Have you ever received a monthly electric bill and reeled back in shock? “Who—who was using this much electricity?” you wonder. Your mind flashes back, trying to determine if somebody left all the lights on in the house for a few days, or if you were entertaining too many visitors over too many days. But nothing stands out. It’s been status quo over the last month as far as lights, appliances, and the air conditioner are concerned.
Here’s one possible culprit, the thief who’s stealing energy from your home: leaky air ducts. Your air conditioning system may be exerting much more power to provide cooling to your home because of damaged air ducts. If you’re wondering why your electric bills are high, we’ve outlined signs that may indicate air duct leaks in your house.
An Air Duct Leak Will Negatively Impact Air Pressure
For air ducts to work the way they’re supposed to, they must remain airtight along their length from where they exit the HVAC cabinet to where they connect to vent registers. This tight seal is necessary to maintain air pressure inside the ventilation system. If the air ducts have leaks, breaks, or holes along them, not only will air pressure drop—lowering the airflow from the vents—but cooled air will escape out those holes.
Where does that cooled air from your air ducts go? To places that definitely don’t need to be cooled down: the attic, between walls, between floors. And the amount of energy this creates is significant. Consider that you’re basically paying money to air condition the attic! According to the U.S. ENERGY STAR program, air duct leaks can account for up to 30% of the air in the ventilation system escaping. That means paying almost a third more than you should to cool down your home.
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Causes of Air Duct Leaks in Homes
If you haven’t given much consideration to air duct leaks, we understand. You can’t see most of the ductwork, making it easy to push out of your mind. The majority of ducts in a home aren’t the sturdy metal kind you see in commercial buildings, but made from plastic or a type of insulated cardboard called ductboard. Both can easily suffer from tears and leaks, especially those in the attic. Construction, insects, humidity, and too much air pressure can all contribute to air duct leaks and high electric bills.
Duct Repair From the Professionals
If you’re wondering why your electric bill is so high, we recommend contacting out team of licensed technicians to confirm if you have a leak in your air duct. We can determine if you have ductwork issues that we can correct with duct repair services. And, yes, you do need experienced professionals for this job. Locating all the damage requires specialized tools, as do repairs. Store-bought duct tape isn’t going to be able to handle this. (In fact, duct tape is worthless when it comes to ducts.)
Give us a call by phone at (484) 206-8594 or book an appointment online to receive immediate help. We’ll see that you have a repaired and airtight ventilation system. In addition to air duct repair services, our team also offers other types of HVAC services including air conditioning repair, furnace installation, and heat pump tune-up. Not only will you see a dramatic improvement in your monthly electric bills, but your home will enjoy cooler, even temperatures and improved humidity control.
Seal your ducts with the pros: Wm. Henderson Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Inc. serves Delaware County and The Main Line, PA.