Can I Replace or Repair My Own Ductwork?

With the increasing climate change ductworks have become one of the most essential elements of our house and it is one big reason there is a significant increase in ductwork replacement and repairs. If you have got a room that is unable to heat up or cool down your house then it’s time to look out for your ductwork. Considering the current situation of the pandemic it is hard to decide whether to go for any service out there or not. Here is a solution for all your problems as here we will be discussing a complete guide to replace or repair your own ductwork. 

Details about Air channel functioning

Most our readers are new and they don’t really know much about air vessels. Air conduits are huge tubes that bring in conditioned air into the room. They are the roadway through which the air travels along the tubes. When these tubes are clear and have no debris and detours then this HVAC system works perfectly. However, there are when there is debris in the tubes, it blocks air in the way making it hard for the air canals to work efficiently. It is not only the debris that becomes the hurdle in efficiency of the ductwork but if there are holes in tubes it will become difficult for the HVAC system to work properly. 

Talking about the ductwork system we should also know that there are two ducts that exists in your heating and cooling system. These are known as supply and return. Each of the room in your house consists these two vents which are called as supply register or vent and return register or vent. 

How to figure out if your ductwork has a problem?

Before you decide to get thing repaired or replaced it is important that you know that what is the right time to do so. You have to be good observer for this, if you notice that the room is too cold in winters despite HVAC system is running or vice versa then you need to decide to go for an inspection. Look out if anything in the room is blocking the air pipe and check if there is a difference in temperature. But if this technique also doesn’t work then go for the outdoor inspection.

Signs of a Faulty Duct

• When there is no temperature change in a single room whereas the rest of the place temperature has changed significantly. 

• You are getting high electricity bills despite having no proper cooling or heating in the house. You are too fed up with the energy bills and you are not even satisfied with the air channel system performance at your house. Get an idea of average utility bills from your friends or family to ensure that your bills are more than average. 

• You cannot feel little or no air flow in the vent. Another sign that shows there is a need for repair or replacement of air channel is that you cant feel the air flow. It is either something blocking or it is damaged due to which all the air is leaking through the damaged area. 

• The air filter gets dirty quickly after cleaning them. This is also a prove of the fact that air filters get clogged right after cleaning them. Although these air filters should be changed regularly but not as frequently as monthly. If it is happening and you have to change it on monthly basis then you need to sure of the fact that they need repair or replacement. 

• You can see clear splashes of dust at the registers. Go through each of the registers and notice if they are dirty. If they are then clean them up and not the date down. If you see puffs of dust again after a month then you surely have a leakage that has to be replaced or repaired. 

• During an inspection you can see a broken, crushed, or missing duct which means that you need a replacement or if it is more easy to repair it rather than replacing then repair it. 

• Go for a room by room inspection. Follow the steps mentioned below to go for a room by room inspection: 

• Switch on your HVAC system which allows air to pass through the vents

• Close all the interior and exterior doors and windows

• Tour your house and crack each of the door one by one. One at a time so that you are able to figure out which area has the problem. 

• Observe properly if the doors are moving you need to get your ducts checked as there might be some pressure problem.

Importance of checking ducts 

It is highly important to know that your air duct is functioning properly because there are numerous disadvantages of keeping a damaged duct. It could have negative impact on your health and also costs you a lot more than you could imagine. A damaged duct can cost you a lot in terms of your bills. Just imaging your duct is leaking 20 to 30% of the air into a place where you hardly go. This is all because of the hole of the air duct. Who would be happy to pay for ducts that only work for attic or basement? 

It is not only about paying extra in your bills for the areas where you don’t go but it also results in damaging your air ducts seriously. Once they are damaged seriously it is simply impossible to get them repaired and the only solution left behind in this situation is getting a brand-new air duct system for your house. This would cost you a lot more than you will even imagine. But you can certainly avoid this by acting fast and going for inspection yourself and finding out the problem and finding a solution for it.