Duct sealing is a process where materials like mastic and mastic tape, metal tape, caulk, or a sprayed duct sealant are used to fill holes, cracks, and loosened or separated joints in your home’s air ducts. One or more of those materials are often used to seal ducts and prevent air loss.
When you hire an expert for duct sealing services, there is an initial cost, but the amount you save in the long run makes it well worth it. Explore the five ways Miami duct sealing services lower your expenses.
Save Money on Your Monthly Energy Bills
ENERGY STAR estimates the amount of cooled air that’s lost to ducts with holes, cracks, and poor insulation is around 25%. This reduces your system’s efficiency by as much as 20%. By having a professional Miami AC duct sealing professional properly seal ducts and inspect your central AC system, you save money.
How much will you save? It depends. After professional duct sealing service, it’s estimated that energy consumption drops by an average of 10%. Much of this comes down to the size of your home, how bad the holes and issues in your ducts were to start, and how cool you set your thermostat. Stick to the recommended 78º F and maximize your savings.
Improve Your Indoor Air Quality
When your central AC works efficiently and does what it’s supposed to, you’ll have better indoor air quality. You might not associate that with helping to save money, but it does. If your rooms get warm and musty, odors may start to increase. Mildew growth is a risk in a warm, musty room. If mildew spores and odors soak into your carpeting, furniture, curtains, and walls, it can be very hard to get rid of those odors.
Running air purifiers may help, but you now have the cost of running these devices all day throughout your home. Plus, there’s the added cost of filters in the different air purifiers in your bedrooms and living area.
Another problem is that other household appliances like gas stoves, clothes dryers, and water heaters can combustion gases. Carbon monoxide is one of the most commonly known combustion gases. If there are leaks in air ducts, the combustion gases can get drawn into the air ducts through backdrafts and not properly exit your home, which is hazardous to the people and animals living in that home.
Make Your Central Air System Last Longer
Leaking ducts help wear out the components on your central AC system faster than expected. When your air conditioner is trying to cool a room, but cooled air is leaking out in the attic, walls, or crawlspace, the AC keeps running to try to satisfy the setting on the thermostat. Fans, pumps, compressors, and condensers keep going, and they’ll wear out quickly.
Soon, you’re running into costly repairs. Worse, you may find it costs just as much to make the needed repairs as it does to invest in a new AC system. Maximize your AC’s life by making sure the ducts are in great shape.
Increase Your Home’s Resale Value
When there are obvious issues with a central AC system, buyers can use those issues to negotiate a lower price. If you plan to sell your home soon, leaky air ducts can become a problem. They can cause mold to reach other areas of your home. It can lead to odors that drive buyers away.
With sealed ducts and an efficient AC system, your home will sell for more money. You’re not losing a substantial amount of the home’s value to the repairs a buyer would otherwise face if you did nothing. Have paperwork on hand to prove that the AC has been tested and the ducts have been sealed. When you do, you get the highest possible value on the resale of your home, which benefits you if you need as much cash as needed for the downpayment on another home.
Avoid Unnecessary Medical Bills
You might be wondering how on earth leaking air ducts could drive up medical bills. While it’s not common in every home, some people have chronic health conditions that are exacerbated by warm, humid air. If you’re losing cooled, conditioned air to a hole or crack in your air ducts, it could pose health issues that require medical attention.
If your home is warmer than it should be and turning up the thermostat isn’t helping, conditions like multiple sclerosis can worsen. A small increase in body temperature is all it takes for some MS symptoms to flare up.
Asthma, COPD, and lung diseases like lung cancer also may worsen when the indoor air warms up or becomes more humid. Mold spores can also impact them. If anyone in your home, even your pets, suffers from something like asthma, medical expenses will increase. Even common allergies can make it hard to function without stocking up on allergy medications, which can also be a substantial expense over time.
When Is the Best Time For Duct Sealing?
How do you know if it’s time to seal your ducts? Is it something that should be done every few years? There isn’t a specific time frame to follow. Look for some of the common signs of issues, such as unusual odors coming from your vents, increased electricity bills, or rooms that stay warm or stuffy even if you turn the thermostat down.
Look at your flexible ducts that are easy to examine, such as those in your attic or crawlspace. If you notice any kinks, there may be issues. If the insulation on the outside of them is wet and moldy, you need to call in the professionals in Miami for duct sealing.
How Does It Work?
Duct sealing starts with an inspection of the ducts and a test for leaks. As leaks, cracks, holes, and other issues are revealed, supplies are used to seal those areas. Moldy insulation is removed and replaced with new insulation. Ducts are resecured to the vents and registers and a new filter is installed before the final test is performed to ensure the AC system is working effectively and efficiently.
All Year Cooling is happy to complete a free AC evaluation for you. We’ll go over any immediate or potential issues and discuss the steps to take to lower your energy bills. If your central AC system is older and cannot do more than it currently does, our technicians will be honest. A Miami AC system usually only gets 15 to 20 years of use before it needs replacing, so that’s something you should keep in mind.
We’re happy to schedule an evaluation at your convenience. Reach us online or call us to set a time for one of our expert AC technicians to stop by.