Signs That Your Air Ducts Are Leaking

Last week, we debated when the best time is to get a new air conditioning unit over replacing it. If, however, you find that you’re having problems but your unit is function properly, you may have a related but different problem on your hands: leaky ducts.

Research by PG&E in homes finds that faulty ductwork can account for up to 25% of heating and air conditioning loss in your house, sometimes even more. If your air ducts are leaking, your air units will work twice as hard to achieve the temperature that they’re set at, which uses a bunch of extra electricity without you even knowing it.

And what else are you losing if the air you pay for is slipping right out of your home? That’s right… money.

We have some tips and tricks when it comes to spotting a leaking air duct so not only can you stop wasting energy, but your wallet can stop leaking money.

First of all, if you find that certain rooms in your home are almost impossible to cool down in the summer or heat up in the winter, you might have a leaky duct near that room. If the duct is leaking, it won’t be able to transport the cold or hot air to the room, and thus, is likely to leave it an unpleasant temperature. 

Another sign that you might have leaking air ducts is if you find that rooms are dusty and dirty after you turn your air conditioning off. When there are leaks in your air ducts, contaminants will get sucked into your home and will settle in rooms into which the leaky duct leads. Not only will this cause a headache from constantly cleaning, but this can actually be detrimental to the health of you and your family by allowing dirt and pollutants into your home. 

As we mentioned before, another huge indicator of a leaky air duct is an abnormally high electric bill. Your heating/air condition unit will have to work harder in order to achieve the temperature it’s set at, which means it’s going to work longer and use more energy. In turn, you’ll end up spending more money for less efficient heating and air. 

If you notice any of these triggers on a regular basis, call a professional to come out and take a look inside your home.

Especially with the summer officially here, we want our customers to be comfortable day and night, so we’re always available to help, especially in an emergency. Call us at 623-533-5718 for all your heating and air installation and repair needs today!

Prevent Condensation on Your Air Ducts

As homeowners, we’re often very aware of any issues we have with our air conditioning and heating systems. However, we tend to over look a very important aspect when it comes to our units: the air ducts.

It’s important to make sure your air ducts are working properly for a number of reasons, as the air ducts are responsible to keep either warm or cool air moving throughout your home. One problem that homeowners often face is condensation in their air ducts, which can be a huge issue for you and your family. Condensation can cause mold to grow and bacteria to build up, which is then pushed out into your house, where your family breathes it in.

We’ve got a couple ways that you can make sure your air ducts don’t build up condensation, no matter how humid or warm the surrounding area might be.  

When checking your air ducts, make sure they’re completely and properly insulated. This is a requirement for all air duct systems that aren’t air conditioned themselves.

When checking for potential causes of moisture or condensation, you should make sure that all the ducts are sealed properly. If there’s any sort of leak or water damage, you can probably assume that there will be moisture build up. If you do spot an issue like this, it’s important to get it fixed by a professional right away.

Make sure the condensation pan is draining the way it should be. Also check the cooling coils and the insulation around the coils to ensure there are no wet spots, as this can be problematic to the ducts. 

If nothing seems wrong, but you want to be extra precautious, install a humidifier to help keep condensation out of the air ducts. This can especially help in the summer time when Arizona tends to experience monsoon season, which brings rain and humidity.

These are some easy things you can do on your own to make sure your air ducts are working well and not building up any moisture. If your air ducts aren’t working properly or something doesn’t look right, give us a call at (623) 533-5718.