How To Repair Air Duct Leaks

How to Repair HVAC Ductwork Leaks

December 23, 2022

Residential HVAC ductwork leaks are quite undesirable to homeowners because these are a sure source of free energy waste. Unfortunately, these tin can get undetected for extended periods of time. Air conditioning ductwork leaks are most commonly plant along joints where lines branch-off from one another. These tin can exist acquired by aging and normal clothing and tear, or, damage done by insect and fauna pests. Regardless of the cause, when dwelling ductwork leaks, it causes cooled or heated air to be lost into the void effectually it, making the central heating and air organisation work harder and run longer to achieve the desired temperature. Therefore, it's important to know how to repair HVAC ductwork leaks.

How to Repair HVAC Ductwork Leaks

The first step in fixing residential ductwork is to locate leaks. Unlike some air conditioning and heating issues, like the unit non heating a dwelling house, or, a cardinal Air-conditioning blowing warm air, leaky ducts are especially noticeable. Of course, this is because ducts are hidden, but, if you lot begin to notice longer periods of time to rut or cool your home, or, the airflow is weak, y'all might have a duct leak problem.

Ducts that leak heated air into unheated spaces can add together hundreds of dollars a year to your heating and cooling bills. Insulating ducts in unconditioned spaces is unremarkably very price-effective. If you are installing a new duct system, make sure it comes with insulation. Sealing your ducts to prevent leaks is even more important if the ducts are located in an unconditioned area such every bit an attic or vented crawlspace. If the supply ducts are leaking, heated or cooled air tin be forced out of unsealed joints and lost. In addition, unconditioned air can be fatigued into return ducts through unsealed joints. —U.S. Section of Energy

Kickoff by filling a h2o canteen with h2o and some liquid soap and so grab a flashlight; plow the system on and access the ductwork after. (Exist sure to set the fan to the "ON" position, instead of the "AUTO" position so the system will continue to run as yous hunt downwards leaky ducts.) You're looking for signs such as condensation, discoloration, and visible tears as well as holes. Feel for air escaping along the ductwork and spray soapy water to pinpoint the source. You might even see metal foil record flopping nigh, a certain sign of a leak. To repair HVAC ductwork leaks, do the following:

Fix loose flex connections. If you notice loose flex connections, information technology could be due to failed a Panduit strip, which is a plastic naught tie that holds the within and/or outside part of the connection in-place. Should the Panduit strip be frail or broken, you'll take to replace information technology to reestablish a good connection.
Apply metallic foil tape. For connections with loose or ripped record, yous should remove the old afflicted portion carefully and then wrap a special metal foil tape around the ductwork. While you lot might exist tempted to utilize duct-record, this isn't a good solution for the application because the adhesive won't stick for long.
Castor on a coat of duct mastic. Subsequently applying metal foil record to the ductwork, brush on a coat of duct mastic, following the manufacturer'south instructions. This will better the seal and forbid the metal foil tape from coming loose.
Let dry and and then exam. Let the duct mastic dry out as long as recommended past the manufacturer, then, bank check the seal to ensure that isn't not leaking air.

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