We’ve served the Twin Cities for more than 25 years, so we’ve seen plenty of problems with the ductwork in homes. Providing duct services in Eden Prairie, MN is an important part of our job of helping homes stay comfortable and energy efficient because of how seriously bad ducts affect how an HVAC system operates.
However, the major problem with ductwork issues is that few homeowners know about them until the issues escalate. In this post, we’ll offer you some important education about the most common types of ductwork problems. These might be affecting your home at this very moment.
If you have any concerns or questions about your ducts, don’t hesitate to contact our team. We can diagnose the ductwork (such as measuring how it maintains pressure) to locate any troubles and then have them fixed right.
#1. Poor Initial Installation
Here’s an unfortunate fact: the initial installation of many ducts in homes is subpar. The installers often cut corners, use substandard material, and create haphazard designs. Basically, if they can fit the ducts in a location, they’ll cram them in without much thought to efficiency.
But efficiency is a critical part of ductwork design. If ducts are laid out with too many bends, it will create air resistance. Bad duct layout can also include stretches of duct that lack sufficient support, leading to gaping and holes. Duct location can also expose them to excess heat, cold, and moisture, which both damages the ducts and reduces the energy efficiency of the HVAC system. Poor ducts like this need to be replaced.
#3. Incorrect Sizing
This is another problem we frequently encounter with ductwork in homes: whoever installed the ducts originally failed to size them correctly. The diameter of ducts is vital because it helps to maintain the correct air pressure in the ventilation system. Too small means higher pressure and more strain on the blower, as well as a bigger chance of leaks. Too large means weak airflow and reduced heating and cooling. We can determine if you have accurately sized ducts and take care of having them replaced.
#3. Air Leaks
Poorly designed and sized ducts will often end up with air leaks. But even the best-designed ductwork system can have air leaks because of the effects of aging, corrosion, animal nesting, construction, and house shifting.
When air starts to escape the ductwork, it lowers the air pressure throughout the ventilation system, reducing airflow and harming comfort. The escaping cooled/heated air goes to waste, which will show up on your utility bills. The gaps will also affect indoor air quality, allowing more contaminants to enter the airflow and shifting humidity balance.
#4. Dirt and Dust Buildup
Over time, ducts collect dust, dirt, lint, and other debris. It can take from 3-5 years before ducts become dirty enough that they’ll start to lower the energy efficiency of the HVAC system and send more dust around the house. We recommend keeping up with a regular duct cleaning schedule with our professionals so you don’t have dirty ducts lowering your quality of life.
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