What Is Aeroseal Duct Sealing?
Each year, a fortune in energy costs is lost through leaky air ducts. It’s estimated that an improperly sealed duct can increase your heating bill by as much as 30 percent. Cost isn’t the only consequence of inefficient ductwork. As warm air escapes, it can render your home colder and more uncomfortable. This will also force your furnace to cycle on more often, ultimately leading to more wear and tear on the machinery parts. The constant activity of the blower motors also decreases the quality of the air in the home. All of this because of a few leaky ducts.
Is There Anything You Can Do?
Leaky ducts can be fixed, of course, but this is often a long, labor-intensive process that can ultimately end up costing you a good deal of money. There are several ways that it’s done. Your contractor can seal ducts with special tape that is designed for the job. Duct sealing tape usually fails fairly quickly, however. Your contractor can also paint a thick sealant over areas that leak. This duct sealant tends not to last very long either. It’s also not guaranteed to patch every spot that’s leaking.
One new method of quickly, efficiently, and reliably fixing leaking ducts is Aeroseal duct sealing. This method goes far beyond all others in terms of reaching difficult areas and plugging leaks that may otherwise not have been detected.
How Aeroseal Duct Sealing Works
Traditional methods of duct sealing involve meticulously searching for leaks. Unfortunately, some of these leaks are far too small to be easily found. If they’re missed during the patching process, air will continue to leak through them and continue to waste money and energy.
Aeroseal duct sealing solves this problem by putting the sealant in the air itself. Particles of non-toxic vinyl acetate are aerosolized and blown through the ducts. As they reach the holes that are causing the leaks, they begin to build up, eventually plugging all of the holes, no matter how small or difficult to detect they are.
The Process
Your HVAC technician will begin the job by sealing off your furnace, air conditioner, and any other machinery that must be protected from the aerosolized sealant. The ducts are then pressurized. A computer then detects exactly where any leaks are located. Even though the Aeroseal sealant automatically plugs the holes, your HVAC contractor will not want to waste any of it. That’s why they’ll utilize computer technology to determine exactly how much product is needed. Just enough sealant will be used to plug the holes in the ducts, without any excess being necessary.
After the Aeroseal duct sealant has been used, your HVAC professional will pressurize the ducts once again and determine how effective the process has been. In most cases, the difference is notable instantly. You’ll notice a marked improvement in air quality, and soon enough, your energy bill will begin to go down.
Unlike most other methods of sealing leaking ducts, Aeroseal duct sealing is incredibly durable. In fact, it comes with a 10-year warranty, which means that you’ll be able to rest easy for a long time to come, knowing that your energy bill won’t increase as a result of wasted energy.
How To Prepare Your Home for Aeroseal Duct Sealing
There’s actually not much you have to do to get ready for the process. That’s because it’s extremely fast and non-invasive. You just have to ensure that the ducts are clean and the electronics nearby are protected—which is something your HVAC professional can do easily—and then simply wait for a couple of hours for the job to be done. You can make preparations to be out of the house—the sealing process does have a slight smell similar to school glue—or you can stay put and monitor a tablet yourself to observe the results of the process in real-time.
Is It Safe?
Because the Aeroseal formula is water-based, it’s entirely non-toxic. It’s also used in very small amounts: once again, just enough to plug the minute tears and cracks in the ductwork. This means that there’s never very much of it in your home. What there is will always remain rubbery. Because of this, it won’t begin to dry and flake off, eventually entering your air supply as some sealants do. The material does not coat the inside of your ducts. It only plugs the leaks in the ductwork, meaning that Aeroseal is extremely safe, much more so than other methods of sealing ducts in the home.
How Can I Get This Process Done?
The first step, of course, is to find an HVAC professional who is trained in performing the Aeroseal duct sealing process. While the process is indeed simple, it’s also one that needs to be precise, and it certainly requires training to perform. You will need an HVAC professional who is certified by North American Technician Excellence (NATE) and who has years of experience working with heating and cooling technology.
Finding the right company to perform the job involves a bit of research. It will involve checking references. Discuss the results with other satisfied customers and, if you can, ask about the Aeroseal process. Talk with the HVAC professional you’re considering as well, as they can put you at ease regarding what’s involved with repairing the ducts in your home.
One HVAC company that checks all of these boxes is Entek, an excellent choice for homeowners located in the Pacific Northwest area. Our professionals have all the required certifications and have been in the business for 75 years. Contact us for your needs regarding Aeroseal or any other maintenance or repairs you need for your heating and cooling systems.
