Stagetecture

Guest Blogger: Rising Energy Bill? Leaky Air Ducts Maybe the Culprit

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:04 AM PDT

Guest Blog #195, Entry #679, September 28, 2011

As the summer ends and we start moving into the cooler months, your rising energy bill will always be a concern. For many homeowners we always assume that a high energy bill must mean that your thermostat isn’t set properly or that you HVAC unit isn’t working properly. While these can be causes as well, your air ducts throughout your home may be a bigger issue. My Guest Blogger gives tips for checking your ducts in your home to help you save on your rising energy bill.

Are your energy costs going out the window?

Image courtesy of Goldline Glass

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What’s a duct?

Ducts comprise the series of air passages that deliver or remove air for heating, ventilation, and cooling. Most ducts are found in the basements, attics, and crawl spaces of the home.

Ducts can leak?

Think there are only air leaks in your windows and doors? Leaks in the duct system are more common and harder to detect because of their out-of-sight locations. The impact of these leaks is most severe in locations such as the attic, where the temperature can reach a blistering 140° in the summer. There are several types of leakage: equipment air leaks, leaks from damage, connection leaks, diffuser box and grille leaks, return leaks, and leaks in the filter housing.

Other areas of your home where air can leak in and out of your home

Image courtesy of High Craft Home Services

Damage Leak:

Leaks that occur as a result of physical damage. Often ducts become damaged from contact with people when they are found in common storage areas in the home.

Connection Leak:

Leaks that occur from openings in duct seams or loose duct-connecting equipment.

Diffuser Box & Grille Leak:

Leaks that occur from loose or improper fittings in the equipment that releases the conditioned air into the home.
Return Leak Leaks that occur where the air is returned to the duct system. This can be one of the hardest leaks to locate because of the negative air flow.

Filter Housing Leak:

Leaks that occur in the equipment that houses the filter. These leaks are very common because filters are often changed or cleaned, so the filters themselves can begin to leak air.
An estimated two-thirds of ducts in the U.S. are leaking badly enough to warrant repair and sealing.

Air duct diagram through a home

Image courtesy of Comfort People

So, my ducts are leaky. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Wrong. Leaks cause the conditioned air we spend so much money on to end up in uninhabited spaces like the garage and attic. In a time when becoming energy conscious is critical, and we’re all tightening our metaphorical belts, taking care of duct leakage is imperative. An estimated 50% of your annual electric bill is spent on heating and cooling systems. Duct leakage accounts for as much as 25% of total energy loss in homes. With 25% of energy costs back in your wallet, that vacation might not seem so far-fetched.
All economic value aside, duct leakage can seriously impair heating and cooling systems from doing their jobs. Leaks in the return ducts cause the air from the outside to be pulled inside. So, in the summer, that means the hot, humid air you go indoors to avoid will be filling your home. Humid air being pulled through return leaks can drain the air conditioner’s ability to dehumidify. In the winter, it means that the dry, frigid air will be pulled into your living space, which is the last environment you want to be in during flu season. Also, pulling cold air through the leaks drastically increases the heat pump’s use of electric trip heaters, which is what racks up the heating bills.
A leaky wallet and a sticky living room aren’t the only consequences. Duct leaks can cause dangerous pollutants and irritants to be pulled directly into the home. Pulling air in from crawl spaces and garages can bring in car fumes, mold spores, insulation fibers, dust, and other irritants that build up in these untouched places. Duct leakages can be a major reason that you or your family’s asthma or allergies are acting up. Even more dangerous, depressurization as a result of duct leakage can allow combustion products, like the byproducts of fuel oil, coal, and wood from heating systems, into the home.

Leaky ducts can also cause dangerous pollutants

Can my ducts be fixed?

There are two simple ways professionals can detect and measure leakages in your duct system; a blower door and a flow hood.
Blower door: A blower door is a method used to measure duct leakage for the entire house. By pressurizing the house to a standard testing pressure before and after the house is sealed, the blower door detects leakage to the outside. While the blower door is running and using a smoke puffer or a pressure pan, specific locations of the leaks can be found. An advantage to using a blower door is that it can also pinpoint leaks in the house’s casing, which can result in significant energy loss.
Flow hood: A flow hood is commonly used in combination with a blower door to measure the specific flow of air in the supply and return ducts. Using a flow hood can provide a more accurate representation of duct leakage because it specifically measures the pressure within the ducts, whereas the blower door measures the pressure of the entire house. The blower door, therefore, is more susceptible to any outside factors that could affect the overall pressure of the house.
Once the locations of the leaks have been found, they can be easily tightened and sealed, and the cost of repairs will usually be made back within a year.
There you have it. Leaks hidden in the attic and storage spaces are causing you to pay unnecessary electric bills, wearing out your heating and cooling systems, exposing you to dangerous matter, and leaving your rooms overly hot or cold. These simple detection tools can easily allow the leaks to be found and sealed and all just with some of the money that would have been spent on accidentally air conditioning your crawl spaces. Hidden leaks are walking away with your money, your comfort, and your health, but patching it up is just a phone call away.
This is an article from WellHome, which provides Energy Audits and home Assessments. They offer you the ability to upgrade HVAC, Windows, and Home Insulation and can also perform Duct Tightening and Air Sealing to allow for a more comfortable and well balanced home. WellHome Home Energy Assessments allow the homeowner see the bigger picture of home efficiency and its ability to maintain comfortable temperatures and air flow.
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