Leaky ductwork contributes to significant energy waste in many homes. In a typical home, 20 percent of the air that travels through the ductwork is lost through leaks, according to the U.S. government’s Energy Star program.

Sealing the cracks and gaps in your HVAC system’s air-delivery system will eliminate much of this energy waste. Sealing your ducts will also improve the air quality in your home by preventing contaminants from entering the ductwork through holes.

To increase energy efficiency and reduce contaminants:

• Check your accessible ductwork for leaks. Pay special attention to the connections between ducts and look for any holes in the ductwork. Use your hand to feel for any slight drafts along the lengths of your accessible ducts. Use a a tissue to test for leaks in return ducts (the ducts that deliver air from your living spaces back to your cooling or heating equipment). If the tissue is pulled toward the duct, you have a leak.
• You can seal many ducts yourself.  Seal leaks using duct mastic and foil tape. Replace any duct tape with foil tape for a tighter seal. Fabric-backed “duct tape” is actually inadequate for the job.
• Call an HVAC contractor to repair leaks in hard-to-reach ducts. HVAC technicians have special tools that help them repair the ducts that you can’t.

Another tip for boosting energy efficiency: Remove blockages to airflow. Check the area around all your accessible vents and grilles. Make sure rugs, drapes or curtains, furniture or other potential obstructions aren’t hindering the airflow to and from your ductwork. Check the ductwork itself for kinks (in flexible ducting) that might be hindering airflow.

For more information about sealing your ducts or improving the air quality and energy efficiency of your home, contact the experts at Conditioned Air. We serve homeowners throughout Southwest Florida.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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The best way to protect the air you breathe is to control the sources of air contaminants — in other words, sealing up areas that contain asbestos, minimizing the use of smelly glues and paints and choosing nontoxic household cleaners. However, for some pollutants source control is not always an option. Fortunately, there are ways to improve your indoor air quality even if source control is not possible.

When source control isn’t an option, try:

• Ventilation and air circulation. Keeping the air flowing through your home will help push pollutants out of the house. In addition, proper ventilation and circulation help keep your home smelling fresh and clean throughout the day. You can start by simply opening windows and turning on fans. However, this only works when weather permits it — and those days will grow rare as summer settles in. A more reliable option is to install a ventilation system in your home. There are several types of ventilation systems available, including whole-house systems and single-room units. Single-room vents are typically installed in bathrooms and kitchens, while whole-house ventilation systems are installed as part of your cooling and heating system to ventilate your entire home.
• Air purifiers. Air purifiers typically trap various air contaminants such as dust, dander and spores, improving your indoor air quality. However, air purifiers will not lower levels of radon and carbon monoxide. Air purifiers are available in both stand-alone units and whole-house purifiers. Stand-alone units typically have a lower up-front cost than whole-house systems, but only work in one room at a time. A whole-house purifier treats the entire home with a single unit added to your heating and cooling system.

If you would like more tips on how you can improve your indoor air quality, contact the home-comfort experts at Conditioned Air. We have been providing reliable, professional cooling and heating services throughout Southwest Florida since 1962.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Ducts distribute cooled or warmed air from your air conditioner and furnace throughout your house. When your ducts are leaky, a significant amount of this conditioned air is lost. In fact, leaky ducts lose as much as 20 percent of the air that flows through them in a typical U.S. home. Properly sealing your ducts reduces this energy loss significantly, saving you money and reducing waste. 

Signs of improperly sealed ducts include:

• Excessively high energy bills, especially when you use your air conditioner during hot Southwest Florida summers
• Difficulty keeping your home comfortable with your existing HVAC system
• Stuffy rooms
• Extra difficulty heating or cooling some rooms in the house but not others

Sealing your ducts will often go a long way toward solving these problems, making your home much more comfortable. Sealed ducts also can significantly increase your energy savings, which is great for the environment and your wallet.

