888.630.9224Because AAA Heating & Air Conditioning cares about helping our customers save money and improve the environment, we wanted to help you make sense of the ENERGY STAR® program and what it means for your heating or cooling system. This is Part 3 of a 9 part series on the subject that is published every other Thursday. If you missed our previous posts, you can find them here: AAA Heating & Air Conditioning ENERGY STAR blog posts
Ductwork is what distributes the heated or cooled air from your furnace throughout the rest of the house. In a typical house, 20% of that air is lost due to leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts. Inefficient heating or cooling systems, high utility bills, and difficulty keeping the house comfortable are the result.
If you feel comfortable enough, you can seal leaks by yourself with a mastic sealant or a foil tape. You will also want to ensure that the connections at the vents and registers are well-sealed where they meet the floors, walls, and ceiling.
However, many homeowners choose to hire a professional Heating and Cooling Contractor to perform an inspection on the duct work and to make any repairs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends looking for a contractor who will:
- Inspect the whole duct system, including the attic, basement, and crawlspace
- Evaluate the system’s supply and return air balance. Many systems have air return ducts that are too small
- Repair or replace damaged, disconnected, or undersized ducts and straighten out flexible ducts that are tangled or crushed
- Seal leaks and connections
- Seal gaps behind registers and grills where the duct meets the floor, wall, or ceiling
- Insulate ducts in unconditioned areas
- Use diagnostic tools to evaluate air flow after repairs are completed
AAA Heating & Air Conditioning has trained specialists who can perform these checks and repairs for you. Give us a call at 253-630-9224 to schedule an appointment.
Next time in our series on ENERGY STAR: Using Programmable Thermostats
Source: www.energystar.gov
Great article. Thank you!
Energy star sealing duct work.. Outstanding