Duct leakage measurements are used to diagnose duct leakage problems, estimate energy loss from duct leaks, and verify the quality of duct system installation. I can use duct testing equipment to determine how leaky, or energy-inefficient, a duct system is.
Duct leaks can make your building uncomfortable and unhealthy. Leaky return ducts can pull pollutants into your home from your attic, crawl space, basement or garage. Poorly installed supply ducts can cause dangerous backdrafting of fireplaces, wood stoves, and naturally vented gas and oil furnaces and water heaters. Leaky ducts also create pressure differentials in the house that cause drafts and moisture problems.
A poorly installed duct system costs you money, too. It reduces the efficiency of a forced-air furnace, heat pump or air conditioning system by 20 percent to 40 percent.
How does duct testing and sealing make my building healthier?
Duct testing and sealing reduces indoor air pollutants two ways:
First, testing duct systems for pressure balance can uncover negative indoor air pressures that cause the whole house to leak (bringing in air from the attic, crawl space, basement or garage) and cause backdrafting of fireplaces, wood stoves, furnaces and water heaters. Without testing, many of these problems are not uncovered and corrected.
Second, sealing leaks in return ducts stops pollutants from being drawn into the home from the attic (insulation fibers, dust), crawl space (moisture, radon gas, pesticides, mold and mildew spores, animal residue, insulation fibers, dust), basement (mold, mildew, dust, carbon monoxide, chemical fumes) and the garage (car exhaust, carbon monoxide, chemical fumes, dust).
Building a tight duct system or repairing an existing leaky air duct system is not brain surgery. But it does take a working knowledge of where and how duct leakage happens and what can be done to make permanent long-term corrections. To put it simply "If your wallet had a hole in it you'd lose money! Same thing happens with our air ducts."
Can I save Money?
The effects of duct leakage in a conditioned basement are not generally costly. You will get residual heat as a result. However, duct leakage in an un-conditioned crawlspace, attic or exterior wall can account for 33% of heating costs. This may be more significant in commercial buildings with ductwork located in attics. An average Wisconsin home can lose up to and exceeding $25-$30 per month. That can mean $300 or more of your hard earned money heating the outside without even knowing it.
Duct Leakage Testing