The Benefits of Sealing Air Ducts: DIY or Professional Help?

Homeowners have the option of taking on duct sealing as a DIY project. You can start by sealing air leaks with putty or metal tape and insulating any ducts you can access (such as those in attics, tight spaces, unfinished basements, and garages). However, sealing ducts from the inside out is a much more complicated process and will likely require hiring a professional. This involves spraying the inside of the duct with a liquid rubber sealant. Hiring a professional to seal air ducts will likely save you time and frustration.

In addition, without the support of a professional, system performance issues can go unnoticed. A good duct sealing contractor will also perform air quality tests to ensure that your system is safe. That said, do-it-yourself duct sealing may be adequate in some cases, just make sure you use quality materials and follow all safety precautions. Sealing your air ducts and keeping your home's energy consumption even will help make your bills more predictable over time. When you have leaks and other air duct problems, you lose air that would otherwise regulate the temperature of your home, business or office.

The ducts are the ones that distribute heat and air conditioning to the different rooms in the house and, often, these ducts have holes in their connections, allowing the air conditioner to escape before it reaches the intended room. If your home is suffering from uncomfortable temperatures, overly high energy bills, and a dusty environment, you may have leaks in your air ducts. You must treat air pollutants as hazardous, and the first step to preventing poor indoor air quality is to seal the ducts so that pollutants can't enter the interior.

Sealing air ducts

is a surefire way to reduce your monthly electric bill and increase your home's energy efficiency.

Air duct sealing

is the process of eliminating any cracks, loose connections, or holes in your home's air ducts. Poorly sealed air ducts can cause costly consequences for your home as a whole.

In the long term, sealing your air ducts will help your home remain energy efficient, save you money, and provide you with many other benefits. The coating acts as an insulator, which means that less energy is lost through the ducts when the air temperature changes. While you may not notice day by day if your home's air ducts are poorly sealed, the structural integrity of your home can degrade every day. Sealing air ducts is another crucial part of maintaining a safe, effective, and efficient HVAC system. Duct sealing simply involves blocking all holes, leaks, and cracks in the ducts, usually with an aerosol.

These are liquids that are sprayed into air ducts and solidify upon contact with a solid material (the air duct itself). According to Energy Star, when it's time for an upgrade, having a properly functioning air duct system can also make it possible for you to switch to even more efficient, lower-cost appliances that offer even better dehumidification than current appliances. By hiring a duct sealing service, you help maintain a stable environment in which your most precious and expensive items can thrive. The regressive flow of combustible gases is not the only threat to indoor air quality that arises from poorly sealed ducts.

Joel Reid
Joel Reid

Extreme zombie advocate. Lifelong tv junkie. Wannabe web aficionado. Lifelong twitter enthusiast. Hipster-friendly bacon junkie. Travelaholic.