Duct Cleaning For Increased Performance
You can spend thousands of dollars to get the most efficient heating and cooling equipment on the market, but if you don't keep your ducts in good shape, you will never get the efficiency that you could have. While it might be difficult to get an idea of how your ducts are functioning, it is still worth the effort to inspect your ducts in order to get the best performance from your furnace and air conditioning units.
How to Inspect Ducts
Your method for inspecting ducts will depend on where your ducts are placed. If you have ducts that are enclosed behind the drywall in your home, then you need call in professionals who will use purpose-designed scopes to search for leaks in your ductwork. If you have exposed ducts running through your attic or crawlspace, then you can inspect for leaks on your own using these steps:
1. Turn your thermostat to the "fan" position.
2. Access your ducts and light a stick of incense.
3. Make sure you have a marker in hand, then run the incense along your ducts.
4. Mark all locations where air leaving the ducts disturbs the incense smoke.
5. Once you have inspected the full length of your ducts, paint duct mastic over the ducts you have marked.
Benefits of Sealing Your Ducts
Whether you pay someone to inspect and repair your ducts or you do the work yourself, sealing ducts can cost money. You might ask if the effort and cost are worth it? Leaks in your ducts will syphon off air that could be used to condition your home. The smaller the volume of air you have available to heat and cool your home, the longer your HVAC equipment has to run. Leaky ducts can decrease your system by efficiency by up to 40%. Decreasing your heating and cooling costs by 40% from month to month will help you to save more money than you spend when you seal your ducts.
High heating and cooling costs can put a serious strain on your budget. You might think that your sole focus should be on optimizing the function of your heating and cooling equipment, but it is important to remember that ducts are a key component of your heating and cooling system. Because ducts will naturally develop leaks as a result of the outward pressure created by the air flowing through them, if you have an older HVAC system in your home, then you will want to look into having your ducts inspected. Contact a company like Nebraska Heating & Air for more information.