Ductwork Basics for Homeowners
Here at C & C Heating & Air Conditioning in Roseville, we notice that many of our customers don’t give much thought to their ductwork. Other portions of your comfort system have moving parts, while ducts sit quietly in place, funneling heat or cool air throughout your home. However, ducts also need care and attention so they don’t strain other parts of your heating and cooling systems. New technology can also improve upon existing ductwork. Some of the new ductwork technology allows you to protect loved ones with allergy or breathing issues. Other new technology allows you to create zones of comfort in your home.
Duct Repair Service
The most important issue with ducts is that they need to be fully sealed and insulated. If they are not sealed and insulated, you will have conditioned air leaking out. Since many ducts are routed through attics and unconditioned spaces, this can cause quite a of loss of energy. In fact, the Department of Energy states that 30% of the conditioned air created by most comfort systems is lost in the ductwork. By lost, they mean dispersed into unconditioned spaces due to lack of insulation, poorly connected ducts, or ducts with leaks.
We repair ducts, properly seal them, and insulate them for our customers. It does not matter if you have the most expensive, energy-efficient air conditioner or furnace unit when you have faulty ductwork. If the air is leaking out where it isn’t intended to go, you are wasting energy. This forces you to turn the thermostat up or down, depending upon the time of year. It is just like burning money in the furnace. If one room is always too cold or too hot, ductwork problems may be the culprit. Also, registers that don’t have much airflow are another sign that you may need to repair your ducts.
Duct Cleaning Service
If you have mold in your ductwork, your ducts need to be cleaned. This can turn into a health hazard for your family. If you are smelling a moldy odor coming out of the registers or seeing mold on them, don’t hesitate to call us out. We have devices that help us see deeper into your ducts and find out what is going on. Airborne mold can endanger your family’s health and begin settling into other portions of your home. We’ll not only remove the mold, but we’ll stop it at its source. If you don’t eliminate the source of mold, it will likely come back.
If you have a rodent infestation in your ducts, that’s another a serious reason to have your ducts cleaned. They also need to be cleaned if you are seeing dust or other debris coming out of the registers. When we clean out your ducts, we follow the guidelines of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association and the EPA. According to those guidelines, we also clean your heating and cooling systems at the same time.
These are some of the heating and cooling components we clean when we clean your ducts.
- Fans, their motors and housings
- Heating and cooling coils
- Condensate drain pans
- Air handling unit housings
- Heat exchangers
This thorough cleaning will likely improve the longevity of your system and save on repair calls in the future. It may also eliminate further debris in the ducts. A clogged condensate drain pan can create excessive humidity in your air conditioning unit. This excessive humidity can strain your AC and possibly cause mold in the system. It can also rust and shorten the lifespan of your air conditioner.
Ductwork and Air Filtration
Since air conditioning systems work by bringing outside air into your home, filtration is vitally important. Changing your air filter regularly is a critical issue, and it helps your comfort systems run at their peak efficiency. Systems with dirty filters tend to clog both the equipment and the ductwork. This forces the equipment to strain harder when pushing air through the system.
If you have people in your home who are sensitive to allergens or have asthma, we recommend filters that are rated around MERV 11. The MERV 11 filter rating will not impede your airflow, but it will stop pet dander and other allergens like smoke, pollen, and mold.
Also, if you have family members with asthma, allergies, or other breathing difficulties, we recommend whole-home air filtration and purification systems over portable air purification units. The reason for this is that portable units are expensive and can only purify and filter the air in one room. Whole-home air purification and filtration systems go into your existing ductwork and help keep your entire home free of allergens, bacteria, and viruses. We have products by Carrier and Lennox that include air filtration systems, UV germicidal lights, and humidifiers. They can help improve your indoor air quality while protecting both you HVAC equipment and your ductwork.
Duct Zoning Services
Zoning is a means of creating more energy efficiency in your comfort system. If you zone your ducts, you’ll have control over different areas of your home through individual thermostats. You can decrease the amount of conditioned air in one zone of your residence, saving energy. This is done with automatic dampers that are placed in different parts of your ductwork. The thermostats control the opening and closing of the dampers. These zoning systems keep the air balanced in your comfort system, so your system does not strain. In a zoned system, bypass ducts ease the extra pressure in the system created by closed dampers. Simply closing registers in an existing comfort system can strain your air conditioning unit or furnace.
One ideal use of zoning is to set thermostats to cool or heat your home based upon your lifestyle patterns. The individual thermostats controlling each zone can be set to follow weekly patterns for the most energy efficiency. Bedrooms may not need conditioned air on weekdays when everyone is at school or work. Warm air from your furnace routed to the living room and kitchen can be turned down a bit after bedtime. Some people add more cooling or heating to an upstairs or downstairs area of their home, balancing the temperature.
Expert Heating and Cooling Services in Roseville
At C & C Heating & Air Conditioning in Roseville, we have been providing heating and air conditioning services throughout Greater Detroit since 1948. We serve all of Macomb County and the surrounding areas, including Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties. We provide duct cleaning services as well as ductwork installation, repair, and replacement. In addition, we furnish air filtration and duct zoning services. We’ll handle all of your heating and air conditioning service needs, including installations, repairs, and maintenance. Indoor air quality services are also among our specialties.
We sell new heating and air conditioning units from Carrier, Trane, and Lennox. Our NATE-certified technicians have experience and knowledge working on all makes and models of home comfort systems. Our company is a member of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, and the Better Business Bureau has given us an A+ rating. We also receive high ratings on Angie’s List. We can solve your service needs quickly and thoroughly at a fair rate. If you have any emergency repair needs, our team is available 24/7. For new installations, we arrange convenient financing on approved credit.
Call us today at C & C Heating & Air Conditioning in Roseville for any of your duct service needs throughout the Greater Detroit Metro area. We’re highly rated for a reason.
