By Diane, Pacific Aire Comfort Advisor
Sealing and insulating your ductwork is a necessity if you want to maximize energy savings year-round. This is especially important in our hot summers in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys, because not sealing and insulating your ducts can cause them to heat up, particularly if the ducts run through the attic or a garage, and then lose valuable cooled air.
Heat gain in places like an attic is particularly problematic, because as the sun's rays drive the attic's temperature up, any leaks in your attic will cause heat to filter down to your living spaces. That in turn can cause your heat pump or air conditioner to work much harder to keep the downstairs rooms cool.
Further, leaky ducts that are located in your living spaces cause conditioned air to escape through the duct walls, filtering out into undesirable areas, which can lead to hot and/or cold zones throughout your home.
To keep more money in your pocket this summer, check your ducts in exposed areas, where you can more easily inspect them for leaks. Ducts in the attic, garage, or crawl spaces may be losing conditioned air because of cracks in their joints, driving up your cooling bill as you ramp up the thermostat to try and compensate. For these visible areas, you can apply metal tape or duct mastic to properly seal any fissures, but be sure not to use duct tape because it won’t hold up.
For the hard-to-reach places inside your ducts, enlist the help of a professional who will have access to specialized equipment to measure the amount of leakage in the entire system and make appropriate adjustments.
Another measure you can take to increase your savings is installing duct insulation, which will protect your ducts from heat gain by resisting the movement of heat into the inside of the duct, a process called conduction. An insulation value of R-6 is recommended for our climate. A professional who is familiar with the various kinds of insulating material, such as fiberglass mats and fill, and rock wool, can be especially helpful in maximizing your investment in duct insulation.
If you would like even more information on sealing and insulating your ductwork, please feel free to contact us at Pacific Aire Heating & Cooling. We’ve been proudly serving the areas surrounding San Fernando and Santa Clarity Valleys since 1990.