An energy-efficient cooling and heating system can give you numerous benefits. If you’re not ready to upgrade to a new system, you can do a number of things to increase your home’s energy efficiency, including sealing your ductwork.
According to the federal Energy Star program, 20 percent of conditioned air is lost in an average home because of leaky ducts. This makes your system work harder to maintain the temperature in your home, and it wastes energy and money on that lost air.
Check your ductwork for leaks, paying close attention to the areas where ducts connect at floors, walls and ceilings. Also check for damaged or disconnected ducts.
Leaky ductwork should be sealed with mastic-type sealant or metal tape (not duct tape, which does not last long enough). Many homeowners turn this work over to a professional HVAC contractor, who can also increase energy efficiency by insulating ducts that run through areas that are not cooled or heated, such as garages, attics and crawl spaces.
With sealed ductwork, you’ll enjoy significant benefits:
- You’ll save money on energy bills. A more energy-efficient system won’t have to work as hard to maintain your home’s temperature if it’s not losing air to leaky ductwork. Sealed ductwork can pay for itself over time with lower energy costs.
- Your impact on the environment will be reduced. Every little bit helps. The more people who bring energy efficiency to their homes, the better it is for the world around them.
- A more comfortable home will be a pleasant reward. If you’ve had rooms that were difficult to cool or heat, or just felt stuffy, sealed ductwork is likely to address and correct that problem.
- Sealed ductwork means your cooling and heating equipment should last longer, since it won’t have to work as hard to produce results.
For even more energy efficiency, schedule annual HVAC maintenance, which will work hand-in-hand with duct sealing for more of the same benefits.
If you’d like to know more about sealed ductwork and other ways to make your home more energy efficient, contact us at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning. We’ve served the Fresno area since 1970.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about sealed ductwork and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Donald P Dick Air Conditioning services the greater Fresno area in California. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!