There are many reasons to schedule duct sealing, which can have numerous benefits in your home. Air ducts distribute cooled or heated air to every room. But you can’t usually see them or even know what they look like inside. Nonetheless, air leaks and contamination can wreak havoc on HVAC efficiency and indoor air quality. To avoid further trouble, here are nine reasons you should schedule duct sealing today.
1. Your Home Isn’t Consistently Warm or Cool
A duct leak can cause parts of your home to be too warm or not cold enough. That’s because conditioned air may escape into the attic, crawlspace, or other areas where it isn’t needed. Some rooms may also be stuffy no matter what you do, whether it’s resetting the thermostat, running a ceiling fan, or using a diffuser. The sooner you have your ducts sealed, the sooner you can enjoy consistent comfort again.
2. No Heat or Cool Air Is Reaching a Room
If there’s a big enough duct leak, no conditioned air may reach a room. A lack of air pressure can prevent heated or cooled air from traveling to certain areas. Often due to a torn joint between duct segments or a damaged seal, the issue won’t go away without professional duct sealing or repairs.
3. The Energy Bills Are Too High
Your HVAC system works hardest in the winter and summer. Utility bills tend to be higher during these seasons, but unusually high bills often mean leaky ducts. When conditioned air escapes into typically unconditioned spaces, the system must work harder to reach the correct temperature. A large duct leak can also let outside air into your home, causing it to be too cold in winter and too hot in summer no matter how the thermostat is set.
4. Too Much Dust
Unsealed ducts tend to be dusty. The dust in your ventilation system can find its way into rooms, where it floats in the air and accumulates on tables, furniture, floors, and other surfaces. This dust will return soon after vacuuming. Dust often contains numerous allergens, further contributing to indoor comfort issues.
5. Unusual Odors
Signs of leaky ductwork also include strange, often musty odors. Mold is a common cause. Pollutants from outside can introduce many other types of odors, from smoke to unexplainable smells from chemicals, animals, and traffic, to name a few. Some duct leaks can cause odors from the kitchen or other rooms to reach areas where they’re not welcome.
6. High Indoor Humidity
Leaky ducts can let in moisture aside from unconditioned air. Therefore, damp conditions can make your home feel uncomfortable and allow mold to grow. To make matters worse, many molds feed off organic pollutants in dust and can proliferate throughout ductwork and your HVAC system. Contaminants that enter through duct leaks often bypass air filters, so nothing is stopping them from polluting your home (except for duct sealing).
7. Damaged Ducts
If you see damaged ducts in your basement or attic, call for help. Signs of wear and tear include gaps in joints and broken seals. Old ductwork may appear corroded, kinked, dented, or collapsed. It will only deteriorate further, so it should be replaced to ensure your HVAC system works as it was designed to.
8. Poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Bad IAQ is more than about your home smelling bad or being stuffy or the wrong temperature. Chemical and biological pollutants can come from many sources. They may cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, coughing, sneezing, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, headache, and shortness of breath. Depending on the contaminants and their concentration, the results can ultimately be deadly. We can make sure your home is healthy and safe with professional duct sealing.
9. The Doors Move Themselves
The door test is one way to see if your ducts should be sealed. You don’t need a professional for this. First, close exterior doors and windows, and then close all interior doors. Turn up your central HVAC unit as usual. Now open the interior doors slightly. If they open further on their own, there’s an air circulation issue (probably caused by a duct leak). Hire a professional to evaluate the system and, if necessary, perform duct sealing.
Contact Monarch Home Services
Ducts can leak a significant amount of air due to cracks, holes, corrosion, and loose connections. Our duct sealing process is quick and effective and causes minimal disruption. There are many reasons to schedule such a service. We can address any of the signs of leaky ducts mentioned above. To get started, call (661) 215-6657 and schedule your appointment and free quote today.