If you notice changes in the temperature in your home, such as a cooler than usual temperature in the wintertime, you might be experiencing the ill effects of neglected ducts. You might be surprised to find how far a little duct maintenance goes toward improving your home comfort.
Duct cleaning
One of the most important aspects of keeping warm air circulating through your home is keeping the ducts free of obstructions. This means you must clean out your ducts to prevent dirt and debris from accumulating in them. The buildup prevents air from traveling freely through your ducts and into your home. However, your furnace still works just as hard, but you don’t reap the benefit of it. In fact, it ends up costing you money in your energy bills.
Duct leaks
Another aspect of duct maintenance is checking your ductwork for leaks. A tiny crack or hole in the ducts leads to warm air leaking out, resulting in a less efficient heating system. By examining and repairing any damage, you can restore your home’s heating to the way it should be, at all times.
Cleaning duct components
Change your furnace’s air filter regularly. A dirty filter prevents the necessary airflow for effective, comfortable heating, and causes your furnace to use more energy to operate. Don’t forget to clean your registers, too, because dust and other air particles can accrue, and prevent conditioned air from circulating throughout your home.
Insulation
Duct insulation is also critical to furnace efficiency, since insulation prevents the heat that travels through the ducts from escaping, especially in instances where the ducts are located in unconditioned spaces, like a basement or attic. In this case, uninsulated ducts allow heat to transfer through the duct pipes, because heat is always drawn toward cooler spaces. And this wastes energy.
For more tips on duct maintenance or to schedule an appointment for duct service for your Long Island home, contact T.F O’Brien Cooling & Heating, today!
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about duct maintenance and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Dirty duct image via Shutterstock.