If you try sealing your ducts yourself, look for leaks where the ducts attach to vents at the floors, walls or ceiling. It’s also relatively easy to inspect exposed ducts in attics and basements yourself. Perhaps surprisingly, duct tape shouldn’t be used to seal ducts — it isn’t a long-lasting solution. Instead, use mastic sealant or metal tape.

Rather than sealing ducts themselves, many homeowners choose to hire professionals to find and repair duct leaks. Some HVAC ducts are in difficult-to-reach places, such as inside the walls and ceilings. A certified professional will have the tools and experience to assess airflow throughout the house and locate leaky or kinked ducts.

For help finding and repairing duct leaks in the Southwest Florida area, contact the experts at Conditioned Air. We’ll be glad to help you identify and resolve your home’s ductwork problems.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Ductwork image via Shutterstock

Your heating and cooling system is just that — a system. Several components play a role in the overall energy efficiency of the system, including the HVAC equipment, ductwork, thermostats and your home.

Inefficiencies in any one of these areas can result in higher utility bills and reduced home comfort. However, duct efficiency plays a particularly important role because ductwork is the delivery system for heated and cooled air.

In Southwest Florida, the highest energy expense is typically for air conditioning during the long cooling season. Improving duct efficiency can help reduce energy bills by keeping more cooled air within the ductwork so it is delivered to your living spaces. These three tips will help improve duct efficiency in your home:

• Find and seal air leaks: Over time, joints between ducts can become loose, flexible ductwork can tear or be punctured and seals can become cracked. Look for air leaks near supply and return registers, at the point where the ductwork connects to HVAC equipment and at any other connection points in the duct system. Seal leaks with mastic tape and replace flexible ductwork when necessary.
• Insulate ductwork: If you have ducts running through unconditioned spaces like the garage or an unfinished basement, heat can be transferred between the air in the ducts and the air outside, heating conditioned air in summer or allowing heat to be lost in winter. This heat transfer causes your heating and cooling system to run more frequently to keep your living spaces at the desired temperature and increases energy bills.
• Ensure proper equipment sizing: If you are purchasing a new heating and cooling system, a proper load calculation is essential for maintaining good duct efficiency. While it may be tempting to buy a larger air conditioner, overloading the ducts can actually reduce energy efficiency and cost you more in the long run.

The experts at Conditioned Air can help you evaluate the performance of your entire HVAC system, including duct efficiency. Contact us at any time to schedule an appointment or just to ask for advice from one of our courteous professionals. Serving Southwest Florida, we’re always happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Ductwork image via Shutterstock

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average home loses around 20 percent of its conditioned air through leaky ductwork. That can add up to quite a lot of lost air in regions like Southwest Florida, where we rely heavily on our air conditioners.

To make matters worse, air isn’t the only thing you’re losing through gaps and cracks in your ducts. Leaky ductwork also costs homeowners:

• Money. That air leaking into unconditioned spaces such as walls and attics is air you have paid to heat or cool.
• Comfort. Leaks prevent air from being properly circulated through your home.
• Efficiency. Your HVAC equipment has to work overtime to compensate for leaks, resulting in more energy use. This also can contribute to maintenance problems and shorter equipment life.
• Air quality. Leaks allow dust, allergens and other pollutants to enter your ducts, which means they can be distributed throughout your home.

The good news is that leaky ductwork is usually easy and inexpensive to repair. You can probably do most of it yourself, if you’re so inclined. Most leaks are found in accessible areas, such as crawl spaces, utility closets, garages and attics.

Seal with mastic sealant or metal tape, not duct tape. It helps to turn your furnace or air conditioner on so you can feel escaping air as you examine your ductwork. Look for:

• Kinked, tangled or crushed sections.
• Holes or tears.
• Leaks at connections.
• Disconnected ducts at registers and grilles.
• Missing or damaged duct insulation.

Some ductwork will be difficult to reach, such as sections behind walls or between floors. For these sections the easiest solution is to have a certified and knowledgeable technician test for leaks using special equipment.

Your HVAC system is a big investment, and the energy it consumes to keep your home comfortable constitutes a major part of your utility bill. Repairing your ductwork can put a significant dent in that bill.

