Duct Leaks In Attic

Make sure that all metal fittings are firmly screwed together on four sides then covered with liquid or tape mastic and fully re insulated.

Duct leaks in attic.

This air leaks into your attic space and never reaches your living area which. Leaking air ducts can lead to a significant loss of heated and cooled air. It can be hard to visually inspect ductwork especially if your ducts are located in an attic or crawlspace. Tape over all the supply and return registers throughout the house.

Since the cooled or heated air escapes through the leaks in your ducts your air conditioner or furnace has to cool or heat longer to match your thermostat setting. On an inspection in the attic two lengths of ductwork leading to bedrooms spanning approximately 12 feet have been. The greater the amount of air that s flowing through the easier it will be to find air duct leaks. And if ducts leak you could be losing as much as 30 percent of the energy your hvac equipment produces through those air leaks.

In this video this old house host kevin o connor and energy auditor paul scheckel find and fix leaky heating ducts. All these should be sealed with duct sealer mastic. For repairing simple leaks in the air ducts. The s cleat and drive connections on ductwork are notorious for leaking.

Unless you know what you re doing and looking for we suggest having a professional inspect your ductwork for leaks. Why is this a problem. With the furnace fan running you can feel air escaping the duct. Ducts that leak into the attic area are also a serious problem.

The spots where two air ducts connect are common places for leaks to occur. Once you ve found the leak use foil duct tape to cover the gap and seal the leak. When water condenses and drips into your attic or home it can cause a some serious secondary problems. Detecting leaks in duct work.

So water is condensing on your ac ducts. Attach a duct blaster fan to a section of flexible duct then attach opposite end of flexible duct to existing heating duct. Leaks in ductwork are often found where lines branch off or separate. Leaks in heating ventilation and air conditioning ducts cost you money by increasing your heating and cooling bills.

And a longer running time higher energy bills. How to check a leaking duct in the attic. Why is condensation on ductwork a problem. Some leaks originate with poor installation.

If your hvac system isn t blowing air when you re checking your ductwork you won t be able to locate less obvious leaks. Check the duct joints. First water dripping off of your ducts and onto your insulation can cause the insulation to compress which decreases it s r value or ability to insulate.