Heating & Air Conditioning Air Duct Replacement

The air ducts in your HVAC system primarily distributes treated air in various areas of your home. The process involves taking in return from different rooms and delivering it to the heating or cooling components of the system. Finally, the air ducts circulate treated air in a continuous and seamless cycle. Each part of your home’s HVAC system is important. If there are problems with your air ducts, it can lead to inefficient heating and cooling which might cause damage to your appliance. Another concern is that an inefficient ductwork will lead to wasted energy and higher energy bills.

There are three basic principles surrounding HVAC air duct design which are:

1.All furnaces and air conditioners have a required amount of airflow passing in and out of the system, so that each appliance works efficiently and functions properly.

2. Every home is unique, therefore when choosing the right HVAC design, these challenges need to be considered to ensure that the HVAC system achieves proper airflow.

3. An ideal air duct system is determined by its ability to reach the intended airflow requirement passing in and out of the system. To guarantee optimum efficiency, air ducts must be sealed at all the seams, preferably with aluminum tape, as well as have proper insulation if air ducts are located in exposed areas such as attics and crawl spaces.

4.Residential ductwork systems need to be installed by professionals. Typically when you move it to a new home, the system would have already been put in place. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to have the system checked by a technician to address any issues, and check if you need air duct replacement.

Heating & Air Conditioning Air Duct Repair

When is duct repair necessary?

Since we have identified the most common issues encountered with air ducts, it is also important to be aware of signs that indicate you need air duct replacement or repair. Aside from the issues mentioned above, you also need to watch out for the following:

1. When you do a routine assessment of your HVAC system, you also need to check the air ducts for possible problems. If you notice areas where the ducts are either tangled or kinked, you will need to contact a contractor to replace damaged sections. Leaving your air ducts in this state will further the problem and cause greater concern for the entire system.

2. If the air flow is weak or inconsistent, the problem may be due to an incompatibility with your heating or cooling appliance and the existing ductwork. A contractor should check the appropriate course of action such as replacing sections of air ducts, adding new vents, adjusting the grill size, and replacing air filters. By making sure that your air ducts match the capacity of your furnace or AC unit, you are also meeting the energy-efficiency capacity of the appliance.

3. If you are experiencing hot and cold spots in various areas of your home, there are a number of possible causes. But in relation to ductwork, it could either be leaks, clogs, and tears. In some cases it could also be because air ducts are the wrong size. Similar to the previous suggestion, a contractor needs to check for adjustments and air duct replacement.

4. Small sounds coming from your ductwork which you hear occasionally is normal. But when you start to hear loud and unusual rattling, whistling, and squeaking noise coming from your ductwork, you need to have a professional HVAC technician to check for loose sections, holes, and tears which may need air duct replacement.

One of the best ways to prevent these problems from happening is to ensure that you schedule a routine HVAC maintenance check at least twice a year. Most HVAC contractors conduct an inspection of your air ducts as part of the package.