Indications That Your Home’s Ductwork Is Damaged

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Indications That Your Home’s Ductwork Is Damaged

Ductwork in Kennewick, WA

You can easily overlook the air ducts in your Kennewick house due to their concealed location within the walls, crawl space, or basement. However, they serve a crucial purpose in delivering fresh, comfortable air throughout your living areas. Homeowners may find it challenging to examine their HVAC ductwork. Yet certain indications can signal that repairs or replacements are necessary.

The Age of Ductwork

Your home’s ductwork should function for 10 to 15 years. Once this time frame has passed, wear may begin to occur. If your home’s ductwork is 15 years or older, it is essential to replace it to fix severe problems, such as openings, deterioration, or even areas of the ductwork that may have corroded.

Poor Indoor Air Quality

If there are holes or gaps in your ductwork, exterior substances can pass through your HVAC system’s air filter and move around your house. You may notice these pollutants in the air or experience more allergy symptoms, asthma attacks, eye irritation, or a stuffy nose.

When your ductwork is not working correctly, mold can spread throughout your home. This can lead to unpleasant smells and harm your HVAC system. The mold circulated by your HVAC system can even grow beneath wallpaper, causing damage to walls and other parts of your house’s structure.

Poorly Sealed Registers and Bad Insulation

If the vents and registers in your house are not sealed properly, they can make your HVAC system function inefficiently. Sometimes, the vents get installed incorrectly, and the air that should go into your room seeps into the walls, attic, or basement.

It is important to put insulation around your ducts. Ducts without insulation lose heat if they go through an uninsulated basement, crawl space, or attic. If your attic is very hot in the summer, it can warm up the cool air in your ducts. This means your air conditioner has to work more and for longer to make your rooms the right temperature.

Insufficient Airflow

When airflow is insufficient in your home, one solution is removing furniture blocking air registers. However, if you have checked and ensured that your air registers are not obstructed and you are still having issues with airflow, it is probable that your air ducts are causing the problem. Weak airflow could be due to dirty, undersized, or damaged air ducts.

A Decrease in Cooling Performance

Assuming you have not renovated your home and your air conditioning unit is functioning correctly, the cooling capacity of your HVAC system should remain constant. If you notice a change and it appears that your HVAC system is having difficulty cooling your house, it is likely due to an obstruction or damage to your ductwork.

Poor Ductwork Installation

You trust that the person who put in your ducts did it well. Unfortunately, some homeowners end up with ducts that were not installed correctly and need to be fixed or replaced. If parts of your house are colder than others and there is no explanation, it might be a sign that your ducts were not aligned correctly.

Leaks, Punctures, and Dents

Just like a flat tire can stop a car from working, a hole in your ductwork can also affect how well your HVAC system works. Sometimes, you cannot see the holes or dents because they are behind a wall or on top of the ducts. When an HVAC technician looks at the damage, they will decide whether to seal the holes or replace the whole duct.

Noisy HVAC Operation

Your heating and cooling system might make some sounds when it is working, but that is okay. However, the air that moves through your HVAC system should not make loud noises by itself. If you hear your ducts making rattling, whistling, or other noises, it could mean that your ducts have damage. An inspection can discover the problem.

Kennewick, WA. Best HVAC Technicians

Bruce Heating & Air is proud to offer our Kennewick customers the best heating and cooling service in the area. We have been operating since 2002 and expanded in 2004 to better serve our growing customer base. We are proud to offer residential and commercial HVAC services.

Our services include HVAC installation, maintenance, and repair. We install and repair fireplaces, do HVAC duct fittings, and perform HVAC coil line fabrication. We offer stainless steel and aluminum process ducting. We also handle custom molding, install handrails and catwalks, and work with architectural metal and building flashing. Contact Bruce Heating & Air today and experience our exceptional customer service.