If you could make just one repair to your heating and cooling system to improve efficiency, comfort and air quality, sealing leaks in ductwork might be your best bet. In bygone eras of cheaper energy, residential ductwork was frequently not manufactured to the highest standards of quality and durability. With the passage of time, most home ductwork has deteriorated. Leaks in ductwork are often the first event in a chain of dysfunction that includes ever-increasing operating costs, reduced indoor comfort and even toxic air quality. 
Your heating and cooling system is designed as a balanced layout that delivers a precise amount of air to each room through supply ducts and removes the same amount through return ducts. Leaks in supply ducts means there’s an air flow deficit in living spaces and a negative pressure condition. Cold or hot outdoor air is sucked into the house through cracks and gaps that exist in any structure, offsetting your furnace or A/C and making it run longer cycles to meet thermostat settings. Conversely, leaks in return ducts cause an air flow surplus that pressurizes rooms. Positive air pressure forces conditioned air out of the house through structural cracks, again making your HVAC system work overtime to compensate. Both scenarios raise operating costs and reduce comfort in rooms.
Since return ducts operate under slightly negative pressure, return leaks draw air into the duct system. Ducts are usually routed through zones containing air you’d rather not be breathing—moldy crawl spaces, stagnant attics and dusty wall cavities. This tainted air is distributed throughout the ductwork and into living spaces, where it mixes with filtered breathing air. Leaky ducts are associated with a higher incidence of allergies and respiratory illness.
Fortunately, ductwork can be accurately tested for leakage by an HVAC professional and the location of leaks pinpointed. Sealing ducts and/or replacing disintegrated components saves money on utility costs, preserves household comfort and safeguards air quality.
Serving Amarillo for more than 50 years, Amarillo Air Conditioning has answers to your questions about leaks in ductwork. Contact us for more information and to schedule a leak testing procedure.
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Our goal is to help educate our customers in Amarillo, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about ductwork and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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