ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Your air ducts are one of the most important systems in your home, and if the ducts are poorly sealed or insulated they are likely contributing to higher energy bills.
Your home’s duct system is a branching network of tubes in the walls, floors, and ceilings; it carries the air from your home’s furnace and central air conditioner to each room. Ducts are made of sheet metal, fiberglass, or other materials.
Ducts that leak heated air into unheated spaces can add hundreds of dollars a year to your heating and cooling bills, but you can reduce that loss by sealing and insulating your ducts. Insulating ducts in unconditioned spaces is usually very cost-effective. Existing ducts may also be blocked or may require simple upgrades.
ARE YOUR DUCTS IN A ROW?
When is the last time that your air conditioning ducts have been checked for leaky connections, rodent damage, or kinks restricting proper air flow? Unfortunately, your air ducts are often out of sight either in the attic or under the house and don’t get the proper attention. We recommend a duct inspection at least once every year (so does NADCA).
We can tell you this; the duct system has a very critical part in the proper operation of your “home as a system” even though your duct system is “outta sight & outta mind.” When you purchase a new A/C system you want it to last as long as possible & you want to get maximum performance out of the system as well.
Facts about A/C and Heating Duct Leaks
Typical unsealed duct systems lose up to:
- Leaky ducts make your HVAC system (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) have to work much harder
- Leaks in your ducts equals higher utility bills
- Duct leakage can potentially cause dust, mold, and health issues. Major leaks can be found around joints at ductwork connections, around the air handler, and near vents. Look for holes, tears, and loose joints.
- Every unsealed joint is likely a small leak—even if a gap is not visible.
The Secret to a Long Life For Your A/C System!
The secret is to have a Sealed Duct System with documented test numbers – not a guess or a quick peek. Test the ducts & make sure that you are going the get all the performance you expect out of your new A/C equipment. The test is called a “Blower Door” test or “Duct Leakage” test; some people use the term “Duct Blaster“ test. Ask about the ‘Gulf Power Check Me program’ for duct sealing & an instant rebate provided through the utility company when you have your duct system sealed.
Since most ductwork is located in attics or crawl spaces, the conditioned air that you paid for never gets into the house. Leaking supply ducts (where the A/C system blows air) can lose large amounts of cooled/heated air to these unconditioned areas. Leaking return ducts (where the A/C system sucks air in) can suck hot, cold, or dusty air into the conditioned space. Duct leakage significantly increases cooling and heating loads, sometimes beyond what the HVAC system can handle.
Don’t Let Poor Air Quality Ruin Your Home
Schedule Your Free Inspection today and let Gulf Coast Air Care make sure you are safe for the upcoming A/C season!
Air Filtration
Change Your A/C Filter!
We recommend you replace your air filter more in the summer because your A/C unit runs about 25-30% more during this time of year. If you have one of those 3-month filters and you let it go unchanged, it’s probably restricting the air flow & working your outside A/C unit harder than it needs to (more energy used plus more wear & tear on the System)
Call Gulf Coast Air Care to Get your Air Filters Now We have the highest quality air filters that will ensure your house will stay free of dust and other particles.
In new home construction or in retrofits, proper duct system design is critical. In recent years, energy-saving designs have sought to include ducts and heating systems in the conditioned space.
Efficient and well-designed duct systems distribute air properly throughout your home without leaking to keep all rooms at a comfortable temperature. The system should provide a balanced supply and return flow to maintain a neutral pressure within the house.
Even well sealed and insulated ducts will leak and lose some heat, so many new energy-efficient homes place the duct system within the conditioned space of the home. The simplest way to accomplish this is to hide the ducts in dropped ceilings and in corners of rooms. Ducts can also be located in a sealed and insulated chase extending into the attic or built into raised floors. In both of these latter cases, care must be taken during construction to prevent contractors from using the duct chases for wiring or other utilities.
Dryer Vent Cleaning
This is a very serious Life Safety Issue… You could have a fire in your dryer vent, not to mention the energy you’re wasting; the money is added to your Gulf Power bill and the clothes just seem to take forever to dry. I didn’t even mention the wear & tear on your dryer… DO NOT DELAY… Call us TODAY
Don’t put your family or your home at risk…
Make your life easy with a clean efficient appliance that will serve you for years to come!
We, at Gulf Coast Air Care & the local Fire Department, along with the NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) strongly recommend annual dryer vent cleaning, at a minimum, to prevent lint buildup that could cause a fire in the vent or clothes dryer. BE SAFE and not SORRY.
You can perform a simple check for adequate return air capacity by doing the following:
- Close all exterior doors and windows
- Close all interior room doors
- Turn on the central air handler
- “Crack” interior doors one by one and observe if the door closes or further opens “on its own.” (Whether it closes or opens will depend on the direction of the air handler-driven air flow.) Rooms served by air-moved doors have restricted return air flow and need pressure relief as described above.
Protect Your Home from the Hazard of a Clogged Dryer Vent
MINOR DUCT REPAIR TIPS
Check your ducts for air leaks. First, look for sections that should be joined but have separated and then look for obvious holes.
Duct mastic is the preferred material for sealing ductwork seams and joints. It is more durable than any available tape and generally easier for a do-it-yourself installation. Its only drawback is that it will not bridge gaps over ¼ inch. Such gaps must be first bridged with web-type drywall tape or a good quality heat approved tape.
If you use tape to seal your ducts, avoid cloth-backed, rubber adhesive duct tape — it tends to fail quickly. Instead, use mastic, butyl tape, foil tape, or other heat-approved tapes. Look for tape with the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) logo.
Remember that insulating ducts in the basement will make the basement colder. If both the ducts and the basement walls are not insulated, consider insulating both. Water pipes and drains in unconditioned spaces could freeze and burst if the heat ducts are fully insulated be-cause there would be no heat source to prevent the space from freezing in cold weather. However, using an electric heating tape wrap on the pipes can prevent this. Check with a professional contractor.
Hire a professional to install both supply and return registers in the basement rooms after converting your basement to a living area.
Be sure a well-sealed vapor barrier exists on the outside of the insulation on cooling ducts to prevent moisture condensation.
If you have a fuel-burning furnace, stove, or other appliance or an attached garage, install a carbon monoxide (CO) monitor to alert you to harmful CO levels.
Be sure to get professional help when doing ductwork. A qualified professional should always perform changes and repairs to a duct system.
Don’t Let Poor Air Quality Ruin Your Home
Schedule Your Free Inspection today and let Gulf Coast Air Care make sure you are safe for the upcoming A/C season!
