air conditioning filter in ceiling

Must-Read Reasons Why It Might Be Time To Replace Your Airducts

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air conditioning filter in ceiling

Replacing the ductwork on your property isn’t something you’re likely to think about too often. After all, they’re not the most visible part of the home and most of the time you’re not going to be aware as to whether they’re working properly or not.

Just like everything, however, ducts get less effective over time. As they degrade, the air quality in the property starts to worsen, more allergens spread through the air, and the risk of spreading damp and mold will increase.

Here, we’re going to look at the signs that your ductwork has seen its best days and is due for a replacement. These are the most common signs that any homeowner can see, smell, or hear, but make sure you have a professional take a look to let you know what kind of work is or isn’t necessary.

Dust is Getting Everywhere

Your ductwork should be ensuring that airflow through the home is smooth and unobstructed. When the ducts have holes, cracks, gaps, or sealing that has degraded, dust gets into it. When dust gets into the ductwork, it’s spread all around the home. As a result, you might find yourself having to dust and vacuum much more often.

Lots of Noise from the HVAC system

Has your HVAC system got a lot louder as of late? Has it always been particularly loud? That’s a sure sign that the ducts are imbalanced or too small for an HVAC system that has since been upgraded, or simply been mismatched.

When the ducts are too small for the HVAC system, it tries to push a lot more air out through that small hole, causing damage to the ducts and the HVAC system and raising the energy cost of using both.

There’s a Musty Smell in the Air

If there’s a musty or damp smell in the air of the home, it’s a sign of mildew. If your vents are cold, but your HVAC system is spreading warm air through the air, the moisture in that warmth can turn to condensation. Condensation builds over time, forming damp patches that give way to mold and mildew. If the condensation leaks, it can even spread mildew to the roof and drywall.

Mildew can drastically decrease the air quality in the home and can cause serious health concerns contributing to or exacerbating asthma. You can stop condensation from forming in the ducts by better insulating the ducts or decreasing the humidity in the air traveling through it.

Inconsistent Home Temperatures

Do you have trouble getting the temperature in the home to the level that you want it? Do certain areas of the home seem cooler or warmer than the rest? There are a few problems with your ductwork that could be the cause.

For one, ducts that are loosely fit or poorly insulated are very bad at controlling their temperature. Ducts that are carrying cool air through the home will leak that cool air into the interior walls, which can cause certain areas to get much cooler while the areas that the cool air is supposed to be reaching don’t cool as much as they should. Similarly, air moving through heating areas will pick up that heat and redistribute it through the home.

The Dangers of Keeping Faulty Ductwork

The problems above should be enough reason to consider getting a replacement. However, faulty, poorly fit, or dirty ducts can cause a whole range of problems. Here are just some of the most common and why you should be concerned:

  • Damp and mildew can spread through the home, damaging structures and items until entire walls, ceilings, and furniture need to be replaced
  • Faulty ducts will cause your energy bills to go sky high as your HVAC struggles to heat or cool the home
  • Old ducts can cause your air conditioning and heating system to struggle much harder, which can cause more damage to those systems over time, necessitating more expensive repairs
  • Poor air quality is a common result of faulty ducts. This means more dust, dirt, mold, and allergens in the air. This can cause severe respiratory problems if left unaddressed over time

For your health, your finances, and your peace of mind, it’s best not to let faulty ductwork have a place in your home for too long.

The Benefits of Replacing your Ductwork

Contrasting with the dangers of letting faulty ductwork stay in the home, there are significant benefits to replacing it as well. Here are some of the advantages of new ductwork that anyone can enjoy, even if they can’t find specific faults in the old system.

