Duct Sealing

If you have a heating or air conditioning system in your home, it’s a safe bet that you also have a complex duct system that distributes that heated or cooled air to the rooms of your house as efficiently as possible. Most people take that system for granted, forgetting that there are potential holes, leaks, or cracks in those ducts that could be leaking air in torrents, severely increasing your energy consumption and more importantly, your bills.

At Bob’s Heating & Air Conditioning, we take duct sealing in the homes of our Greater Seattle, WA and Tacoma Metropolitan area customers very seriously. Highly recommended by the US Department of Energy and supported by multiple local governments as an energy saving home improvement, duct sealing can help you ensure the duct system in your home is well suited for years of proper heating and cooling.

The Reason for Duct Leaks

Ducts leak for a number of reasons. To start with, they are generally located in walls, the attic, your basement and other parts of your home where protection is difficult to offer. Extreme elements, pests, or poor installation when your home was built can all lead to cracks and leaks that can pour as much as 20% of the air circulating through your home out of the house. That is a 20% boost or more to your utility bills.

Specifically, there are signs you can look for if you suspect that you may have leaky ducts. To start with, your bills might suddenly be higher one year. While this can be due to increased utility costs, you should check consumption levels. If you are consuming more than you were one year ago and there is no good reason for the increase, it may be due to duct leakage.

Additionally, if you notice that there are rooms that notoriously will not remain hot or cold when you want them to, it might be due to a leak in the ducts feeding that room. Other rooms may be overheated or overcooled as leaking ducts pour excess air into them, making them uncomfortable year round.

What Duct Sealing Provides

Sealing the ducts in your home can help to keep your family comfortable, reduce the cost of electricity and heating year round, and ensure you are doing your part to consume less energy on a regular basis.

Beyond the money and energy saving benefits of duct sealing, you can also ensure higher air quality in your home. Fumes and gasses from outside can leak into open duct systems and be circulated throughout your home. This can make asthma, allergies or chronic illnesses worse and even if you have an air filtration system, the excess pollutants will be present in the air.

Additionally, not all ducts carry heated or cooled household air. Some of them carry exhaust fumes and dangerous carbon monoxide. While it is important to have a CO monitor in your home, you can ensure safe breathing for your family with a properly sealed duct system.

Fixing Your Leaky Ducts

When it comes time to seal your ducts, Bob’s Heating & Air Conditioning will provide onsite inspection and estimates to help you determine what your home requires. We can help you make those temporary sealant fixes permanent, blocking up cracks, and replacing ducts that have developed full blown leaks over the years.

No matter where the leak occurs or how severe it is, having a trained professional contractor from Bob’s check your heating and cooling ducts is an important step in properly sealing and protecting your home. Call us today to setup a duct inspection and receive an estimate on our sealing services.