Did you know that much of the air produced by your heating system is lost during transit? A duct system with holes, cracks or poor connections can result in air loss of 25 percent or more of the heat produced by your furnace. This increases the amount of energy required to heat your home, which costs much more in the long run. You can save energy and money in your Connecticut home this winter by minimizing the amount of air loss in your duct system.
Air escapes through the ducts in several different ways. Leaks, kinks in the lines, holes in the duct units and poor connections between the furnace and duct system will cause problems. Other issues, such as blocks in the ducts or poor insulation, will also lead to energy losses. Repair these problems yourself, or hire a professional technician to seal duct leaks for you to save a significant amount on your next energy bill.
Use the following checklist to repair air loss in your duct system:
- Seal any leaks with foil tape and mastic. Replace old duct tape with foil tape. Despite its name, duct tape isn’t intended for use with ducts.
- Remove any objects blocking the return or supply vents to your ducts.
- Keep vents open in every room for maximum air circulation.
- Keep doors in the house open as well.
Repair any kinked or broken sections of duct or replace with new ductwork. - Add additional insulation to un-insulated areas, such as in the garage, attic or crawlspaces of your home.
- Check the connection between the furnace and the ducts, and seal the joint with foil tape and mastic. You should feel no air coming out of any seam between the furnace and ductwork.
- Consider adding larger ducts or more return or supply vents to rooms that remain too hot or too cold. Consider adding a zoned heating system to address this issue.
For more information about how to control air loss in your Connecticut home this winter, contact us at Glasco Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide expert HVAC service to Hartford area residents and are happy to perform any service you need, saving you money and energy year-round.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air loss and other HVAC topics, visit our website.
Glasco Heating & Air Conditioning services South Windsor, Connecticut and the surrounding areas.
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