The ductwork attached to your HVAC system has a significant impact on how comfortable your home is and how high or low your energy costs are. Taking care of your ductwork and replacing it when necessary can go a long way toward overall comfort, indoor air quality, and costs for heating and cooling your home.
You can keep reading to learn more about some of the signs that can indicate it’s time to get all new ductwork. When you are ready to schedule an in-home assessment, just call our duct installers in Morton Grove, IL. We can take a look at your existing ductwork, and make a recommendation on the next steps for either repair or replacement.
Poor Indoor Air Quality
If it seems like your indoor air quality is suffering, there’s a good chance your ductwork is to blame. You can try changing out the air filter on the intake area for your air conditioner and see if that helps. If not, it may just be that dust and dirt are built up inside of the ductwork.
As clean air moves through, this dust mixes in with the clean air and blows back out into your home with each cooling cycle all day long. Sometimes addressing this problem is as simple as cleaning out your ductwork and repairing any damaged areas or broken seals that are allowing dust to filter in. But if your ductwork is significantly older, it is more likely that it needs to be replaced. Repairs may not be enough to help.
Investing in new ductwork can also be an investment in your health. Without all of those dust and dirt particles recirculating, it’s less likely that you will suffer from allergy and illness symptoms. Dust and dirt are not always the culprits when it comes to these problems. But bacteria, viruses, and allergens can cling to dust particles and re-circulate again and again.
Ductwork Age
Ductwork often lasts for 20 to 30 years when it is properly cared for. There’s a good chance it will last longer than your actual HVAC system itself. While this is a great thing, it’s also important to know when your ductwork is costing you money. Yes, replacing it is an expense to replace your older ducts with new material.
But if your ductwork is costing you money on your monthly energy bills, it’s an investment that is well worth it. You will see an immediate decrease in your energy costs with brand-new ductwork that is completely airtight. Instead of looking at new ductwork as an expense, look at it as a way to help your air conditioner and heater work better while also breathing easier and saving money each month.
Lack of Cooling
If it seems like your air conditioner is just not working as well as it used to, there’s a good chance the air conditioner is not actually the problem at all. Instead, your ductwork may be allowing cool air to escape before it ever has a chance to reach the rooms in your home.
This is costing you more on your monthly energy bills, but it’s also reducing your overall comfort. With less cool air reaching your home, the temperature may not be as comfortable as you expect it to be. Or you may have hot and cold spots in different rooms depending on where duct damage is.
At the same time, you’re paying more money as your air conditioner works hard in its attempt to meet the thermostat setting you have selected. Replacing your ductwork can mean that you are able to set your thermostat a couple of degrees higher and still feel just as comfortable, if not more so.
Contact Roberts Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. today to schedule your duct replacement appointment as soon as possible.