Do you have questions about ductwork or another heating and cooling issue? Contact us at Conditioned Air, and we’ll be happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about ductwork and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Conditioned Air services Southwest Florida including cities Marco Island, Ft. Myers or anywhere in between. Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!   

One common health risk to homeowners often goes overlooked, but is present in the majority of Southwest Florida homes. It’s polluted indoor air. The typical home contains over 1,000 sources of pollution, making the indoor living environment at least 10 times more contaminated than the outdoors. Ventilation is the key to cycling these contaminants out of the house, while pulling in fresh, filtered air.

Many homeowners have tightly sealed up air leaks in the walls of their building, as well as leaks in the attic and ductwork. While this is an essential step for reducing energy loss, it also creates a space in which pollutants become bottled up. Ventilation is particularly important for these households. What’s the point in saving energy if your health is compromised?

There are more possible sources of pollution than you may realize in the average home, such as:

• Fumes from chemical cleaners and air fresheners.
• Fumes from adhesives, paints and varnishes.
• Off-gassing furniture and construction materials, including pressed wood products and carpets.
• Mold spores.
• Dust and dust mites.
• Allergens, such as pollen.
• Dander from pets.
• Microorganisms, including bacteria and viruses.

That list is, unfortunately, only the tip of the iceberg.

Ventilation systems improve the quality of your indoor air by ensuring the used, stale air is cycled outdoors, while drawing in and filtering fresh air. A whole-house dehumidifier is a wise choice as a partner in your ventilation plan, too, because removing the humidity will help you feel cooler and more comfortable.

Whatever ventilation system you use, it’s important to keep your air filters fresh. If your filters become clogged, they not only fail to remove pollutants, but impede airflow through your system. This can lead to inefficiency and make it more difficult for your equipment to work effectively. Check your filters monthly, and during preventive maintenance.

If you have questions about how ventilation can improve the quality of your living space, contact Conditioned Air. We’ll be happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about ventilation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Conditioned Air services Southwest Florida including cities Marco Island, Ft. Myers or anywhere in between. Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!

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You know how hot it can get here in Southwest Florida. But did you also know that ceiling fans can work with your energy-efficient air conditioner to keep cooling costs low, while keeping your home comfortable all summer long? That’s right, a simple ceiling fan can go a long way toward reducing energy costs.

Here’s what you need to know about ceiling fans and how they can help keep your home more comfortable:

• Circulating fans create a wind-chill effect, which makes the air feel cooler and allows you to turn the thermostat up a few degrees without sacrificing home comfort.
• When temperatures are more mild, you can often use your ceiling fans to cool the rooms in your home without even turning on the air conditioner.
• If you are installing new fans, make sure the blades are 10 to 12 inches below the ceiling to get the best circulation.
• For rooms with ceilings lower than 8 feet, consider other types of air-circulating devices, such as window fans and portable rotating fans.
• Bigger fans can move more air than smaller fans. However, rooms larger than 18 feet long should have multiple fans. Larger fan blades can also move more air without increasing fan speed.
• If noise is a concern for you, make sure you have the opportunity to see and hear ceiling fans in operation before you decide which one to buy. Quieter, more efficient fans may be more expensive, but they are also more likely to last longer and require less maintenance and repair.

The professionals at Conditioned Air are here to help you find the best heating and cooling solutions for your home. Whether you need routine maintenance, equipment repair or expert advice, contact us anytime.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about ceiling fans and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Conditioned Air services Southwest Florida including cities Marco Island, Ft. Myers or anywhere in between.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.

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Next time your air conditioning comes on, feel the air at a vent. Is it instantly cool, or does it take a few minutes to drop in temperature? Then go to the vent farthest from your A/C. Does the air have as much force there as at other vents in your home?

If your conditioned air takes awhile to cool or isn’t forceful enough, your home’s ductwork might have been poorly designed or installed.

