Doing Your Part to Keep Your HVAC System Running

A few months ago, my air conditioner completely died. I woke up in the middle of the night covered in sweat, and I didn't know what to do. The next day, I called an HVAC expert, and they came out to inspect my system. It turned out that it had failed because of filthy filters and a clogged return duct, which made me sick to my stomach. I had caused the problem, and I needed to learn how to fix things. My HVAC professional taught me a few easy maintenance techniques that I didn't know before, so that I could maintain my new system. Check out this blog to learn more about HVAC yourself.

Improve Duct Airflow And Insulation In Two Easy Steps

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Residential HVAC consists of a complicated and technical array of interconnected systems. But, this does not necessarily mean that you have to be an HVAC expert in order to make some helpful repairs and improvements to your system. For instance, improving the duct system is not complicated, but it can have a big impact on the overall productivity of your system by improving airflow and insulation. Loss of airflow through ducts is one of the biggest issues when it comes to energy efficiency. This article shows how you can make your ducts airtight, and insulated in two easy steps.

Taping Duct Connection

Any air duct system is made up of smaller sections of ducting that are pieced together. That is, the tapered end of a duct is attached to the wider end of the next duct. They are usually not secured in any other manner. This connection can become loose, especially over time as a house is lived in and contact is made with the duct system.

The sections of ducting that are outside of the walls, are going to be the most likely to get loose and begin to leak air. This is why it is worthwhile to find and tape any of the duct seams that you can reach. If you have your furnace in a basement, there is a good chance that there will be a lot of ducting within the basement ceiling joists. So, you can tape and wrap every single seam with aluminum foil tape.

Once you have taped of your seems, it is also smart to add insulation to your exposed ducts. The ducts in your basement, are going to need the most insulation if you live somewhere cold. Obviously, during the winter, the basements are colder since they usually don't have as much temperature control. When your metal ducts are wrapped in insulation, the air is going to be hotter by the time it reaches the registers and enters your rooms.

The sleeves are cheap and easy to apply. They are basically rounded foam pieces that come in various gauges, so you can find a product that will wrap around your ducts with ease.

As you can see, it is not going to be very difficult to improve your existing duct system. It is probably one of the cheapest easiest component in your entire HVAC system to make worthwhile and money-saving improvements to.Contact an HVAC service tech for more help.

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23 April 2018