How to Check Air Ducts for Leaks: A Brief Guide

Air duct leaks are frustrating to deal with as they can reduce your indoor air quality while increasing your monthly utility bills. As such, many homeowners ask how to check air ducts for leaks. 

Sometimes, the only way is to call a professional crew that can check for leaks. However, homeowners can check for leaks themselves in many ways. This guide explores how to check air ducts for leaks and when to call Port Washington's indoor air quality services team at Professional Services.

What Problems Can Leaky Air Ducts Cause? 

Before detailing how to check air ducts for leaks, let's first explore the issues they can cause. The main concern homeowners have with ducts leaking air is that gaps, damaged sections, and loose connections trigger air leaks. 

Around 25% of all air lost in a home stems from leaky ductwork. As air escapes, these leaks cause your HVAC systems to work harder to cool or heat your home. Alongside the initial air that leaks out, HVAC systems working harder also increases your energy bills. 

Common signs that you have a leaky air duct system include: 

• You have unevenly heated or cooled rooms throughout your home.
• Certain rooms appear dustier than usual. 
• You can hear strange air sounds as it escapes, like whooshing or whistling sounds. 

Steps for Checking Your Air Ducts for Leaks

Many air duct leaks require specialized equipment and methods to find them. These methods often involve measuring airflow to determine the origins of these leaks. 

For the best results, you should call a professional team. However, you can also use the following DIY inspection techniques: 

Turn Your HVAC System to Full Power 

By turning your HVAC system to full power, you can more easily diagnose air leaks. 

Utilize a Smoke Pencil 

At a local home improvement store, a smoke pencil should only cost around $30 and is a great way to know how to check air ducts for leaks.

Using the device, slowly move it over your ductwork to see if there are any movements inside of your ductwork. This movement can showcase that air is escaping. 

Inspect Any Ductwork You Can Access Yourself 

Ideally, you should leave any thorough inspection job to the right professional crew for safety reasons. However, you can inspect any ductwork that you can easily access. Common spaces include attics, basements, and crawlspaces. 

During this inspection process, carefully examine each duct section, searching for problems like tears, disconnections, or apparent gaps. If you locate any obvious problems, mark them down using a grease pencil. 

Search For Worn-out Duct Tapes

While duct tape provides a DIY solution for many problems, it's never a permanent solution. When checking for problems like gaps, disconnections, or gaps, check for old duct tape. 

You should always replace duct tape using a stronger solution like mastic or backed duct tape to resolve any leak. 

Check Your Ductwork's Elbows and Joints 

Your ductwork's joints and elbows are where different ductwork sections connect together. Eblows and joints, in particular, become susceptible to leaking. 

What Other Problems Can Trigger Inefficient Ductwork? 

While leaky air ducts are a major contributor to energy losses, two other main problems can result in reduced energy efficiency: 

1. Having Uninsulated Air Ducts

Your ductwork assumes a huge responsibility as it moves air throughout different rooms of your home. The difference between your home's natural temperatures and the air your ducts transport can be significant. As a result, your HVAC systems must work much harder. 

One way to make them more energy-efficient is by installing insulation. The right insulation helps your HVAC systems better create and retain hot or cool air. 

2. Having Dirty Air Ducts

Over time, pollutants like dust, pollen, pet dander, food particles, and more can cause obstructions. Sometimes, these obstructions can completely stop air from properly flowing, but often they just restrict air movement. 

Regularly cleaning your air ducts can eliminate these contaminants and prevent them from clogging your ductwork in the future. 

FAQs

Can Leaky Air Ducts Be a DIY Problem? 

It's possible to fix leaky air ducts yourself using tools like mastic or backed duct tape alongside a caulking gun or a paintbrush. However, severe leaks or ones difficult to access require professional attention.

When Should I Inspect My Ductwork? 

You should inspect your ductwork yourself or call a professional team the moment you experience an issue. For preventative maintenance, it's a good idea to inspect your ductwork system at least once a year. 

You should start with your ductwork system's primary unit and then move on to all of your returns and vents. As for the time of year, it's best to do so right before you'll use your ductwork system the most. For many residents, this time is right before summer or winter. 

Is Fixing Ductwork Leaks Expensive? 

Relatively speaking, fixing leaky air ducts is inexpensive. For DIY solutions, many homeowners may only pay $30 to $50 to fix a leak. A professional crew often charges by the hour alongside an initial cost. 

Why Is It Better to Hire a Professional Crew? 

Some leaky air ducts you can easily fix yourself with a few items from the hardware store. However, there are some situations where it's better to hire a professional team, such as:

• You have extensive damage: There's a major difference between a leak or two and severely damaged sections. 
• The leak is hard to access: An HVAC crew uses specialized equipment and the best safety standards to find and fix leaks that are otherwise hard to reach. 
• You're afraid of voiding a warranty: Depending on when you installed your ductwork system, it might have a warranty. Sometimes you can void a warranty by attempting repairs or maintenance yourself.

Fix Your Leaky Air Ducts By Calling Us Today 

Knowing how to check air ducts for leaks is an essential skill to have. Knowing when to call our Professional Services team is also essential.

Port Washington homeowners can learn more about our air duct cleaning services by calling us at 262-218-2636!