None of us is getting any younger, but your aging ductwork may be old before its time. If your home is more than 10 years old, the ductwork probably belongs to an era of lower efficiency and environmental standards. Often, residential ductwork was a convenient place to cut building costs by installing equipment that wasn’t fabricated to last the life of the home. Today, the Department of Energy reports the average house is losing at least 20 percent of heated and cooled air through aging ductwork that’s now deteriorating and leaking. That conditioned air silently escapes into unconditioned areas like the crawl space under the house and the attic above—but you still get the bill. Here are some signs of aging ductwork in your Texas home:
- Wherever ducts are exposed for visual inspection, check the joints between spans for deteriorating duct tape that was unwisely used as inexpensive sealant. Also, look for streaks of dust emanating from ductwork seams that are telltale signs of an air leak and spots of rust and corrosion that may indicate pinhole leaks. Although a great deal of ductwork isn’t accessible to the average do-it-yourselfer, evidence of leaks and deterioration in one area points to the potential of system-wide flaws that require professional attention.
- Feel the airflow from supply registers in each room. Noticeably reduced volume in one or more rooms may be the giveaway to sections of ductwork that have completely disconnected over time or collapsed or pinched segments of flexible duct. If airflow seems cooler or warmer in certain rooms than others, excessive duct leakage or thermal loss due to lack of adequate duct insulation may be suspected.
- Get a professional opinion from an HVAC contractor, including pressure testing to determine the extent of leakage as well as pinpoint the exact location of leaks. Deteriorated joints between segments can be mechanically secured and sealed with mastic. Spans with multiple pinpoint leaks can be replaced and segments routed through unconditioned zones upgraded with new insulation.
For a professional evaluation of your aging ductwork in the Vernon area, contact James Lane Air Conditioning & Plumbing Co.
