Most homes in the area use centralized heating and air conditioning systems: generating warm or cool air in a single spot and then distributing it through your home using a system of ducts. The ducts themselves thus become an important part of your HVAC system, and when they run into trouble, they need to be treated with the same seriousness that any other issue is. Duct breaches and leaks rank among the most common problems with duct systems. The good news is that a qualified HVAC repair technician can usually correct the problem, provided you can spot the signs and give them a call.
Why Are Breaches a Problem?
Breaches or leaks usually occur as a result of wear and tear. Sections of duct are typically sealed or bolts together and when the bolts wear out, a breach or leak can occur. Breaches can also be caused by inadvertent damage caused by working on another part of the house, or even by animals climbing into your home’s attic or crawlspace and making mischief.
Either way, it becomes a problem because it robs your air conditioning system of efficiency. Conditioned air is either pulled out of the leak or breach, or unconditioned air is pulled in. That forces the air conditioner to work harder than it should – raising both monthly bills and the chances of a more serious breakdown – and can also pull dust and dirt into the system to be circulated into your home.
How You Can Spot Them
The good news is that a trained technician can usually repair duct leaks and breaches very quickly, first by pinpointing the problem, and then by applying fitted parts, duct mastic, or even just a replacement bolt if that’s what caused the problem. The bad news is that spotting the problem can be difficult. The ducts are usually hidden in the crawlspaces of your home or similar out-of-the-way locales like the attic.
Luckily, telltale signs remain and can be spotted for canny homeowners paying attention. They can include, but are not limited to the following:
- Noises, which translate to anything you don’t recognize as part of the system’s normal functioning. They often sound like hums or whistles, they’ll be located in odd spots, and they will typically start and stop with the starting and stopping of the air conditioner.
- Cold spots, formed on the walls or ceiling where the cool air blows from the breach. In the winter, they will usually be warm spots, since you’re blowing hot air through the ducts during the winter months.
- Dust or dirt, which will come from the vents as it gets pulled in from the breach. The dust will usually be limited to a single vent or two, depending upon the location of the breach.
- An unexpected increase in monthly energy bills, created by the drain on system efficiency created by the duct breach
As soon as you spot these signs, turn off your HVAC system and call in a repair services. For quality duct repair services in Springfield, LA, call on A-Professional Heating and Air.