Air Duct Repair & Replacement Puyallup

What Is Ductwork?

Ductwork facilitates the path air takes to and from your HVAC system and in and out of your house. Well-functioning ductwork promotes both home energy efficiency and room-to-room comfort in terms of air quality and temperature. Ducts are an integral part of your heating and cooling system. They transport the hot and cold air that keeps you comfortable. If your HVAC unit is the heart, think of them as its arteries and veins.

Air Duct Installation: Understanding the Process

1. Start with a plan
2. Create duct vents
3. Get HVAC system online
4. Install the ducts
5. Seal the system

Start With a Plan

Before installing the ductwork, professionals create a layout and carefully plan the ductwork around your house, map their connection points and assess heat loss and gain in each room. This is also the time where the professionals strategically pinpoint where to place the exhaust vents, air conditioning, and your furnace.

Create Duct Vents

Depending on your home’s layout, these vents may differ in sizes in different rooms.

To place the vent, professionals need to cut out a hole in your drywall to fit the vent.

Getting the HVAC System Online

If you’re getting an entirely new system, the technician will install your furnace, condenser, and air handler after cutting the vents holes.

However, if you’re replacing your ducts, all of that will already be in place.

Installing the Ducts

With the HVAC system up and running, your ducts will have something to connect to. Now your technician will begin laying the actual ductwork.

During this step, they’ll take care to avoid bends, as they contribute to a less efficient HVAC system. If you’re replacing your ducts, your technician will attempt to retrofit your new ducts on workable older sections. 

Sealing the System

After installing, your technician will use mastic gum or metal-backed tape to seal any leakages.

This ensures that there is no air that is escaping your HVAC, otherwise it is just a waste of time and money. 

HVAC Duct Installation Done Right

HVAC duct installation or replacement is a necessity in any home. Without proper heating and cooling, it’s impossible to live comfortably. You need to ensure that your ducts are installed by a professional who knows the ins and outs of ductwork.

Common Air Duct Problems

1. Duct leaks
2. Under-insulated ducts
3. Wrong size
4. Old age

Duct Leaks

Air duct leaks happen when you have a hole in your ductwork for some reason or another. A leak means air is leaking from the ductwork, which means the air is not moving efficiently to the room you need cooled or heated. Thus, you have one room that’s constantly hotter or colder than the rest of the house.

Under-Insulated Ducts

Due to a variety of reasons, your ducts may actually have inadequate insulation.

Inadequate insulation forces the HVAC system to heat or cool the ductwork before the proper air temp can be reached. So when your AC appears to be blowing warm air at first that eventually cools, let your air duct expert know to look for inadequate insulation.

Wrong Size

When you have the wrong-size ducts, the joints and seals may not connect tightly, and you end up with a leaky air duct system. As a result of a leaky system, the HVAC system could suffer from extra stress. Additionally, these ducts will eventually crack and leak.

Old Age

If you have purchased an older home, you may just have old air ducts. Ducts, like anything else, are prone to wear and tear. The materials can crack or dry out and cause air leaks.

Air Duct Maintenance

1. Inspect air ducts
2. Create negative pressure
3. Agitate the dust
4. Clean remainder of system

Inspect the Ducts

Your technician will inspect your ducts that lead to the return and supply registers. This is a good first step for homeowners to take as well, so they can see the before and after differences for themselves. Your technician may use a camera to inspect your ducts thoroughly before they begin.

Create Negative Pressure

Your technician uses a large vacuum system that they take to the furnace. This is a very powerful high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuum that creates negative pressure in your vents. They will hook the vacuum collect device’s hose to a duct close to the air handler. The technician will have to cut an access hole into the duct and seal it tight.

Agitate the Dust

As your technician goes through the air duct cleaning process vent by vent, they’ll use some powerful vacuuming tools to clean the ducts. These tools include rotating brushes and compressed agitation air whipping tools to move settled dust.

Clean the Remainder of the System

Following the cleaning of your ducts and vents, the rest of your HVAC system will be inspected. This includes the furnace, air blower motor, evaporator coil, drain pan, and more. Your technician should clean up after themselves and ensure that rooms are not dustier than when they entered them. They should take you on a walkthrough of their work so you can see the difference for yourself.

Signs You May Need Air Duct Repair or Replacement

Your air ducts can harbor bacteria, dust, pollen, debris, smoke and other pollutants. When you run your HVAC system, these particles will enter your home. Some of them are harmless, but others can cause allergies and infections in children and adults. 

You can’t always see when your air ducts need repair. But you may notice a few signs that it might be time for replacement:

• Your air conditioning is not cooling as effectively as it used to.
• Your air conditioner makes noise or has trouble starting up.
• You find more dust than usual inside your home.
• Your house is smelling musty.
• You are having difficulty keeping your home warm when the thermostat is set at a high temperature.
• Your house is a bit more humid than usual.