Air duct leaks may not be something you’ve really given a whole lot of thought to. In fact, most homeowners are solely focused on ensuring optimal efficiency and safety of their home heating and cooling units. However, it’s necessary to understand the health risks, hazards, and safety dangers of leaky air ducts. Below, we’ll go into more detail about these dangers and reveal the key signs of leaky ductwork so you can seek out prompt professional assistance as necessary.
What Causes Air Ducts to Leak?
Air ducts throughout your home can develop leaks due to many different reasons. Poor installation, pressure issues, and natural aging can allow ducting joints to open up over time. Furthermore, rodent damage can lead to chewed holes in your ductwork.
Common Signs of Leaky Air Ducts
As a homeowner, it’s important to be mindful of the signs that you may have leaky air ducts. The energy loss from duct leaks and health risks aren’t something you want to ignore. If you notice any of these key signs, it’s best to call us for prompt repair service:
- High energy bills
- Uneven temperatures
- Excess dust
- Odd whistling noises
- Increase in pest activity
- Uneven temperatures
Are Leaky Ducts Actually Dangerous?
It’s vitally important to note that leaky air ducts can be potentially dangerous to your family and your home. Leaky ducts allow for harmful airborne contaminants found in wall and floor cavities to enter your ducting. This circulates these harmful contaminants throughout your home, leading to poor indoor air quality.
Furthermore, condensation will naturally develop around these leaks in your ducting. This creates the perfect breeding ground for microbial growth. Both mold and mildew spores can be harmful to your respiratory system and prematurely deteriorate your home’s building structure.
Health Risks of Air Duct Leaks
When unwanted allergens, like dust and mold spores, enter your ducting through existing leaks, they will naturally circulate throughout your home. This will lead to an increase in allergy triggers and flare-ups for other respiratory conditions due to the poor-quality air in your home. Even those who don’t currently suffer from asthma, allergies, or other respiratory conditions may notice excessive fatigue, headaches, and sinus irritation when their home’s air quality level is low.
Safety Concerns Linked to Duct Leaks
Duct leaks not only increase your energy bills and compromise your health, but they can also lead to safety concerns. Ducting leaks can create unwanted siphoning of toxic fumes, like carbon monoxide. This leads to a potential risk of issues like fires, back-drafting, and even combustion.
Potential Damage to Your Home
Leaky air ducts create the perfect environment for condensation to take hold. Both mold and mildew are the direct result of a warm, humid environment created by these areas. If left unchecked, mold can cause long-term structural damage to your home’s building components. In some cases, it may even compromise its integrity.
How to Detect a Leaky Air Duct
Identifying leaky air ducts can be a bit of a challenge because of their typically hidden location. However, we suggest starting with a visual inspection of the exposed areas in your home. Look for leaks or gaps that are showing visible light. Additionally, consider hiring our professional technicians to do a thorough video inspection of your ductwork to identify hidden leaks behind walls and under flooring.
Preventive Maintenance for Ductwork
Just as your heating and cooling systems receive routine maintenance to stay in good working condition, so should your ductwork. We recommend professional cleaning every two to three years. If you suffer from asthma, allergies, or another respiratory condition, consider more frequent cleanings.
Your ducting should be properly sealed every five years. Routine inspections during this sealing process are the key to identifying problems so they can be repaired before they get any worse. Additionally, plan to upgrade your ducting every 10 to 25 years. Our helpful HVAC technicians can let you know when your ducting will likely need to be upgraded during their routine inspection service. You should never let your existing ducting deteriorate as it can exemplify the negative effects we discussed above.
Schedule an Air Duct Inspection Today
If you believe you may have leaky ducting in your home in West Chicago, it’s time to call Blue Frost for a professional air duct inspection. We even offer routine cleaning, air duct repair, and HVAC duct sealing for your utmost convenience.
