If you’re like many other homeowners in our area, there’s a good chance you don’t give your ductwork very much thought. We get it, but we also don’t want you to take your ductwork for granted. Your HVAC air ducts are responsible for safely and efficiently delivering air into your home from your furnace and air conditioner, and if your ducts are dirty, have pinhole leaks, or have loose joints, it can have a serious impact on your comfort as well as HVAC efficiency.
Ductwork does, in fact, sustain damage and accumulate dirt over time. This can happen with age, or it can happen because of poor initial design and installation. Whatever the cause, it can have a huge impact on how well your HVAC system actually performs, resulting in hot or cold spots, strange noises, and higher than average utility bills.
Benefits of Duct Cleaning
Professional duct cleaning is a service you could benefit from investing in every 2-3 years. It helps your indoor air quality and your HVAC equipment will likely operate better as well.
Your HVAC system does have an air filter, and the purpose of this filter is to protect the interior components of that HVAC system from dirt, dust, and other debris. Your ductwork, however, remains largely unprotected from dust and dirt that can get sucked in.
Allergens, irritants, germs, and even mold can congregate inside your ductwork, making household members ill, and restricting airflow to the point that your HVAC systems have to run longer to try to compensate, wasting energy.
Benefits of Duct Sealing
Over the years, whether it’s due to nothing more than age, or if it’s because of pests getting in your attic where your ductwork is installed, or if poor initial installation led to loose joints… your ductwork can suffer damage. The damage may be minimal–nothing more than a few pinholes or a small tear here or there. But the fact is, damaged ducts can allow 30% of the conditioned air that you are otherwise paying for escape into unused portions of your home.
Professional duct sealing provides a permanent fix to these leaks or tears–for larger problems like loose joints you may need duct repair or duct replacement.
How Do I Know If My Ductwork Is Leaking?
There are a few signs you can watch out for that indicate you have leaking ductwork. This includes hot or cold spots in the home, as we mentioned above, as well as low airflow in one or two areas of the home, and the sound of rattling coming from where your ductwork is located.
It’s also possible that higher-than-average utility bills mean that your furnace or air conditioner is running longer to compensate for losing conditioned or heated air. It never hurts to give our team a call just in case!
At Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc., your comfort is our promise! To set up an appointment in the Cedar Rapids area, give us a call at the number above, email customerservice@daltonphc.com or schedule an appointment online for professional duct services in Cedar Rapids, IA and beyond.