The ducts that carry air to and from the central air conditioning system are notoriously inefficient. Even perfectly sealed and insulated ducts lose some heating and cooling, especially if they are located in unconditioned areas of the house, such as attics and mezzanines. Aeroseal is essentially a duct sealing solution that aims to make heating and cooling equipment more efficient. It is composed of polymers, which are long molecules that adhere to each other and seal holes, misalignments or leaks in the ducts.
Aeroseal spray expels a mist of specialized material that adheres to and seals holes and leaks in ducts of air. Ultimately, this creates an efficient and hermetic seal in the ductwork. You can watch this fantastic video from This Old House that shows how it works. You can also visit the company's website here, where they have some great videos, a blog, and an FAQ section that go deeper into how the system works in more detail.
In this section, we'll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using Aeroseal for duct sealing. Once you have a clear idea of its advantages and disadvantages, you can make an informed decision about whether it works for you or not. Possible benefits of using Aeroseal to seal ducts include improving indoor air quality. Ultimately, this can lead to a more comfortable, healthier, and cleaner home according to the U.
S. Department of Energy. In the US, repairing air ducts is one of the most important and beneficial ways to improve energy consumption. In addition, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy ranked ducts as one of the top fifteen energy-saving technologies. One indicator that you might have leaks in your ducts is if your home or work space isn't evenly cooled or heated.
For example, you might feel that some rooms or floors are warmer or cooler than others. Or you might feel that certain spaces feel particularly drafty, while others feel like there's no air circulation at all. In some cases, the unevenness of air flow and temperature can be quite extreme. And this can be quite frustrating for family members, renters, or staff. With Aeroseal commercial duct sealing, the temperature of your building or house can be more consistent and uniform.
In addition, cooling and heating airflow can also be improved. In addition, sometimes old, cracked ducts can cause a musty smell. Aeroseal commercial duct sealing can eliminate that odor and prevent it from circulating throughout the space. Aeroseal commercial duct seal manufacturers also state that their solution allows for healthier and generally improved indoor air quality. When air ducts have cracks, dirt, dander, dust, allergens, moisture, pollen, and contaminants can enter the air.
In addition, leaks in the ventilation duct can also reduce the efficiency of exhaust fans. This can cause mold or mildew problems that further deteriorate indoor air quality. For people with allergies, this could aggravate symptoms such as sneezing and itching and tearing in the eyes. Air pollution is a major health risk, and the presence of mold spores in the air can also seriously damage the building structure. Sealing air ducts with Aeroseal prevents these contaminants from penetrating the circulating air. This improvement in air quality means that everyone who inhabits the space will experience fewer allergy symptoms.
In short, everyone will be healthier and able to breathe more easily. Another way that Aeroseal commercial duct sealants can make your space healthier is to allow a more effective migration of radon gas to create better air flow and pressure. Aeroseal is made of a UL-certified material that is commonly used in hairspray and chewing gum. In addition, Aeroseal is used in hospitals such as Nemours Children's Hospital and Mayo Clinic, ensuring its safety. Inefficiency can negatively affect your air conditioning system in the long term. If the ducts leak, the air conditioning system will have to work harder to maintain the required configuration, reducing its efficiency by 20 to 45 percent.
Over time, this inefficiency accelerates system wear and tear, which is manifested in costly and frequent repairs. What we've described above is the list of standard Aeroseal benefits. However, it does not tell us to what extent each of these benefits will apply to your home.
Disadvantages
These are some of the drawbacks of using Aeroseal to seal ducts. In some cases, no dust changes may be seen because the dust comes from an air leak or a change in dust. In other cases, Aeroseal will not improve your comfort as the size of the ducts is often the main cause of comfort problems. Some households may not experience any improvement in their energy bills but notice a significant reduction of the dust.The correct method to determine how this interaction occurs is to perform a comprehensive energy audit of your home. Organizations that only use Aeroseal will make you think that Aeroseal offers a much better seal on leaking ducts than other methods do; however this isn't necessarily true since Aeroseal seals ducts from the inside, so we don't need access to the ductwork to seal them - making it more suitable for homes with inaccessible ductwork.For homes with accessible ductwork, manually sealing the ducts with putty is usually a better option than using Aeroseal - both financially speaking as well as from an efficiency standpoint. If the ducts are fully accessible manually sealing the ducts with putty is a better and less expensive solution than with Aeroseal.