Are You Paying to Cool Your Attic?

If your ductwork is not properly connected and sealed, you probably are.

Leaking ductwork is more than just energy loss and higher utilities. When air leaks from the supply run, you lose airflow volume and comfort, your AC & Heating system will run longer, and it can shorten the life of your system.

According to energy.gov, “Leaky supply ducts create a negative pressure within the house, causing outside air to force its way into the house. If you have a fire burning in the fireplace, this could cause backdrafting, drawing dangerous carbon monoxide down the chimney, instead of letting it escape up the chimney. If this happens enough, it could make the homeowners sick and perhaps even lead to death. Backdrafting can also occur in homes that have oil- or natural gas-fueled appliances, such as stoves, furnaces, boilers, and water heaters. Not a pretty sight!

This pressure difference pulls outside air into the house. In the summer, when the air conditioner has cooled the inside walls, warm moist outdoor air is sucked into the house through cracks in walls and around windows and doors. When this moist air hits inside chilled walls, it can condense into water and cause mold and mildew.

The opposite occurs with leaky return ducts, the section of the ductwork drawing inside house air back to the furnace or air conditioner. Leaky return ducts cause positive pressure within the house. This pushes air out of the house via the paths of least resistance—doors, windows, and pathways around electric and plumbing penetrations and gaps in insulation. In winter, when we humidify the inside air, this humid air is forced outside through cracks and openings. When this warm moist air hits portions of the cold outside wall, it can condense and cause mold and mildew.”*

The solution to energy loss, dustiness, moisture, mildew, and system strain due to leaking ductwork is to have TemperaturePro San Antonio inspect your ductwork and photograph it with their thermal imaging cameras. If air leakage is visible to the special cameras, sealing, strapping, and repairing damaged ductwork will be recommended.