Increase Home Efficiency by Insulating Your Central Air Heating Ducts

Did you know that you can lose 20 percent or more of your conditioned air through ductwork? Central air heating ducts are essential for moving air throughout your home all year-round. However, if there are gaps, leaks, or holes in your ducts, the air you paid to heat or cool is seeping away. Poor insulation levels can also cause heat loss or heat gain.

Insulating and sealing your home’s ductwork can increase your home’s efficiency, while keeping your energy bills under control.

Why Insulate?

In most homes, ductwork is routed through areas that are not heated or cooled, like your attic, crawlspace and basement. The extreme temperatures in these spaces can affect the temperature of the air inside your ducts. Luckily, insulation can help prevent this from happening.

How Do You Insulate?

The insulation process is pretty straightforward. It’s a job best done by an HVAC contractor since most duct systems contain several kinds of duct materials, joints and openings. A professional has the tools and materials to do the job properly.

• The first thing your HVAC technician will do is inspect your ductwork. He will make any repairs necessary, and then seal any leaks.
• Next, he will start wrapping your ductwork with insulation. In the attic, your insulation will have a minimum R-value of 8, while in the basement or crawlspace, it will have a minimum R-value of 6.
• He will then close this layer of insulation with foil duct tape, specially designed for insulation.
• Lastly, your technician will perform a final inspection to make sure the job is done properly.

At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

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