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 fluctuating temperature and moisture levels in your home.
When choosing a company to clean your air ducts, make sure the company is not only accredited with the BBB but is also NADCA certified. Gulf Coast Air Care meets both of those, and our professional technicians will guarantee your air ducts will be fully cleaned and not just given the “blow-and-go” treatment of other companies.
When choosing a company to clean your air ducts, make sure the company is licensed by the State and accredited with the BBB but is also NADCA certified. Gulf Coast Air Care meets all of those requirements and our professional technicians will guarantee your air ducts will be fully cleaned and not just given the “blow-and-go” treatment of other unlicensed companies. We clean to the ACR standard (pictured below) from the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA).
Maintaining and Upgrading Existing Duct Systems
Sealing your ducts to prevent leaks is even more important if the ducts are located in an unconditioned area such as an attic or vented crawlspace. If the supply ducts are leaking, heated or cooled air can be forced out of unsealed joints and lost. In addition, unconditioned air can be drawn into return ducts through unsealed joints.
Although minor duct repairs are easy to make, qualified professionals should seal and insulate ducts in unconditioned spaces to ensure the use of appropriate sealing materials.
Aside from sealing your ducts, the simplest and most effective means of maintaining your air distribution system is to ensure that furniture and other objects are not blocking the airflow through your registers and to vacuum the registers to remove any dust buildup.
Existing duct systems often suffer from design deficiencies in the return air system, and modifications by the homeowner (or just a tendency to keep doors closed) may contribute to these problems. Any rooms with a lack of sufficient return airflow may benefit from relatively simple upgrades, such as the installation of new return-air grilles, undercutting doors for return air, or installing a jumper duct.
Some rooms may also be hard to heat and cool because of inadequate supply ducts or grilles. If this is the case, you should first examine whether the problem is the room itself: fix any problems with insulation, air leakage, or inefficient windows first. If the problem persists, you may be able to increase the size of the supply duct or add an additional duct to provide the needed airflow to the room.
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.
Hire a Licensed HVAC professional to install both supply and return registers in the 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.
