The ductwork that is part of your Northern California home’s HVAC system is incredibly important. This system delivers conditioned air to the various living spaces in your home. Let’s look at five ways that you can prepare your ducts for the winter ahead so they work efficiently and reliably all season long.
1. Inspecting and Cleaning Your Ducts
Prior to the winter arriving, you’ll want to schedule an appointment with a professional HVAC contractor. With their experience and knowledge, professionals can help protect the overall integrity of your ductwork so it lasts longer. In turn, this reduces the wear and tear your overall HVAC system will undergo, leading to fewer repair needs over time.
We inspect your ductwork for signs of things like corrosion, small holes and cracks, condensation, and mold growth. If we find any of these issues, we will offer you repair options to rectify the problem. There may be additional work that needs to be done to correct the root cause of the problem as well. For example, condensation in your ductwork typically means you have too much humidity in your home. You may need to monitor your indoor relative humidity moving forward to keep things under control. You may also want to consider installing a whole-house dehumidifier on your HVAC system to provide ongoing moisture assistance.
We recommend that you have your ducts cleaned once every three years or so. The frequency may be a bit different based on factors such as having pets in the home, allowing people to smoke in the home, having recent construction work completed, etc. If you or someone in your household suffers from allergies, more frequent ductwork cleanings are ideal.
2. Sealing Leaks and Gaps
If our technicians discover leaks or gaps in your ductwork, we recommend that you seal them right away. Depending on the size of the spaces, there are different products that you can use. Very large spaces may require that sections of your ductwork be replaced entirely. However, mastic tape and sealants can be used for smaller gaps.
You may also want to choose to have your ducts insulated. While this won’t fix any gaps that are creating a compromised ducting system, it can help maintain comfortable, conditioned air throughout your ducting system without the temperature of the air in your ducts changing. Insulation makes it take longer for heat to make its way in or out of the insulated item. Consequently, the items inside—like the air inside your ducts—better maintain their temperature. Lack of insulation can lead to your HVAC system running more frequently than is necessary. This can place a lot of wear and tear on your ducts and heating and cooling equipment.
3. Paying Attention to Filters
Before the start of winter, make sure that you change your furnace or heat pump filter. This filter is designed to trap particulate matter before it can travel through your ductwork and into your home. It can also protect the interior components of your heating and cooling equipment. Particulate matter can vary from one home to another but usually consists of things like pet dander, pollen, mold spores, dust, and dust mites. If these contaminants circulate through your ducts and into your home, this can lead to an increase in allergy symptoms, like coughing and sneezing.
The type of filter you use will determine how much protection is achieved for your ducts and equipment. Most filters are rated using the minimum efficiency reporting value scale, or MERV for short. Most residential homes benefit from a MERV filter of around 8 to 12. Any higher than that and you will likely run into problems with the filter itself restricting airflow. That’s why you can’t use a HEPA filter in your system’s return vent, for example. In those cases, you’ll need a specific type of filter component installed elsewhere in your system. Sticking to that 8-12 range will help keep air flowing well, as long as you make sure to change it as necessary (generally every 2-3 months).
4. Cleaning Your Vents and Registers
Your ductwork includes various vents, registers, and intakes. This is how air enters and leaves your HVAC system. These areas can become coated with dust and contaminants, just like the interior of your ductwork. If you have your ductwork professionally cleaned, we can take care of cleaning your vents, registers, and intakes for you. However, this is a simple task you can do yourself if you notice they are starting to get dirty over time.
It’s not unheard of for pests to make their way into your ductwork, and they can create some major problems. Pests leave behind waste material and other debris that can compromise your indoor air quality and damage your ducts. We can determine if pests are a problem when we do a ductwork inspection. We use specialized camera equipment to see into all the different areas of your ductwork. We can clean up a mess left behind by pests, but you may need to seek professional remediation depending on the severity of the situation.
You should also ensure that all your vents are open prior to running your furnace for the first time during the winter. You must have sufficient airflow through your HVAC system to protect its integrity and efficiency. Otherwise, you may experience more frequent repair needs. People often close vents because they think doing so can help them save money. Even if you’re not using a specific room, you still want air to flow throughout your home. Not only does this protect your heating and cooling equipment, but it helps you maintain healthy indoor air quality.
5. Assessing the Condition of Ductwork
Ductwork should last anywhere from 15 to 25 years, depending on the conditions in your home, whether you schedule routine maintenance for your ducts, and other factors. We can inspect your ducts prior to winter to see where they are regarding their expected lifespan. This will give you time to budget and plan if you’re going to need new ductwork installed soon. We look for things like corrosion, rust, and damage. Some of these issues occur simply because of normal wear and tear over time. Damage can also occur if you have recently had work done in your home that resulted in something denting or breaking your ductwork.
If you would like assistance with preparing your ductwork for winter, reach out to our team here at Environmental Heating & Air Solutions. We proudly serve the Northern California area, providing new equipment installation, emergency repairs, and routine maintenance. We can also help you address your indoor air quality concerns by inspecting your ductwork, doing an air quality assessment, installing whole-house filtration, and more. We also offer a full array of plumbing services, including pipe repair, new pipe installation, removing clogs, water heater service, and water leak protection. In addition, we provide home automation, insulation upgrades, and home zoning systems.
Reach out to Environmental Heating & Air Solutions today to schedule service in Northern California.
