Damage Air Ducts: Why Repairs Are Important and How to Identify Problems

Writer • Mar 05, 2020

Central heating and cooling systems cannot work their magic without properly installed, high-quality ductwork in place to move air to the rooms in your house. The ends of your home’s ducts connect to vents, which can be adjusted to control the flow of air in each room or space. If ducts are loose or completely disconnected from a vent, then the air is lost and energy is wasted. Damaged ducts are no good to anyone and need to be repaired or replaced to avoid issues like air loss, uneven heating and cooling and dust in the system.

Here’s a look at the signs of problems with your ductwork and the importance of air duct repair in Kalamazoo, MI.

Ducts can be damaged—and damaged ducts are problematic

Ducts are usually protected behind walls or inside crawlspaces. Unfortunately, this means that things like damage caused by other home improvement projects, animals, age and normal wear and tear can go unnoticed.

The problem with damaged ducts is that they interfere with your heater’s and air conditioner’s ability to heat and cool your home. Cracks and ripped seams in ducts let in dust and let conditioned air escape. Additionally, damaged ductwork increases the kind of strain on your HVAC system that can lead to a serious breakdown in the future.

The most common signs of ductwork issues

Because ductwork is out of sight, it can be difficult to spot damage. What you can do is get informed—learn about the most common signs of ductwork issues. Here are some things to be aware of:

  • Unusual noises: When the heater or air conditioner kicks on, you can hear the intake roar to life. That’s a normal sound. What’s not normal is hearing whistles or hums that present as the air flows from the breach. This often happens with the starting and stopping of the air conditioner or heater.
  • Unbalanced air temperature: The air coming in through the vents in all the rooms of your house should be the same temperature—which is what you’ve set on the thermostat. Varying cool or warm levels emerging from vents is not a good sign. In fact, it’s a sign of possible ductwork issues.
  • Reduced airflow: One day you might notice reduced airflow coming out of your vents. If this affects only one vent, the damage is likely isolated to that particular section of ductwork. Should you notice reduced airflow coming from more than one vent, however, you probably have damaged ducts closer to the HVAC unit.
  • Cold or warm spots: Another symptom of duct damage is cold or warm spots forming on floors and walls. These may be the areas where cool air leaking from damaged ducts is blowing.

Other common signs include short cycling and higher-than-normal energy bills. Don’t try to diagnose or fix the problem yourself—call your trusted HVAC service immediately.

If you need to schedule an appointment to repair damaged air ducts in your Kalamazoo, MI home, pick up the phone and call All Brands Heating & Cooling. Contact us today for more information!

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