Learn about your home's HVAC ductwork, courtesy of Airrific Air Conditioning and Heating in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Florida.

Ductwork

Proper ductwork installation and maintainance is critical to the comfort, energy efficiency and health of your home.

Having a high SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rated air conditioner will pay off in the long run with energy costs. However, another important step to getting the most out of your system is to make sure your ductwork is properly placed and maintained.

Poorly planned or installed air ducts can negate the energy savings and cost reductions you are counting on. Joints that are not sealed properly can let a lot of warmed or cooled air escape as can older ductwork that is not up to today’s standards. Even newer ducting, when placed in areas where temperatures can be extreme (like attics and crawl spaces), can release a low percent of conditioned air.

Minor duct repairs may be easy to accomplish yourself. Also, look at your ductwork's configuration; a radial design (where air supplies and returns have direct connections to the unit or trunk) and branch designs (where the supplies and returns branch off from a long “trunk” directly connected to the unit) are best for most houses. If your home has a different configuration, you might want to consider a conversion. Regardless, you should have one of our qualified HVAC technicians inspect your ductwork to make sure it's properly installed, sealed and insulated with the most effective duct sealing materials.

Ductwork Repairs Tips:

• When looking for leaks, first check sections that should be joined but have separated and then look for obvious holes.

• If you use duct tape to repair and seal your ducts, look for the tape with the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) logo to avoid tape that degrades, cracks, and loses its bond with age.

• Remember insulating ducts will keep the house at the right temperature.

There's one more very important thing to think about when it comes to the ductwork in your home...

It can be the perfect breeding ground for contaminants such as mold, bacteria, pollen, dust and more, all of which can have an adverse effect on your health. This is an important area that's often overlooked. That's why we provide a free video inspection of your ductwork as part of our exclusive 40-Point Precision Tune-Up Process, to make sure there are no leaks and that the air you breathe is healthy.

Contact the specialists at Airrific to find out how we can improve and maintain the ductwork in your home.