Having your current ductwork cleaned out on a regular basis helps your home out in many ways. Air quality is improved, and your HVAC system might not have to work so hard to operate. However, there are times when maintenance isn’t enough, and you might want to consider the benefits of having new ductwork installed.
Putting new HVAC ductwork in your home can mean many different benefits. The following are nine common ones you might see.
1. Longer HVAC System Lifespan
New ducts are going to be the right size for your HVAC system, and they’re going to be properly sealed. Your HVAC system isn’t going to have to work as hard as it used to in order to deliver the heating and cooling that your home needs. As a consequence, you’ll get more years out of it before you have to replace it, and repairs and maintenance might not happen as frequently along the way. This can be a huge selling point to prospective buyers if your home is going on the market in the next few years.
2. More Space
Older ductwork might actually be quite bulky and take up more room than it needs to. The space you free up might provide storage areas or places for extra insulation. It can even give you a chance to raise ceilings and move walls for a more open-concept living space. You can literally free up valuable space inside your current home.
3. Installation Won’t Take Long
Many home improvement projects can be lengthy affairs that disrupt your family’s daily rhythm. Custom ductwork doesn’t have to be one of those situations. Ductwork is available in many different designs, costs, sizes, and shapes, and you can pick something that gets installed fast. Working with the right professional in advance can create a plan that gets executed quickly and with minimal disruption to your family’s normal activities.
4. Better Energy Efficiency
New ductwork isn’t going to have cracks and holes that bleed hot or cold air. Better energy efficiency is something you’re going to notice on utility bills in the months coming up ahead. An installation might cost you money upfront, but it’s also going to save you money in the future.
5. Enhanced Air Quality
You want clean air in your home. Old ductwork often contains dust and debris that gets circulated throughout your living areas. Ductwork with cracks and holes can also allow pest infestations that can degrade the air you breathe and pose other health risks. New ductwork can help improve what everyone is breathing so that you no longer have allergy episodes, dusty surfaces, and moldy smells. Kids, pets, and older loved ones may stand to benefit the most. If you’ve been using air purifiers in the past, you might not have to do that any longer once you have new ducts installed.
6. Better Temperature Regulation
Once you have new or repaired ducts, you’re probably going to notice the far more consistent temperatures in every room of your home. If there are no more leaks or improperly sized pieces, then cooling and heating should be simple. Your home won’t have “that” warm or cold room anymore. If you’ve been using fans or spot heaters in certain rooms, you may get to put them away for good.
7. Less Noise
Flexible ductwork might start sagging or bending with the passage of time. This will mean air generates more noise as it goes through them. You can eliminate this issue with new ductwork that is both unbent now and less likely to sag in the future. If your kids have trouble sleeping because of creepy noises, that might become a thing of the past.
8. Safety Concerns
When they operate normally, gas appliances ranging from furnaces to laundry machines will release carbon monoxide and other combustion gases via ventilation systems. If your ductwork is leaky, then there might be back-drafting of these gases. New ducts with proper sealing won’t let these gases back into your living space, so you can have greater peace of mind that your family is safe from the dangers of gas leaks.
9. Help the Environment
A lot of energy used in homes and businesses comes from burning fossil fuels in power plants. This leads to acid rain, greenhouse gases, and smog that drive climate change. When you use less energy in your home, your carbon footprint will be less than what it once was, especially if you increase energy efficiency and have new ducts that are properly sealed.
Signs You Need New Ductwork
Knowing the advantages of new ductwork is useful, but how do you know when you need a fresh installation? A professional inspection can be useful, but your ducts might also be showing signs that they’re ready for replacement. Keep an eye out for the following warning signs.
Dust Exiting the Units
It’s common for some dust to come out of ductwork when the HVAC is running. However, if it’s more than you usually see, then you might need to arrange for ductwork installation. Dust can get into the ducts from outside and come into your home, where it makes everything dirty or even harder to breathe inside the home. You can certainly look forward to spending less time cleaning if you get this fixed.
You Can Smell Mildew
If your nose is picking up something funny from your ducts, then it might be mold. There are times when warm and moist air goes through cold ducts and results in condensation, especially if there isn’t great insulation. This can result in mold growth that might leak with condensation into your ceiling and spread from there.
You Hear Noise
HVAC systems should operate fairly quietly, and that goes for the ducts, too. If there is more noise than there should be, it’s possible that your ducts are either imbalanced or just too small. That puts more strain on your HVAC system than it should and drives your energy and maintenance bills up.
Inconsistent Temperatures
Is one room in your home a lot cooler or warmer than the others? That might be a leaky HVAC duct that’s losing air and its power to keep the home even in terms of temperature. Replacement ductwork might be the only answer to such an imbalance.
Not a DIY Project
Any of these warning signs might indicate that your current ductwork needs attention or even replacement. You shouldn’t go investigating this yourself, however, as you might create more problems inside your home’s walls. Get a professional to come out and inspect things. They’ve got experience, knowledge, and tools that can diagnose ductwork problems. They can then tell you if a full replacement is warranted or if you can get by with some repairs to the current installation.
Get Professional Assistance
If you live in the Jacksonville area of Florida, then Reliable Ducts Heating and Cooling is an option to consider. We’ve been helping commercial and residential clients for years with HVAC-related repairs, maintenance, and replacement services, including the installation of new ductwork. Our team also offers indoor air quality services and solutions. Contact Reliable Ducts Heating and Cooling at your earliest convenience for a quote or just to get answers to your question and concerns.
