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Signs of a Leaky Air Duct

The HVAC system of your house has a lot of components. This includes the air duct system, an outdoor unit, and an indoor unit. Leaks in the air ducts can be causing the issue if you notice that your cooling and heating system isn’t working properly.

However, how do you know if your air duct is leaking? Today, we are going to discuss a couple of indications that your ducts might be leaking.

A Dusty House

A few specks of dust in your house are fine. However, if your home has an extreme amount of dust, then there is a problem that you have to address. For those who don’t know, dust builds up in your basement or attic over time. Air duct that has leaked, broken, or collapsed can suck the dust in and distribute it into your house. In addition to that, huge amounts of dust can trigger the allergies of people living in that house.

High Energy Bills

One common indication that your air duct is leaking is the latest increase in your energy bills. You should check your bills and examine your air ducts for leaks if you can when you feel that you aren’t getting a return on investment of your HVAC system. Air ducts will spill air outside if it is leaking air. This will add to your utility bill.

Poor Comfort

If your air duct is leaking, it will generate uneven cold and hot areas in your house. This lowers the comfort in particular places. Your air duct might be leaking air if particular rooms are hard to cool and heat or if the air feels stale.

Do Not Use Duct Tape on the Air Ducts

To keep maximum efficiency, your air duct system should be totally sealed. However, you should keep in mind that duct tape isn’t helpful on the actual air duct, even though it is named “duct” tape. For those who do not know, duct tape doesn’t react properly to temperature shifts. Of course, this often happens in air ducts. The adhesive will eventually fail and leave leaks in your air duct if you try to use ordinary duct tape on your air duct system. Of course, as we have mentioned earlier, the leaks might result in expensive energy bills and energy loss.

What Should a Homeowner Do?

There are a couple of HVAC-specific tapes that are verified to work properly in conditions that are demanding, such as your air duct system. A couple of products that can endure drastic temperature shifts include injected aerosol sealant, foil-backed tape, and duct mastic. Though you can seal leaky air ducts on your own, you should always keep in mind that a couple of your air ducts are installed in places that are hard to reach. That is why it is ideal to talk to an expert to look for and seal the leaks in your HVAC system. In addition to that, a professional Air Duct Cleaning Livonia MI company can also inspect your air duct system to make sure issues will be prevented in the future.