August 29, 2012
As home comfort specialists, we are acutely aware of the large role your ductwork plays in the comfort of your Sarasota area home.
Without properly designed, installed and sealed ductwork, your home can suffer from a variety of ailments including hot and cold spots, inefficient heating and cooling, and poor indoor air quality.
If you are experiencing one of these problems and are wondering if your air ducts could be to blame, you probably do not know what to look for. These five traits are present in every home with highly efficient ductwork.
According to estimates by ENERGY STAR, 20% of the air that passes through your ducts is lost due to insufficient insulation and leaking ductwork. To improve your home’s comfort and increase your heating and cooling system’s efficiency, your ductwork should be insulated.
If your home has sheet metal ducts, they should be under the insulation in you attic or wrapped in insulation. Most flexible types of ductwork already include insulation, but they should still be within attic and wall insulation whenever possible.
Another way your home could be losing its heated and cooled air is through leaks, holes and gaps in your ductwork. Your air ducts are regularly subjected to the extreme temperatures within your attic, basement and exterior walls. This can cause the seals and ducts to deteriorate, decreasing your comfort system’s efficiency.
Highly efficient air ducts have adequate insulation and are properly sealed in order to minimize the amount of air loss.
Believe it or not, the size of the air ducts in your home also play an important role in your system’s efficiency and your comfort. For example, if your return ducts are too small or too few you could be suffocating your air conditioner or heater. (It’s like trying to breathe through a small straw.)
Do you have hot and cold spots in your home? Is upstairs always warmer than downstairs? Then your home may be lacking this important trait of highly efficient air ducts.
A properly balanced duct system provides even heating and cooling throughout your home. Dampers are adjusted so rooms that need more heating and cooling receive it.
As your cooled air travels through your Sarasota area home’s air ducts, it loses some of its refreshing chilliness the further it travels. Therefore, highly efficient air ducts are as direct as possible with few sharp turns. This limits your air’s exposure to the extreme temperatures found in unconditioned spaces and increases your system’s efficiency.
If your home does not have highly efficient air ducts that possess these five traits, you can increase your home’s comfort and reduce energy costs by replacing or repairing your ductwork.
Cool Today is the leading air conditioning and heating specialist in Florida.