How Poor Ductwork Impacts Your Home And Wallet

Even though you might not think about your ducts very often, they can impact your life and your bank account.

Unseen issues may result from improperly functioning ductwork. Your air ducts may raise your risk of health issues while eventually costing you money.

Your health depends on the quality of your indoor air. Despite receiving less attention than topics like green energy, your home's environment depends on it just as much. Ducts significantly influence the air quality in your house.

When your air ducts leak, your home may become exposed to hazardous airborne contaminants. They may also increase your energy costs, increasing your monthly expenses before you notice.

Carbon monoxide and backdrafting

Inefficient ducting can cause a combustion device, such as a water heater or furnace, to start back-drafting into your house.

The exhaust gases from the combustion appliance won't be able to escape through the flue as they should when negative pressure, as described above due to a leak, occurs.

Instead, your house will be filled with toxic fumes. Increased quantities of harmful carbon monoxide may result from this.

Negative pressure can happen in various ways when your ducts aren't functioning correctly and lead to issues. Even something as easy as locking some of the house doors might change how pressure is distributed.

Consider the scenario in which your home's bedroom doors are all shut. While the remainder of the house has a central return vent, some only have supply vents for air ducts. Because the air supply is flowing in but cannot escape, there will be positive pressure in the bedrooms.

The rest of the home, which has a central return vent, will experience negative pressure because it isn't getting as much air. After all, the supply vents' doors are closed.

Let's imagine that the central return vent region is close to specific combustion equipment. Those appliances' improperly venting fumes will overflow into the house and fill the negative spaces. This can add invisible toxins to your air without you realizing it.

Toxins Enter Through Leaky Ducts

When your air ducts leak, they draw in hazardous fumes and debris and then disperse them throughout your house.

For instance, a disconnected crawlspace duct could become a leak source. The air around the duct will be drawn in, bringing with it the dusty, unclean air of the crawlspace.

Let's say a rat in the crawlspace passes away not far from the duct leak. Now, in addition to bringing in foul air from the crawlspace, the air duct is also bringing in animal carcass odours.

No matter how effective your air filtering system is, the harmful stuff will eventually get through and into your house.

Leaks are another possibility in moist areas like basements, where mold is more likely to develop. This implies that the dangerous mold spores are dispersed throughout your house, where they might lead to respiratory issues and begin to thrive in unexpected locations like the bathroom.

Another place where toxins can slip through is if your air filter is broken or not functioning properly. For instance, an air filter can collapse without your knowledge. The filter may suddenly stop working, but you might not notice it.

Leaks Result In Low Humidity Control And Negative Pressure.

Your air ducts draw in air through the heating or cooling system, where the air is either heated or chilled. The amount of air that enters the system is expected to return to the house in the same amount.

The air drawn in and conditioned won't, however, get where it should if there is a leak along the system's supply side.

This implies that your home will make up for it by bringing in additional air from elsewhere. Negative pressure is produced by the unbalanced air supply, which needs to be eliminated somehow.

To compensate for the lost air, air will enter the house from outside the duct filtration system. This air may enter your home through your garage, basement, crawlspace, or nearby area. It's unlikely to be filtered, clean air, which could further deteriorate the air quality in your house.

Your home will lose control of the humidity due to leaking or damaged ductwork.

You may encounter issues if you have too much water in your home. A damper climate is more likely to support mold growth. Mold spores are probably already entering your home, but humidity management can reduce the conditions that promote their growth.

Duct Leaks Are Expensive.

More air must be pumped through your home to heat or cool it when your air ducts are dirty or leaky.Because your duct system works harder than it has to, you wind up spending more. Your HVAC system expends more energy, pumping air via clogged ductwork. Additionally, when there is a leak, your ducts are forced to work harder to pump air that isn't going where it should.

Next Steps: Get Your Ductwork Fixed

There is no way to determine for sure if your ductwork is malfunctioning. Even if you don't notice any mold growing or distinct smells, issues could still exist.

Do not assume that your air ducts will always function properly. A professional examination is required regularly to ensure that the air quality within your home is as it should be.

Fortunately, the solution is straightforward; a thorough air duct cleaning can help. Make a cleaning appointment right now to save your health and wallet.

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