Benefits of Duct Sealing

Content provided by Energy Star

In houses with forced-air heating and cooling systems, ducts are used to distribute air throughout the house. In a typical house, however, about 20 to 30% of the air that moves through the duct system is lost due to leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts. The result is higher utility bills and difficulty keeping the house comfortable, no matter how the thermostat is set.

A duct system that is well-designed and properly sealed can make your home more comfortable, energy efficient, and safer.

Comfort

Sealing and insulating ducts can help with common comfort problems, such as rooms that are too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.

Indoor Air Quality

Wildfire smoke, insulation particles, and dust can enter your duct system, aggravating asthma and allergy problems. Sealing ducts can help improve indoor air quality by reducing the risk of pollutants entering ducts and circulating through your home.

Safety

For homes that have wood or gas appliances during normal operation release combustion gases (like carbon monoxide) through their ventilation systems. Leaky ductwork in your heating and cooling system may cause “backdrafting,” where these gases are drawn back into the living space, rather than expelled to the outdoors. Sealing leaks can minimize this risk. Testing and sealing should be performed by a licensed and certified HVAC contractor.

Save Money

Leaky ducts can reduce heating and cooling system efficiency by as much as 20 percent. Sealing and insulating ducts increases efficiency, lowers your energy bills, and can often pay for itself in energy savings.

And Get a Rebate to Seal

Central Electric Cooperative offers a $250 rebate to seal your ducts using an approved contractor for electrically heated homes. These CEC approved contractors will repair and seal your ducts to CEC’s high efficiency requirements. For more information and for a list of qualified contractors, please visit us at www.cec.coop under Energy Efficiency tab.