If you have warm air coming through your vents after your A/C cycles on, the air in your ducts might be absorbing heat — particularly if you have ductwork in a hot attic. That’s a sign of poor or no insulation surrounding your ductwork. Ducts that are insulated against our Southwest Florida heat stay cooler longer.

If the cool air comes out less forcefully at certain registers or vents, your home is being cooled unevenly. Your ducts could be improperly sized; they could be bent or twisted, slowing the airflow; or your ducts may simply be too long. In an efficient and comfortable cooling system, outgoing air should be roughly equal to the air that enters your system. Otherwise, your A/C has to work harder than it should, potentially shortening its life span and boosting your utility bills.

Poor ductwork design and installation may be causing your HVAC system to use more energy than it needs to. Oftentimes, homes in Naples and Ft. Myers have been built with ductwork as a low priority, leading to contorted turns, longer runs than necessary, leaking joints and poor connections. A home must have ductwork design and installation that suits the home’s HVAC equipment and floor plan.

If you believe your ductwork might need improvements, please contact us at Conditioned Air. We can evaluate your situation and explore options that might better suit your home.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about ductwork and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Conditioned Air services Southwest Florida including cities Marco Island, Ft. Myers or anywhere in between.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.

Making your indoor environment airtight saves on energy costs, but it can come with unintended consequences if your home or business lacks a good ventilation system. Some unhealthy agents might be sealed up inside along with you: radon gas, formaldehyde from fabrics and furnishings, humidity that could damage your home, odors and fumes from household chemicals, to name a few.

Good ventilation — circulation of indoor air as well as exchange of air from inside to outside — helps maintain healthy living and working spaces. The unhealthy agents are reduced, and oxygen is replenished. A balance of fresh air and safe humidity levels can help alleviate allergies and sinus or respiratory problems.

There are several ways to exchange air.

• “Natural” ventilation simply means opening doors or windows — easy, but sometimes impractical during extreme temperatures and difficult to control. Natural ventilation exchanges an unknown amount of cooled air for fresh air, and your cooling system has to recondition that fresh air.
• Using an exhaust fan or fans to expel bad air outside through an opening is called “spot” ventilation. Spot ventilation alone, like natural ventilation, can be impractical and difficult to control.
• “Whole-house” ventilation uses a system of fans and ductwork to most efficiently balance fresh air with conditioned indoor air. It also monitors humidity, keeping it in a healthy range. Controlling the air exchange can save money by lowering the costs of heating and cooling the fresh air. And a whole-house system works 24 hours a day.

Whole-house ventilation systems come in a range of shapes and sizes. If you’re exploring the idea, we at Conditioned Air would be happy to answer questions and discuss how a system could work for you. Contact us today or anytime. We serve clients in Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Southwest Florida.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about ventilation and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Try blowing out a lighted candle from three feet away with a straw. Then try to blow out the candle as you normally would, with pursed lips. The first method almost surely will fail; the second way should bring success. A great set of lungs is useless against the candle until enough force and volume can be exerted.

In the same way, an incorrectly sized duct system can render your home’s cooling system ineffective. You might have a great air conditioner, but if your ducts can’t deliver the appropriate airflow, you have a problem. Some homes have been constructed with poorly sized ducts. Others have been built with appropriate ductwork — but rooms or sections were added later, and the duct system became too small to serve the interior space.

For air ducts and your A/C to work at maximum efficiency, the duct system must be properly sized to the home and the equipment. Otherwise, you’re left with too little airflow to circulate properly. This affects the comfort of your home and how well your filter operates to keep your indoor air clean. It also affects your energy bills by making your system work harder.

If you suspect that your airflow is less than it should be or that your energy bills are needlessly high — or if your air conditioner seems to be constantly running — the problem could be the size of your ducts. Here in Southwest Florida, the professionals at Conditioned Air have the equipment, the experience and the knowledge to properly size air ducts. As always, please feel free to consult us with any questions.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air ducts and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Conditioned Air services Southwest Florida including cities Marco Island, Ft. Myers or anywhere in between.  To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.