Air ducts are one of the most important components of your central air conditioning system. Without air ducts, the air can’t travel from the central unit to the vents in your home. If these air ducts spring with a leak or multiple leaks, it’ll result in lost airflow to every inch of your home and waste energy. It’s an important part of your air conditioning maintenance plan to monitor and prevent air duct leaks at all costs.

Regular Inspections

One of the best ways to prevent air duct leaks is to have them regularly inspected. When you reach out to professionals, one thing that we always stress is the importance of annual inspections and tune-ups. We will come out to your home to check the air ducts, and see if all of the air conditioning components are efficiently operating.

Regular inspections can help to troubleshoot wear and tear on your air ducts. It may not be that there is a leak but it could show signs of a leak that may develop. When we inspect your AC unit regularly, we’ll identify any and all signs of wear. We’ll address any developing AC issues far before a leak ever occurs.

Air Duct Cleaning

Air duct cleaning is another important piece to the puzzle here. When you clean out your air ducts, you’ll keep your air quality high and you’ll protect the air ducts from leakage. When dirt and debris get in the air ducts, with the air blowing through, there is a chance that these items can wear down the ducts and eventually puncture them. The result is a leak in one or multiple air ducts throughout the home.

Change the Air Filter

You also want to be changing out the air filter regularly. A quality air filter is going to lead to cleaner air ducts. The air filter goes hand in hand with duct cleaning. You can clean the air ducts all that you want, but when you have a weak air filter that leads to them, you are going to result in more dirt and debris building up faster. Swap that out regularly so that you can work to prevent air duct leaks from forming.

Keep the Ducts Open

Make sure you also have your air ducts open at all times. When air ducts are closed at the registers, then the backed-up air can lead to pressure on the ducts, which can cause leakage.

We are the air conditioning professionals to trust when it comes to system maintenance. Our team is here and ready to assist as you work toward air duct leak prevention. Keep that system running stable and prevent leaks from developing over time!

Prevent Back Pressure

The two major components that lead to leaks in your HVAC system are back pressure and age. While age is inevitable and unavoidable, you can always prevent back pressure from building up in your ductwork. Back pressure occurs when your air ducts experience any sort of blockage. Blockage can be caused by dirty filters, dirty air ducts, blocked vents, or closed vents. Anything that restricts airflow in the vents has the potential to build up back pressure. Most HVAC units have single-speed blower fans that force air into your vents at a steady rate. When your vent experiences blockage, either because it can’t draw air in through a filter or can’t push air out due to a closed vent, pressure builds up in the system. While this amps up energy costs, it forces the air to find a new escape route. Air leaks through weak joints within the duct system and seams.

Duct leaks are completely preventable as long as you’re on top of the maintenance. A leak has the potential to increase your energy bill and you won’t be reaping the benefits of full-force air. When your air is all pushed to one area, you’ll experience a strong breeze, a leak will cause a weak stream of air. Avoid this major issue by implementing thorough maintenance plans.

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