  • New ductwork is almost always going to be more energy efficient. By better transporting hot and cool air through the home, you stress your HVAC systems less, resulting in lower energy bills
  • As a result, you will be able to control the temperature of the home much more effectively. No more waiting for hours on end for the home to heat up in the winter or cool down in the summer
  • An improved air quality in the home will make the air much easier to breathe and better for the health of the family
  • Investing in the ductwork can improve the longevity of the entire HVAC system. By offering more efficient airflow solutions, the less stress on your AC and heating will reduce the amount of wear and tear done while they are in use

Even if there aren’t any immediately noticeable problems with your ductwork, a full test and a replacement can help you highlight how much you could be saving in energy costs and how much more comfortable it could be to update to a more efficient system that helps better distribute air around the home.

Is it Time to Replace your Ductwork?

If you’re concerned that your HVAC systems are starting to degrade, get in touch with CFM Pros for our blower door test and duct test. We can identify any issues that could endanger the health of you and everyone in the home.

Home automation in living room

Five Foolproof Strategies For Cutting Your Cooling Costs

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It’s the thick of summer and most of us are already feeling the heatwave all too keenly. Besides feeling it in every inch of your body, you might be feeling it in the bank balance, too. We all expect the costs of cooling the home to increase as we rely on our HVAC systems more regularly, but how much is too much?

If you’re concerned your cooling bills are getting out of control, here are some ways that you can help reign it in. We’ll look at other ways you can cool the home, as well as the means by which you can make your HVAC system much more effective and efficient.

Ceiling in living room

Use your Ceiling Fan

A ceiling fan is always a wise investment for rooms that can use a little more help moving the cool air around. The cooled air that comes out of the air conditioner is dispersed much more evenly and easily. It doesn’t necessarily cool the room down anymore, it just makes it much more comfortable and spreads the cool so that parts of the room don’t feel significantly hotter.

As a result, you can justify turning up the thermostat by a couple of degrees. Just ensure that you don’t keep the fan on when no-one’s in the room. It’s cheaper than relying more on your AC, but it still contributes to the energy bill.

Home automation in living room

Use a Programmable Thermostat

You might not need to rely on your thermostat quite as much as you do. Many homeowners set it and forget it. Even as the day gets cooler, the AC works just as hard to provide cool air when you don’t necessarily need it.

A programmable thermostat allows you to set the home at different temperatures throughout the day. You can set it so that it’s kept most active during the day when the sun is shining at its brightest and let it relax when it’s getting darker and cooler.

Woman Opening Curtains and Windows

Make Better Use of your Windows

It’s tempting to open the windows on a hot day to let the air circulate. However, so long as you have a working HVAC system, you don’t need to. The vents will do that for you and opening the window only lets warm air in the home. Instead, keep the windows closed and the sun out using blackout blinds, shades, or shutters.

At night, you can open the window back up, as the air outside is much more likely to be cooler, allowing you to rely on your AC a little less as it gets later into the evening.

Home Air Vent

Take a Closer look at your Ventilation System

If you’re finding it hard to cool the house down using the AC alone and it’s driving up your costs, the problem could be with your ventilation and ductwork. If they’re poorly fitted, poorly insulated, or they have cracks, gaps, and holes, this lets air escape.

The air that your AC is working hard to cool won’t fully reach where it’s supposed to. As a result, you might find that certain parts of the home are much cooler than the rest of it. This is a sign that the cool air is leaking out where it’s not supposed to. Remember to clean your vents and replace dirty or clogged air filters. When dust gets trapped in air filters, it makes the air thick with dust, which means it carries heat and humidity more easily.

Air Conditioner maintenance

Take Care of your Air Conditioner

Your HVAC systems require regular maintenance. There’s a whole host of problems that can stress the machines out, make them less energy efficient, and less effective at their job. The more problems they have, the harder they have to work to ensure that the air temperature matches the temp set on the thermostat.

Have a professional clean your system, replace the necessary filters, and check for smaller problems at least once a year. If you’re experiencing serious problems cooling down the home, have them take a more thorough look. Ensure your system is running as optimally as possible and stop wasting energy.

Don’t let the costs of cooling your home make you choose between comfort and economics. The tips above can help you beat the heat while beating your costs back down at the same time.