your own indoor comfort, you can shop our online store for replacement parts, products and accessories!
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “ducu59us/Shutterstock”
