Duct repair could be the most effective way to improve energy efficiency!

Most heating and cooling contractors suggest upgrading your existing equipment to a higher energy-efficiency unit in order to lower utility bills. That can be expensive, produce more waste for the landfill, and often doesn’t get the desired results you expect. Why? Because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, installing high efficiency equipment on a leaky duct system just doesn’t make sense.

Think about it, suppose there is a leaky water pipe in your house, will you just ignore it? No - because it is easy to see water and see the waste that a leaky pipe causes. You know that if you don’t fix it, your utility bills will increase, cause damage to your home, and even cause health problems due to mold growth.

For every $100 you spend to heat and cool your house, you could be throwing away $40 to $50 because of an inefficient duct system. Sound incredible?

The US Dept of Energy reports "Typical duct systems lose between 25% to 40% of the air that moves through them due to leaks, holes, and poor connections." and that "…attic ducts in hot, humid climates often lose more."

Leaky air ducts can cause similar problems in your home such as:
1) Wasting energy because leaks could be cooling and heating your attic and/or crawlspace, which makes your utility bills much higher than they should be, 2) Making some rooms too hot or too cold because of poor air distribution, and causing you to be uncomfortable in your home, 3) Drawing in unhealthy fumes from household chemicals, dust, insulation particles, and mold into your living and breathing environment, which can aggravate allergies and asthma and make you and your family sick. It is estimated that dust mites are triggers in around 80% of the cases of asthma, hay fever, eczema, and allergic reactions.

These problems are very real and exist in almost every house, including new ones. But since you can’t see air, how do you know if you have air leaks? Simple - you can find out by having an extensive

The auditor must understand how the heating/cooling equipment and ducts work in conjunction with the house as a complete system. The audit process should include an initial consultation, equipment inspection, insulation inspection, air leakage evaluation,
and air flow diagnosis. Once the scientific tests are conducted, the results will be analyzed and recommendations will be made to improve the energy efficiency and indoor air quality of your home.

Homeowners have saved thousands of dollars, improved the indoor air quality, and improved the comfort level in their homes by simply fixing their ductwork. Changing out the “box” alone will not fix these problems.

For more information visit

 According to the US Department of Energy Report, “Duct repairs could be the most important energy improvement measure you can do.”

www.energystar.gov

You can also watch the

Make sure that the auditor uses the Infiltrometer blower door testing equipment developed by the US Dept of Energy, an air capture flow hood, and an infrared camera. Most importantly be sure that the auditor is well trained not only in heating and air condition systems, but also in building science.

home energy audit.

By: Marie C. Banerjee, Owner, Cool Max, Inc. Heating & Air Conditioning

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