"Bad Ducts"

The United States has a department of energy responsible for energy policy and education throughout the states. Likewise, each state has a corresponding agency to regulate that state's energy policy, and education etc. The California Energy Commission, located at www.energy.ca.gov provides different links to rebate centers, current projects and updates to different laws. Another link off of their page is energyvideos.com. These are uploaded videos that teach Californians about their energy use. These videos are broken up into residential and commercial and then further by lighting, HVAC, solar...etc. This video is labeled "bad ducts" and shows the dangers of leaky duct work and explains why it is so important to have ducts that serve your system. http://www.energyvideos.com/video.php?video=cec_bad_ducts&vtype=wm The video also explains why California enacted new legislation requiring homeowners to test old duct work when installing a new system. Really something to think about if someone in your family is having breathing problems,a health condition requiring certain temperatures or even if you are planning on installing a new system.

Duct Tape...

Have you ever wondered where duct tape got its name from? Source: Myths page off of consumer energy center.org (http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/myths/duct_tape.html). According to this page, duct tape was developed for military use during WWI. The silver kind was manufactured later when it became popular with HVAC contractors, who then used it to put together the ducts in air conditioning and heating systems they installed. While it may be suggested to use duct tape for fixes in your car or even your duct work - please remember that this is a very LIMITED and EXTREMELY short term fix. As such, in laboratory tests (testing different types to seal duct work) duct tape performed the WORST and ALWAYS failed. So if you recall duct tape in your duct work, it would be a good idea to finally get around to calling your HVAC contractor to see about getting that fixed...for good. Another thing is that if you are getting your unit replaced, certain "climate zones" in California require the ducts to be tested. If there is more than 15% leakage, then the ducts need to be replaced. In Covina, we are in climate zone 9 along with Pasadena, Glendora (etc.) while the coastal La County is in zone 6. You can find a link to find your zip code here. The duct testing law (as part of title 24) can be found here. It reads:

"2005 HVAC Change-Out Information

Why would you waste the energy savings from a new efficient air conditioner or furnace by connecting it to a leaky duct system? Properly sealed duct systems will lower your energy bills, increase your comfort and reduce pollution both inside and outside your home.

Beginning October 1, 2005, Title 24 of the Building Energy Efficiency Standards requires that ducts be tested for leaks when a central air conditioner or furnace is installed or replaced. Ducts that leak 15 percent or more must be repaired."

Be sure to check and see if your zip code is in the required testing area. This can be an additional cost as some HVAC companies do not do their own testing.

Are Your Ducts Dirty?

As we get more and more concerned about air quality and air-born allergens, we also are more concerned about places where those things could possibly build up. One of the common places to "blame" in recent news and television ads is your ductwork.

HOWEVER,

Here are some things you should know before jumping on the bandwagon and getting your expensive duct work cleaned by an even more expensive specialist company... Source: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airduct.html The Environmental Protection Agency off their website. Last Access 2/2/09. So, according to the EPA - duct cleaning isn't proven to actually help anything. In a nutshell: Dust particles may build up in your ducts over LOOOOOONG periods of time, but get stuck on the vents/grills and so aren't actually escaping into the air of your home. On the other hand, they DO recommend getting your ducts cleaned if they have slime visibly seeping out of them, or if the insulation near them gets water damaged (both really gross situations I imagine...). They provide a whole consumer checklist and the do's and don'ts of ductcleaning that every homeowner should check out before getting their ductwork cleaned!

Are Your Ducts Making Your House Hot?

According to the information by James Dulley located at: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080727/BUSINESS04/807270481/1017/BUSINESS, the ducting in your house might be one of the problems if your house isn’t staying cool. He suggests checking your ductwork “The walls of the ducts may be losing or gaining heat as the air makes its way from the furnace or central air conditioner to the rooms. A simple method to check this is to hold a thermometer in the register outlet air in each room.” If the temperature is significantly different, there may be a problem with the ducting. One of the solutions is to insulate the ductwork. You can also utilize the grating on the registers. If you open or close the slats you will correspondingly let more or less air into a room. If you need the living room to be cooler, close vents in rooms that you aren’t using. This will push more cool air into the room that you want it in. These are pretty simple fixes to a fairly common problem. The article also suggests some not-so-simple fixes if there is a substantial problem. One option is installing a fan into the ductwork to diffuse the air that can sometimes get ‘caught’ near the duct without circulating in the room. However, these upgrades can be costly and require professional assistance. If I were you, I would try the insulation or even check for leaks before installing a whole other fan. Ducting that makes it way through the attic might also get hot fairly quickly. There are ways to prevent heat from entering your attic – like a whole house fan or putting reflective panels on. This might also help.