An Introduction to Air Duct Sealing

The ductwork in your home plays a vital role. It helps keep your home temperature controlled especially during extreme weather conditions. Ductwork is the connective tissue and piping that connects from the furnace to each room.  A large number of homeowners have leaks in the ducts without them even realizing it. It’s better to address the issue in a timely manner. 

Start by thoroughly evaluating your HVAC system if you suspect a leak. In and around the ductwork, look for moving particles. Look for leaks where the ducts link to other sections of the house, as this is where they usually happen.

You will spot leaks sooner and be able to stop them before they become major problems if you do duct cleaning. Duct sealant can be used to stop the leaks. You might be able to plug the ducts manually if you just have a few tiny leaks.

A unique material called duct sealant plugs the holes and crevices in your ducts. Duct tape is frequently used by the typical homeowner for sealing duct vents. 

To successfully seal duct vents, you must use high-quality duct sealing materials. Start with a silicone-based duct sealer that can be readily applied with a mastic gun. This sealant will fill up gaps and holes while also keeping moisture out.

3 Best Solutions For Your Air Duct Sealing

If you have leaking ducts and wish to fix them, there are a few various sealing duct vents methods you may try. Let’s go through a few of the most common solutions on the market to get you up to speed on how to mend your leaky ductwork in the most convenient method for you:

Duct Sealing Tape

HVAC duct sealing tape is one method for sealing leaking ductwork. It is also known as aluminum foil tape, comes in a roll, and is available at any hardware shop. Although this approach for sealing duct vents leakage is less time-consuming and dirty, it does not compare to other duct sealing methods in terms of performance and durability. Duct sealing tape will most likely fail if your ducts are often unclean or greasy. If you insist on utilizing this option for any reason, your best chance is to use foil tape, butyl tape, or any other type of duct sealing tape that has the UL emblem on it. This mark stands for Underwriters Laboratories, and it indicates that this tape is safe to use on ducting inside homes. Never use conventional duct tape to seal your ducts; it’s not fire or smoke-rated, and it won’t last very long.

Mastic Duct Sealant

While tape is a quicker and easier remedy, it is more costly and less long-lasting in the long term. Mastic air duct sealant is a preferable solution. It is a sticky material that hardens once put into your ducts. The ideal alternative is a water-based mastic duct sealer, which is easy to clean and lasts a long time. You can apply mastic duct sealant using a simple paintbrush if you’re doing it yourself. Keep in mind that duct mastic sealant is not to be confused with normal “duct seal.” A duct seal is used to cover gaps around electrical lines and other small openings on the outside of your property. It was not designed to be used on your leaking ducting.

Aeroseal Duct Sealant

While mastic for ducting is the greatest DIY option in terms of durability and cost-effectiveness, sealing duct vents with mastic yourself can be a difficult task. When there are concealed leaks behind drywall, it can be practically impossible to utilize mastic sealing for ducts on your own, especially in those hard-to-reach regions. It is where Aeroseal may help. Aeroseal uses a proprietary method to pressurize, locate, and seal every leak in your ducting system. Aeroseal can eliminate the mess and effort of mastic duct sealing on your own. To pressurize your system, the technician will first block all of your registers and vents. Once your ducting has been pressured, computer technology is used to locate all leaks, fractures, and holes. The specialist will next measure your leakage and offer you a comparison of your air duct leakage before and after. After that, they’ll start dispersing their duct mastic sealer throughout the air vents and ducts. Because the technology is so accurate, they only apply the exact quantity of sealant required, which makes cleaning a snap. After the repair is completed, the Aeroseal crew will re-measure your ducting to determine the leakage percentage and give you a before and after comparison.

Sealing Duct Vents For The Best Results

Do you have signs that your duct is leaking? Is your energy bill too high, or is your house uncomfortably warm no matter how low the thermostat is set? A complete HVAC cleaning from Ontario Duct Cleaning might fix your problems and restore your home’s health, freshness, and comfort. We can also help access the ducts for any leaks during the cleaning procedure as long as the duct is not enclosed.

Contact us if you need your ducts cleaned or sealed. For almost 40 years, we’ve provided complete HVAC services in multiple areas. Ontario Duct Cleaning is committed to providing high-quality services at reasonable prices.